Assessing Mule Health From Facial Expression, Body Language

Andy Fell — November 15, 2022 - 12:04pm

Mules are stoic working animals. They can be sick or in pain and by the time signs of illness are obvious, it could be too late for owners and veterinarians to intervene.

But new research out of 51�ԹϺ�� Davis could unlock that mystery by decoding whether body posture and facial expressions such as flaring nostrils and ear movement can be clues to something more.

Amy McLean, a professor of teaching in the Department of Animal Science, is leading research into how to identify ill mules using facial cues and physiological data such as heart and respiratory rates.

Action Jackson, Prolific and Personable, Dies at 29

Dave Jones — January 17, 2017 - 9:17am

The 51�ԹϺ�� Davis community recently lost one of its most venerable members, the 29-year-old donkey Action Jackson, who died Jan. 6 after standing at stud at the Horse Barn for two decades — siring well over 500 donkeys and mules — and, with his “talkative” behavior, entertaining countless visitors to the barn on La Rue Road.

Mule Content

Assessing Mule Health From Facial Expression, Body Language

Action Jackson, Prolific and Personable, Dies at 29