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Wisconsin Donkey & Mule Society
The most noticeable difference between a horse and a donkey or mule is their ears. Donkeys and mules have ears that are much longer in relation to the size of their body. In looking at their conformation, donkeys have straighter necks and backs, lack true withers, have coarse manes and tails, and have smaller, rounder hooves than horses.
Donkeys are also known for their characteristic bray. Colors range from shades of gray to brown, bay, black, roan, sorrel and a spotted pattern. They come in a variety of sizes from the miniatures of under 36 inches to the Mammoth Jacks over 14 hands high.
The first donkey appeared in the New World with Christopher Columbus in 1495. Donkeys later found favor as a pack animal by miners, particularly the gold prospectors, of the mid-1800s.
A mule is a cross between a donkey stallion (called a jack) and a horse mare. Hinnies are just the opposite - a stallion horse crossed to a donkey jennet. For all purposes, hinnies and mules are classified and shown together under the general term, Mule. Both male and female mules are sterile and cannot reproduce. Mules and hinnies must be bred by crossing a donkey and horse every time.
Mules can be of any color that either horses or donkeys come in, along with some unique variations of their own. They come in every size and shape imaginable, from miniature, all the way up to 17 hand high mules. The conformation of the mule is a combination of both parents.
Donkeys and mules have a bad reputation for being stubborn; this is actually a self-preservation trait. They will not do anything that will put themselves in danger. Donkeys and mules can be used just like horses under saddle and in harness. Because of hybrid vigor, mules actually have more stamina and can carry more weight than a horse of the same size. Mules excel at the high-jump and can clear jumps taller than their own height from a standing start. Donkeys have been found to make wonderful guard animals for herds of cattle, sheep, or goats.
For more information visit the Wisconsin Donkey and Mule Society or the American Donkey and Mule Society
