What are the two types of mules?

Author: Prof. Adrienne Kemmer  |  Last update: Tuesday, February 3, 2026

Mules:
  • Miniature = 50″ or less.
  • Saddle mule = 50″ or more.
  • Draft = bred from a draft horse breed.

What are the different breeds of mules?

A mule is the result of breeding a horse mare of any breed to an intact male donkey. The resulting mule can be a Quarter Horse mule, a Belgian mule, an Appaloosa mule, a Tennessee Walker mule, a Miniature mule… the list goes on. Whatever breed you particularly like can be used to raise that "type" of mule.

Is a hinny better than a mule?

Generally, mules are larger, stronger, and more docile than hinnies, while hinnies tend to be smaller, more spirited, and have a more horse-like appearance. What does the name ``mule'' mean?

What happens if a horse and donkey mate?

Mule: The result of a donkey stallion mating with a female horse. Mules tend to have the head of a donkey and the extremities of a horse. Hinny: The result of a horse stallion mating with a female donkey. Hinnies are less common than mules and there might be subtle differences in appearance.

Why are hinnies so rare?

``Hinnies are difficult to obtain because of the differences in the number of chromosomes of the horse and the donkey. A donkey has 62 chromosomes, whereas a horse has 64. Hinnies, being hybrids of those two species, have 63 chromosomes and are in the majority of cases sterile.

Why Can't Mules Have Babies?

Are hinnies aggressive?

Some authors have suggested that hinnies are more docile when compared to mules due to inheriting the donkey temperament [17].

Why can't hinnies reproduce?

Most hinnies (female donkey×male horse) and mules (female horse×male donkey) are sterile with few reports of equine fertile hybrids. The main cause of this sterility is thought to be a meiotic block to spermatogenesis and oogenesis.

Can a horse breed with a zebra?

A zorse is the offspring of a zebra stallion and a horse mare. This cross is also called a zebrose, zebrula, zebrule, or zebra mule. The rarer reverse pairing is sometimes called a hebra, horsebra, zebrinny, or zebra hinny. Like most other animal hybrids, the zorse is sterile.

Can a horse impregnate a mule?

But combined with the dissimilarities in the horse-donkey chromosomes, the end result is usually — but not always — sterile offspring. While there are no recorded cases of fertile mule stallions, there have been a few dozen cases of mule mares giving birth after mating with a horse or donkey.

What two animals make a donkey?

A donkey is the offspring of a male donkey (a jack) and a female donkey (a jenny.). A mule is the offspring of a male donkey (a jack) and a female horse (a mare.) A hinny is the offspring of a male horse (a stallion) and a female donkey (a jenny.).

What is a Ginny mule?

A hinny is a domestic equine hybrid, the offspring of a male horse (a stallion) and a female donkey (a jenny). It is the reciprocal cross to the more common mule, which is the product of a male donkey (a jack) and a female horse (a mare).

What is a mule slipper?

A mule is a type of shoe that has no back or fastening around the heel and with no constraints around the foot. Made with a distinctive slip-on design, mules are both easy to wear and elegant in appearance so you can count on them to be a failsafe style option for your wardrobe.

Has a mule ever had a baby?

A mule has 63 chromosomes, intermediate between the 64 of the horse and the 62 of the donkey. Mules are usually infertile for this reason. Pregnancy is rare, but can occasionally occur naturally, as well as through embryo transfer. A few mare mules have produced offspring when mated with a horse or a jack.

Did cowboys ride mules?

In some parts of the country, especially Missouri, mules were favored over horses as riding animals; mules could also pull a wagon or be used as pack animals.

What is the largest breed of mule?

Meet the American Mammoth Jackstock draft mule, bred by George Washington for its tall and sturdy stance, with thick legs and massive well-made head.

What is the biggest draft horse?

Shire horses are the largest draft horse breed, based on height and body weight. Other large draft breeds include Belgians, Clydesdales, and Friesians.

What is a molly mule?

A mare mule is a female mule, also called a “molly” mule. A horse mule is a male mule and is also called a “john” mule.

What does "being gelded" mean?

A gelding is a castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. The term is also used with certain other animals and livestock, such as domesticated camels. By comparison, the equivalent term for castrated male cattle would be steer (or bullock), and wether for sheep and goats.

How long is a horse pregnant with a mule?

The mean GL was 347.2 ± 1.4 days (range of 326-368 days) and 341.1 ± 1.6 days (range of 307-360 days) for equine and mule pregnancies, respectively. The normal GL reference for mule pregnancies was 316.9-365.3 days. Therefore, GL of equine pregnancies was longer than of mule pregnancies.

Why can't zebras be domesticated?

Lack of Social Hierarchy: Unlike horses, zebras do not have a clear family structure or social hierarchy, which is crucial for domestication. Survival Instincts: Zebras evolved to avoid predators like lions, resulting in a highly defensive and aggressive nature.

Can you cross breed a horse and a cow?

A gimerro is an animal born of a horse and a cow; or of a bull and a mare; or of an ass and a cow.

Do Zorses still exist?

Zorses are not just a figment of someone's wild imagination. They do exist and continue to trot around our world, leaving a trail of awe and striped wonder. They might not be as common as your regular horse, but they're out there, strutting their unique blend of horse and zebra genes.

Why can't ligers reproduce?

In mammals, males have XY sex chromosomes, so male “ligers” and “tigons” (offspring between tigers and lions) are sterile, while females, which have two X chromosomes, tend to be more fertile.

Can a zonkey reproduce?

Sadly the Zonkey is a sterile creature, similar to the Mule and Liger, so it cannot produce offspring of its own. Zonkeys can live in the wild though, although they are very rare and the majority of Zonkeys are found in zoos around the world.

What happens if you breed a male horse with a female donkey?

A male horse and a female donkey have a hinny. A female horse and a male donkey have a mule. But hinnies and mules can't have babies of their own. They are sterile because they can't make sperm or eggs.

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