What are the differences between horses donkeys and mules?

Answer 1

Donkey/Mule

• A donkey is a donkey
• A horse is a horse
• And a mule is half donkey (sire), half horse (dam) of course, of course, of course

A donkey is a donkey (no need to explain there!) and a mule is the offspring of a female horse and a male donkey.

Answer 2

Horses and donkeys are of the same family (Equidae or horse), but different species (Equus caballus and Equus asinu, respectively). A mule is a crossbreed between a male donkey and a female horse. General information may be found at these websites: http://wikipedia.org (enter "horse", "donkey", or "mule" without the quotes)http://www.lovelongears.com/about_mules.html Scientifically detailed information may be found at this web page: http://www.detectingdesign.com/donkeyshorsesmules.html Horses and donkeys are distinct species, members of the equus genus. Most species do not produce offsping with a member of a different species, but where they do, the offspring is normally infertile. Horses and donkeys can interbreed, and mules are the infertile hybrid produced. Mules are intermediate in size between the smaller donkey and the larger horse. They are considered strong, physically dependable work animals, but are often bad tempered. The English term, "stubborn as a mule" comes from the unpredictability of the mule, which can refuse to work suddenly and without apparent reason. A mule is a breed mixed bettween a horse and a donkey. It can not mate with other mules, donkeys, horses ect..... A horse can be breed with other horses and Donkeys ect..... A donkey is pretty much like a horse just with other genes. I hope that answers your Questions

Answer 3

A mule is a cross between a donkey and a horse. Therefore, a mule will have some donkey characteristics such as large ears, a head just a bit too large for its body, a skimpier tail, some still have the cross on their backs from the donkey, and they often have small looking feet. Mules are commonly charaterised as stuborn, however, it is becoming more common knowledge that they are actually really intelligent, and the so-called "stuborn" is really the mule thinking he is in danger, and refusing to put himself in harms way.

Answer 4

A donkey is small, sturdy and are generally fun to have around, and so cute with their long ears.The horse is a cousin to the donkey but with shorter ears, taller, more athlectic, ect., and usually much better looking. But the mule is the offspring of the other two. And the thing about mules, you can't breed two mules. They are born sterile (they can't reproduce). They are a cross between donkey and horse.

Things you need to know about donkeys and mules.

Donkeys and mules are not like horses. They have different dietary needs, different care needs, and may have a very different personality than a horse.

Personality

"Fight or flight" - One important thing to know about donkeys and mules, is that unlike horses that often have a "flight" response when they get scared, donkeys and mules quite often have a "fight" response to fear. This can make them very good herd protectors. But it can also be a hassle when training or handling.

(also mules in particular are very intelligent, but can show frustration when they don't understand things clearly.)

Donkeys and mules are most of the time very friendly and loving. Quite often they need more attention. If they are left in a field alone for long lengths of time they can show severe signs of depression. (and can also get "barn sour") It is almost always a rule to have at least one other equine companion with them, and to give them plenty of love and attention. Personally they make me think of a big puppy.

Once YOU are trained to them, your donkey or mule will be a friend for life.

NOTE - Pain can cause a normally friendly donkey or mule to become aggressive. If this happens, you should take them to see a vet. -

Care needs

Donkeys in particular need to stay dry. There fur is different than a horses. It absorbs water and if it isn't sweat scraped, the water can stay in the fur for days even, and can make them sick. (donkeys usually don't like water)

Dietary needs

Donkeys and mules need a very low protein diet. They also normally eat about half the amount of a regular horse. (very easy keepers) If they are fed to much they will become sick and overweight. If they are fed pellets at all, they should always be fed a low or no protein pellet diet.

A "good quality" hay is also to be avoided. It has too much protein and can make your donkey or mule sick.

I know this may sound weird, but just get them the lowest quality feed and hay possible, and you'll be fine.

Watch how much wet or green grass your donkey or mule eats. If your field is too rich, they can gain weight fast, and this can be deadly! (this is also a danger for horses, but not as much as it is for a donkey or mule.)

(Some Symptoms include: being aggressive when moved, not wanting to move, upper legs feeling soft and fatty, looking painful when they walk, stiff leg movements, shifting their weight constantly, (to relieve the pain) head down and arched back.)

Fun Fact: donkeys and mules have strong stomachs and are less prone to colic.

Shoeing

Donkeys and mules hooves have thicker stronger walls than a horses hoof. In many cases shoeing can cause more harm than good.

- This can also be a hassle when trimming. But on the good side, I have never seen a donkey or mule with a quarter crack, and hoof diseases are very rare. -

Training

Younger donkeys and mules can be hard to train. Unlike horses that mature around 2 years, a donkey or mule can take 4 or more years to be mature enough to train. They also live a lot longer. Horses can live to be 30, mules can live to be 40, and donkeys can live to be 50!

So if you get a donkey at age 40, remember, your donkey will most likely out live you!

Answer 5

The horse has evolved to live in plains and requires a fairly rich diet. The donkey has evolved to live in desert and arid mountainous areas so needs a rougher diet. Horsses sweat in hot weather and when under strain, donkeys cannot sweat to the same extent and, like other desert animals, lose heat through their large ears. There is not difference in size overall since there are breeds of horse and donkey that range from dog-size to cart-horse size. The world record for the largest donkey is 21hh and the record for the largest horse is only an inch or so taller. In detail, the part of the animal that differ are:

1. Feet - a donkey's feet are more compact and tougher, with a less prominent frog

2. Chestnuts - a donkey's chestnuts are smooth and round and feel like carborundum paper, whereas a horse's are oval and stick out

3. A horse's shoulder is more sloping than that of a donkey and, consequently, most horses have a longer stride (a good donkey also has a long stride)

4. A horse's neck has more of a crest. A donkey's neck, like a camel's hump(s), stores fat. A good donkey has a good length of neck

5. A donkey's cheekbones are more prominent than those of most horses

6. A donkey's withers are flat and smooth. Most horses have prominent withers, although Shetland ponies don't

7. A donkey's croup is rounded, whereas a good horse has a long, flat croup. A donkey's croup cannot easily be measured, therefore the distance between the point of the croup and the point of the buttock is measured instead

8. A donkey's mane and tail are generally thinner than those of a horse

9. A donkey's coat is made for the desert and not therefore waterproof

10. Colours are different. There is no such thing as a chestnut donkey, for example

11. Their physiology is very different. Donkeys are about 50% stronger than horses, weight for weight and they require less food. Because they don't sweat profusely, donkeys can go all day without water but can then take on 50% of their own bodyweight in one drink

12. Because of their tough feet, donkey's don't require shoeing unless they are working full-time on the road (this is also true of some breeds of horse, such as the Fell pony and the Caspian horse)

13. Donkeys are very resistant to lungworm, which is why some people think that they spread the parasite and pass it on to horses. In fact all equids need to be wormed against such infestation every six months

14. Donkeys are more intelligent than horses (mules are more intelligent than donkeys)

Answer 6

The main difference is the conformation and uses. While a donkey can be ridden, horses are used more for sport, and donkeys are normally used for pack animals or as companion animals. A mule is a cross between a horse and a donkey, is often infertile and is used for the same thing as a donkey.

A horse's ideal conformation is normally pretty proportional: the head does not seem too big, the legs don't seem too short, the back seems the right length, ect. A donkey has very large ears and the head often seems too big for the neck. The legs are shorter and the hooves are smaller, as is the entire animal compared to a horse. The tail is also different, more like a cows than a horses.

A mule is more proportional than a donkey, but it still has some of the big ears and head, and the tail is more of a cross between a cow and a horse. Mules are also noted for their stubborness. The mule is usually very big, because people like to cross donkeys with large horses to produce good, big, hard-working mules.

Things you need to know about donkeys and mules.

Donkeys and mules are not like horses. They have different dietary needs, different care needs, and may have a very different personality than a horse.

Personality

"Fight or flight" - One important thing to know about donkeys and mules, is that unlike horses that often have a "flight" response when they get scared, donkeys and mules quite often have a "fight" response to fear. This can make them very good herd protectors. But it can also be a hassle when training or handling.

(also mules in particular are very intelligent, but can show frustration when they don't understand things clearly.)

Donkeys and mules are most of the time very friendly and loving. Quite often they need more attention. If they are left in a field alone for long lengths of time they can show severe signs of depression. (and can also get "barn sour") It is almost always a rule to have at least one other equine companion with them, and to give them plenty of love and attention. Personally they make me think of a big puppy.

Once YOU are trained to them, your donkey or mule will be a friend for life.

NOTE - Pain can cause a normally friendly donkey or mule to become aggressive. If this happens, you should take them to see a vet. -

Care needs

Donkeys in particular need to stay dry. There fur is different than a horses. It absorbs water and if it isn't sweat scraped, the water can stay in the fur for days even, and can make them sick. (donkeys usually don't like water)

Dietary needs

Donkeys and mules need a very low protein diet. They also normally eat about half the amount of a regular horse. (very easy keepers) If they are fed to much they will become sick and overweight. If they are fed pellets at all, they should always be fed a low or no protein pellet diet.

A "good quality" hay is also to be avoided. It has too much protein and can make your donkey or mule sick.

I know this may sound weird, but just get them the lowest quality feed and hay possible, and you'll be fine.

Watch how much wet or green grass your donkey or mule eats. If your field is too rich, they can gain weight fast, and this can be deadly! (this is also a danger for horses, but not as much as it is for a donkey or mule.)

(Some Symptoms include: being aggressive when moved, not wanting to move, upper legs feeling soft and fatty, looking painful when they walk, stiff leg movements, shifting their weight constantly, (to relieve the pain) head down and arched back.)

Fun Fact: donkeys and mules have strong stomachs and are less prone to colic.

Shoeing

Donkeys and mules hooves have thicker stronger walls than a horses hoof. In many cases shoeing can cause more harm than good.

- This can also be a hassle when trimming. But on the good side, I have never seen a donkey or mule with a quarter crack, and hoof diseases are very rare. -

Training

Younger donkeys and mules can be hard to train. Unlike horses that mature around 2 years, a donkey or mule can take 4 or more years to be mature enough to train. They also live a lot longer. Horses can live to be 30, mules can live to be 40, and donkeys can live to be 50!

So if you get a donkey at age 40, remember, your donkey will most likely out live you!

Answer 7

A donkey is a donkey and a mule is a cross between a donkey and a horse.

Answer 8

* Mule: A domesticated, hybrid animal that results from crossing a mare (female horse) and a jack (male donkey). * Donkey: A domesticated ass.

Answer 9

a donkey makes an 'eyore' sound and the horse makes an 'neigh' sound. The donkey tends to be maller than the horse and is more fluffier and was discovered after the horse was.

Answer 10

Donkeys are descended from the African wild donkey (As$). Mule foals are the offspring of female horses and male donkeys