Feeding
Food and water are essential to a mule's longevity and wellbeing. Mules are herbivores (plant eaters) and their diet consists of grasses, grains, and shrubs. The park's team of mules are fed grain and hay according to their individual dietary needs, and they sometimes munch on fruits and vegetables for a special treat. Mules have tasebuds just like humans and can have taste and texture preferences, resulting in them liking and disliking some foods.
Mules can drink up to 15 gallons of water a day. That's 120, 16 oz. bottles per day! Mules can store water longer than horses. This can help them to adapt to dry and hot climates, a trait that they get from the desert-loving donkey. In order to stay hydrated, mules can snack on salt licks which prompts them to drink more water. Historically, mules would drink water right out of the canal, but the banks of the canal were often too steep to allow them to reach the water’s surface. “Informal overflows,” sections along the canal that were two feet below the main towpath, would gather excess floodwater and made drinking easier for mules. Canallers called these areas “mule drinks.” Today the park mules have 24-hour access to a large water trough that is refilled with clean, fresh water every morning and evening.
A mule's feeding routine can vary depending on their changing dietary and health needs. Park staff monitor the mules' eating habits daily and adjust their diets as needed to ensure that they are eating properly and getting enough nutrients.
