Mules
We have all heard the expression 'stubborn as a mule,' and the comparison is well founded. Mules are known for their extreme stubbornness, but they have also been greatly valued for their other assets. A mule is the result of a cross between a mare horse and a jack ass, and the opposite is a hinny, bred from a cross of a stallion and a jennet, a female ass. Both of these hybrid equines are sterile. Mules were first bred in the Middle East some 4000 years ago, and they have played an enormous role throughout human history. They are immensely strong, hardy and economical to feed and care for. From ancient wars, when mules were used to haul supply wagons, to the 'Wild West,' where they packed and pulled across the Plains and through the mountains, mules have indeed been essential. Description: Mules vary in their body type. Some tend to make more of their features from horses and some from asses, but they usually have fairly coarse looks. Often they have a characteristic dorsal stripe and cross-bar across the withers. They have large heads, with enormous ears; neck short set into prominent withers and upright shoulders; back long and hindquarters sloped and angular; legs and feet extremely strong and sound; color commonly dun, with black points and dorsal stripe, brown, black, bay and gray. Mules and donkeys are easy to identify in any field. [Grove, Kindrie, Field Guide to Horses, Lone Pine Publishing, Edmonton, Alberta, 1998]