A few weeks ago, I had a question about mules. I asked around and could not get a satisfactory answer. I went to a website for “Mules and More Mules” and clicked on “Contact Us” and asked my question. “Will donkeys and horses breed naturally or do they require human intervention?” I got an answer in a few days, “Yes, donkeys and hores will breed naturally, but sometimes they need help.” I showed my wife that I had found answer to such a profound question, the Internet is truly amazing. She pointed out, “Hell, sometimes horses need human assistance.” She had had horses when she was younger. The rest of the day, I thought only about animal husbandry. It made my skin crawl. I had not been told details, I filled in the blanks, “Sometimes horses and donkeys need assistance.” What would possess a normal person to want to assist a horse or donkey. Animal husbandry seems almost as perverse as psychiatry.
I am not sure what you are picturing, but it probably isn’t as hands on as you think it is. Artificial insemination is popular with all animals. It is common for dogs to be artificially inseminated - animals get STDs, too, so breeders protect their stock that way.
Thinks2Much, I am well aware of the practice of artificial insemination. I would point out that mules were referred to in the Old Testament of the Bible. I do not believe that the practice of artificial insemintaion is several thousand years old. I have found out that sometimes people manually assist animals that cannot copulate by themselves. I also found out some of the methods for obtaining samples used for artificial insemination. This is as graphic as I will get. I will repeat my statement, “The practice of animal husbandry is as perverse as the practice of psychiatry.” My therapist found this comparison amusing.
Your pyschiatrist has to manually assist you to copulate? :eek:
The “help” that horses sometimes need involves holding the mare still while she’s being mounted. This usually takes 2 people, one on either side, with lots of petting and soft talking to calm her down. After they’ve done it a few times, they can be out in the pasture having a snack during the mounting like it’s no big deal.
That’s almost as bad as removing smegma stones from male horses, (but more fun for the horse).
I’ll take Things About Which JuanitaTech Could Have Died a Happy Woman without Ever Knowing for $500, Alex.
So, JuanitaTech, I take it you’d rather not have a step-by-step description of sheath cleaning for male horses?
As to donkeys needing assistance… we have a mini donkey at our barn who thinks he’s God’s gift to mares. All mares. Even mares who tower over him. Think Shetland pony and Thoroughbred sizes. “Gimme a stepladder and lemme at 'em!” he brays. He in fact was a father, before his gelding. He was raised with mini horses, and escaped his pasture long enough to sire two mini mules.
Okay, I’ll ask the obvious: does the donkey stand on a chair?
When I was in Biology class, I learned that a mule was half donkey and half horse, and it struck me as being really weird. It’s so…wrong somehow.
:eek:
I know I am very tired right now, but this the the first phrase that caught my eye when I opened this thread. Now to clean the rest of the soda off the monitor.
In all fairness, a Mammoth Jack (14 hands and up) ought to be able to mount regular sized mare.
This post reminded me of a “free puppies” ad I once saw posted in the humor section of Reader’s Digest:
Free to good homes. Mother-St. Bernard, father-very determined Cocker Spaniel
Horses are big business.
Equine nookie can get rough, what with the love bites and hooves flying around.
Some of these animals are insured for millions of dollars. The last thing owners at that level want to do is somehow damage their millions of dollars, even if it is all in the name of a good piece of tail.
So, of course 
, the alternative is to get the stallion interested in the scent of an in-season mare kept just out of his reach in a nearby holding stall. Conveniently place a mare-shaped dummy, about yay big, yay high, yay wide. Then que the helmet-wearing veterinarian to run in with the “collection sleeve” to…well…collect.
Oddly enough, it is possible that the collected prize in this whole circus is worth more than the entire pricetag of the vet’s education.
Begging your pardon, but…eh?
Also, when you have an expensive stud, it’s not practical to allow the stallion to actually mate a mare, when all that semen will produce only one baby. If you use AI, you can get several babies from one collection. And when stud fees are a couple grand per baby, that’s alot of money.
(My italics)
I Find it very hard to believe that its popular with THE ANIMALS!! Maybe their owners…
[QUOTE=EddyTeddyFreddy]
So, JuanitaTech, I take it you’d rather not have a step-by-step description of sheath cleaning for male horses?
QUOTE]
You know, somewhere out there, there is probably someone who is getting turned on by reading this link.
This reminds me of a funny story.
Apparently when they are breeding expensive race horses, they will bring in an imposter stud to get the mare ready to “receive”. When the imposter is courting the mare, she might kick and bite him repeatedly, so it’s pretty rough play. Then the imposter is lead away, without having any fun, and the real expensive stud is brought in to finish the job.
My buddy said he feels like his life has been that of an imposter stud.
Here’s all the gory details of horse breeding:
(Maybe TMI for some folks?)