Teaching An Old Mule New Tricks

Mules are intelligent. Some research suggests they are smarter than both horses and donkeys.

In the South and Midwest, some handlers put their mules’ skills to the test in mule jumping competitions.

As Harvest Public Media's Jacob McCleland explains, "Mule jumping is a simple sport: a handler leads a mule to a chute. At the end, there’s a pole with a blanket draped over it. Mules must stop before jumping, and they have two chances to clear the pole or be eliminated. After each round, the judge raises the pole two inches."