Wednesday, August 19, 2026
By Submitted Story on November 6, 2024
On the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 30, we made the difficult but necessary decision to euthanize Raymond the mule due to a small scrotal hernia that occluded the affected loops of his small intestine.
We believe that Raymond was in his late 20s. He was the offspring of a wild Banker mare and a donkey that lived with the herd before there was a domestic livestock ordinance in place. He was actually Raymond Jr (or maybe even Raymond III) – his sire the donkey was the original Raymond. He was also known by locals as Jack, Rebel, Burrito, and probably a few other choice nicknames over the years.
Raymond spent most of his life in the wild and lived just like the horses – he had a harem of mares, raised foals (even though they weren’t biologically his – mules are sterile), and fought other stallions for territory. He had a reputation for being fierce, and most of the stallions gave him a wide berth. Because he was a hybrid, Raymond did not have all of the physical adaptations we see with the Banker horses and as a result had issues with his hooves throughout much of his life.
We were a little worried that Raymond would have a hard time adapting to life on the farm, but he quickly showed us that we should never underestimate him. He settled right in and figured out how to wrap us around his hooves, and for the next five years our lives would revolve around him. We were able to correct many of the issues with his hooves and keep him sound and comfortable, he was put on a diet more appropriate for a mule his age, and he even agreed to being halter trained. We built him his own pasture where he didn’t have to worry about other horses challenging him (turns out he really wasn’t all that fierce, he was just very defensive) and we did our best to accommodate and indulge in all of his many quirks and idiosyncrasies. After we rescued Blossom last year she and Raymond lived together at the farm as they had in the wild, and they were both so happy to have each other’s company.
Our goal for Raymond, especially over the last year or so, was to keep him content and comfortable. Quality of life was the most important part of his care plan, and he was definitely a very happy mule right up to the moment he passed away. It doesn’t make the loss any easier or less heartbreaking, but there is certainly a lot of comfort to be taken from that. We will remember him fondly and miss him dearly. It’s way too quiet around here without him hollering at us.
Raymond touched so many lives and was adored by so many people. We’d like for you to help us write his eulogy by visiting this special page on our website that we’ve set up for him. Please share your memories, photographs, and condolences so that we can celebrate his life together: https://www.corollawildhorses.com/remembering-raymond…/
To learn more about Corolla Wild Horse Fund or to donate visit their website and follow them on Facebook.
Comments
RIP Raymond
Raymond was the off-spring of a jackass descended from a long line of donkeys that were originally dropped off on the Outer Banks by handsome and dashing conquistadors in the late 16th century.
Or maybe Raymond was just a common mule who was the off-spring of a common jackass and a standard breed horse resulting from over 200 years of open range ranching of horses, cattle, and other livestock on the Outer Banks.
One of these stories is true and the other is just a legend made-up by jackasses to sell noisy truck rides to gullible tourists.
Steven
Should be made known that these are feral horses that were purposefully there by farmers on the Virginia side.
They are not Spanish Mustangs or descendants of..