The biggest problem confronting a farrier who’s asked to shoe a mule for the first time may very well be fear of the unknown.

So says Lee Green, the International Horseshoeing Hall Of Fame member from Yucaipa Calif., who has shod a lot of mules in his career. Green, along with his son, Portor, tackled the subject of shoeing mules during a session at the International Hoof-Care Summit in Cincinnati, Ohio, earlier this year.

The Greens started their presentation by asking why farriers don’t like to shoe mules. They got a variety of answers, including the mule’s reputation for being stubborn and likely to kick, the toughness of mule’s feet and — as one farrier remarked — the fact that “there’s no prestige in shoeing mules.”

The elder Green would beg to disagree with that final observation.

“I’ve always enjoyed shoeing mules,” he told the audience. “It’s true that you don’t get the $200, 300 or $400 you get with some high-end horses when you’re shoeing mules. And while I’ve spent most of my career shoeing horses for jumping and English and Western-style riding, mules have always dear to my heart.”

Lee Green shod pack mules in the Grand…