When in New Orleans you will no doubt see carriages driving around the city, taking various types of tours. Pay attention to the animal hitched to the carriage: it will be a mule, not a horse. Come to find out there is city ordinances that prohibit the use of horses. The carriage industry supports these laws, including the regulations restricting the number of hours and days that each mule and driver is allowed to work.

We saw this mule hitched to a carriage at Jackson Square in New Orleans

What is a mule? A mule has a horse for a mother and a donkey for a father. Mules  are smarter, up to 1.5 times stronger than a horse, live longer, and won’t work themselves to death. Mules also have a better tolerance to heat which is important with the high temps and high humidity common in New Orleans. It makes good sense to use mules in New Orleans.