|
The Down Low on Mules and Hinnies
|
|
|
 What is a mule or hinny? A mule is the offspring of a female horse and a male donkey. The offspring of a male horse and a female donkey is called a hinny. There are fewer hinnies because it's harder for a donkey to conceive and carry a foal when bred to a horse stallion. Hinnies look more horse-like with slightly shorter ears, and mules look more like their donkey parents with narrower feet and a few other anatomical differences. Hinnies tend to be a bit smaller than mules. However, the size of the offspring of either cross really depends on the size of the parents. Mules and hinnies come in all sizes and body types—from miniature to draft cross. They also come in as many coat colors as horses do.
For show ring and registry purposes mules and hinnies are usually lumped together, despite their subtle differences. One common trait is the inability to reproduce. Horses have sixty-four chromosomes, whereas donkeys have sixty-two. The offspring will have sixty-three, and although they have reproductive organs won't be able to produce foals. There is always an exception to the rule. Very rarely a mule foal will be born. It's estimated that there have only been four confirmed mule births since 1984. The Romans, who actually preferred mules to horses, had a saying “Cum mula peperi” or “when a mule foals” to describe something that was rare or unlikely to happen.
Related: How cool are mules?
Related: Truth On Logears - Are They Stubborn
Why did the Romans, and many others since, prefer mules? A mule is stronger and hardier than an equivalent sized horse. Mules can be less temperamental than horses, which can make them easier to train. They are more sure-footed and less temperature sensitive. Mules have harder hooves and thicker skin. So while oxen were used to pull large heavy loads, mules were preferred to horses for lighter pulling or carrying goods in panniers.
Mules have an unfair reputation for being obstinate. That is because they have a strong sense of self-preservation. A horse might gallop itself to death, but a mule will not. When things are not quite right, a mule will quit. This is a sign of intelligence, not stubbornness. Mule owners also know that they are safer riding a mule, because this natural self-preservation keeps them safe too. A mule won't be coaxed into a dangerous situation as a horse can and their large ears are antennae for animals or humans that its rider or handler might not have noticed.
Today, mules are used for everything horses are. They are seen hitched to dray wagons and elegant carriages and shown in every discipline. Over the long-haul, they've proven themselves superior to horses. In the 1976 Great American Horse Race, ninety-one riders, each with two mounts raced 3,000 miles (4828km) from New York to California. The winner crossed the finish line with his two mules, Lord Fauntleroy and Lady Eloise. Another place mules are superior to horses is in the standing high-jump. Called a Coon Hunter's High Jump, after a manoeuvre practised by raccoon hunters to cross fences, some mules have been trained to jump as high as 6ft (1.8m), from a standstill. |
|
|
|
|
 Related Horse News
|
|
What is a mule or hinny? A mule is the offspring of a female horse and a male donkey. The offspring of a male horse and a female donkey is called a hinny. There are fewer hinnies because it's harder for a donkey to conceive and c ...
|
|
4th Mar 2010 |
General |
Eire
Over time the Horse has won hearts and the donkey has won humor. Donkeys or Longears are usally connected with words like "stubborn","untrainable" and "foxy", but now people are realising what the donkey really is. ...
|
|
There are lots of donkey breeds, each with their own characteristics. Of the over 150 different breeds, we here in North America are probably most familiar with the American Mammoth Jack, often crossed with horses to produce a lar ...
|
|
The BLM is rounding up about sixty burros in the Bullhead City of Arizona area and shortly, these burros, or donkeys as many of us call them, will be up for adoption. But, who would want a donkey? Turns out, donkeys are not only c ...
|
|
More News by Winniefield Park
|
|
RSS Break Even and RSS Identity Thief are both top ranked horses belonging to the same stables. RavenSide Stud TBS was established in 2017 and is ranked at 113 with 49,459,023 PB in earnings. Currently, there are three stallions s ...
|
|
During a peaceful protest that turned ugly in London, UK a police horse bolted after being pelted with debris by violent demonstrators. Flares, bottles and sticks flew as the crowd was pushed back by mounted police officers. One o ...
|
|
You might remember a story from early last winter about twenty horses in Eastern Kentucky that were shot and killed. The few survivors were taken to Kentucky Humane Society’s Willow Hope Farm to regain their health and eventually ...
|
|
Beach-goers to the Outer Banks are being asked to stay clear of the wild horses that live there after a photo of a woman appearing to pat a wild horse has surfaced. This is not an isolated incident as tourists visit the well known ...
|
|
Some horses eat anything and will eat everything from anchovies to zucchini. And some are extremely picky and act like you’ve poisoned them if you put anything but hay and grain in front of their noses. Have you ever tried a taste ...
|
|
Jim Gaffigan pokes fun at the Triple Crown, from the costumes and pageantry, to owners, jockeys and trainers. He then takes a humorous trek through the horse world, exploring horse breeds, horse people, horseshoes, riding and the ...
|
|
We are halfway through 2020 and so far it’s been quite a year. IRL, there has been a lot going on. But on Ponybox, records continue to be broken and new horses are vying for the top rank and highest jumps. Horses tend to go throug ...
|
|
Covid-19 is taking its toll on so many businesses and individuals. One rescue stable in British Columbia, Canada, fears that they are running out of time to save 30 horses and ponies, many of which could be sent to slaughter. The ...
|
|
|
