http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-mule-commute,0,3829256,print.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines

Good story.

Are Mules as protective of their riders as the father states?

Mine (a 6 y/o mare mule) is very interested in her well-being, which somewhat protects me.
But it also has her thinking there is a "mule-eating gremlin" out to get her, behind the next set of bushes.
A mule gets confidence with age, but also if she trusts her rider is not putting her in jeopardy.
Plus each has its own personality (just like a horse).
She is fearless when it comes to dogs, no problem with cattle or goats, but does not like the smell of feral hogs. Go figure!

I've owned a lot of good mules and rode a lot of bad ones...Some mules, especially older mules, are good animals but I personally never trust a mule, it is not smart to trust a mule, they may not hurt you but you can bet they will make you hurt yourself...When I was a junior in high school, several of us were hired to ride each mule 5 saddles, they sent us 250 young mules..I have never cared much for mules since..It takes a long time to properly brake a mule and a world of riding...He won't hurt himself, but he will hurt you is my take on them...

All that said, I do like a good mule for hunting, or climbing around in rough country with lots of slick rock, but thats about it..I hate them when I have cow work to do, they mostly have no speed to speak of..

One way a mule can hurt you lies in their hatred for dogs. I've seen a bunch of mules that would try to kill every dog they saw, on sight. 'Course, their owners usually break them of that right up front, but if they haven't been dog-broke, it's something to be wary of.

One of my best friends, an AZ "lion-guide" of considerable success, has had some real "rodeos" with new mules when his lion dogs and the new unbroke mules got too close....

Mules have it all over horses when one guy needs to lead more than a couple pack animals.