Greetings all!
I feel the need to address my personal thoughts on our registries procedures and mission.
The Mulefoot pig. In our humble opinion the perfect breed of swine. {grin} I will never loose sight that this is and always
will be about the animal alone. Our goal and that of countless conscientious and reputable breeders throughout this nation
is the preservation of the Mulefoot. It has been said the heritage pig breed registries are notoriously slow and inefficient.
I can not speak for other registries but can for ours. It would be so much easier to say yes to all requests, to make exceptions,
to require less to ease the registration process. I make no apologies for our stringent requirements. We do require a hard
copy of documents mailed in to our registry. We feel electronic documents are too easily altered. As many friendships and
acquaintances as we have made, many times we would love to be a bit faster and efficient, but our goal is solely the Mulefoots
well-being and preservation. Not taking short-cuts on the most important procedures we have in place. My wife would whole-heartedly
agree as she bears the brunt of the emails and phone calls when problems arise, she is a very committed individual and is
a true asset to this breed. She has an iron will when it comes to the Mulefoot. She stands firm in her belief that we must
maintain a pure bloodline, and she is doing her part to ensure this takes place.
Many breeds of animals, in fact most breeds have more than one registry in place. This fact always sparks a healthy
debate. In example: AKC and a wealth of other dog registration organizations. We welcome any organization or individual that
protects the Mulefoots best interest. Unfortunately only time will tell any organizations end result. We have stood the test
of time. The addition of a new registry is a bit confusing to many breeders and new members. My personal advice to any concerned
is to review the procedures in place, and make your decision based on knowledge, not purely on who is claiming to have the
best efficiency. We are not gong anywhere. Our procedures will remain constant.
Our breeders are responsible and use sound breeding practices. We have never had any complaint or question arise as to
the purebred status of any of our pigs. This speaks volumes for our breeders. Each have taken this monumental task head on
of preserving this breed for future generations to come and have taken that responsibility very seriously. I am very proud
of our members and our Association, each of us can look ourselves in the mirror knowing we have done our best for the endangered
Mulefoot breed. It is our understanding that another breed registry will only take Mulefoot pigs that are registered with
our Association. That is comforting as the “mule-like” hoof does not alone make a mule foot, they are indeed a
breed within itself. Our stock has been DNA tested at our registries inception by a tireless and dedicated breeder. Our
hope is that others will breed as faithfully as our members-we cant go back and do this over. It must be done to the best
of our ability the first time around.
If you choose to add breeding stock to your herd I would ask that we all ensure that only purebred stock is represented
on a registration application.-to any registry that you have chosen. Many dedicated breeders have come a very long way, and
the breed has overcome a mountain of obstacles, lets keep moving forward. I ask that we be a true steward to this breed.
I hope this addresses some concerns you may have, I just felt it was the appropriate time to again, let all know our mission.
Thank you and if you have any concerns or questions feel free to contact me any time, I always love to talk pigs!
-Mark
endnote: Jessica is currently updatng our web page, as we have run out of room! Many new members are awaiting addition
to our breeder page. This is almost done, so look for your farm soon!
