38th Annual Buddy M. Stockwell Memorial Mule & Donkey Show
Plus, Draft Horse Pull at the Larimer County Fair
July 31 — August 1, 2015
– Driving
– Trail/Obstacle
– Gymkana, and other fun games
– Classes for all ages
For more information visit LarimerCountyFair.org.
After spending a bit of time riding with a friend this past month I find mules most interesting and so did my horse. Here is a brief description of the differences sourced from Wikipedia:
Mule: A mule is the offspring of a male donkey a (jack) and a female horse (mare). Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny , which is the product of a female donkey (jenny) and a male horse (stallion).
The size of a mule and work to which it is put depend largely on the breeding of the mule’s dam. Mules can be lightweight, medium weight, or even, when produced from draft horse mares, of moderately heavy weight.
It has been claimed that mules are “more patient, sure-footed, hardy and long-lived than horses, and they are considered less obstinate, faster, and more intelligent than donkeys.”
A female mule that has estrus cycles and thus, in theory, could carry a fetus, is called a “molly” or “Molly mule,” though the term is sometimes used to refer to female mules in general. Pregnancy is rare, but can occasionally occur naturally as well as through embryo transfer. One of several terms for a gelded mule is a “John mule.”
Donkey: The donkey or ass, Equus africanus asinus, is a domesticated member of the horse family, Equidae. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African wild ass, E. africanus. The donkey has been used as a working animal for at least 5000 years. There are more than 40 million donkeys in the world, mostly in underdeveloped countries, where they are used principally as draught or pack animals. Working donkeys are often associated with those living at or below subsistence levels. Small numbers of donkeys are kept for breeding or as pets in developed countries.
A male donkey or ass is called a jack, a female a jenny jennet; a young donkey is a foal. Jack donkeys are often used to mate with female horses to produce mules.
Linda P
BCHA Nicker 