Mules, the offspring of male donkeys and female horses, are widely used as working animals globally and have distinct welfare needs that differ from both parent species.
Mules forced to work through pain or exhaustion by handlers who interpret their self-preservation refusals as stubbornness suffer from the same welfare failures as other working equines. Their reputation for stubbornness often leads to abusive training methods that cause fear-based compliance rather than genuine cooperation. Long working hours in heat without adequate water cause dehydration and heat stress. In developing world contexts, mules work in conditions that would be recognized as abuse in more regulated settings.