In Love With LONGEARS
Stubborn, obstinate, headstrong — all words that have been used to describe mules. And calling someone “mulish” or “muleheaded” has never been intended as a compliment. Mules have a reputation for being difficult to work with. Stories abound about mules simply refusing to work for their owners. It’s easy to regard such stories as evidence of mules’ unwillingness and laziness, but the truth is much more complicated.
What exactly is a mule? A mule is a cross between a donkey and a horse — more specifically, a male donkey and a female horse. (A hinny is a cross between a male horse and a female donkey.) Horses have 64 chromosomes and donkeys have 62. The mule and the hinny both have 63, an odd number that renders them sterile — in the majority of cases. There are never any absolutes in nature, and there’s a handful of documented cases of mules giving birth to healthy offspring.
Mules and their donkey and horse parents share a lot of similarities, butwithers, which makes a well-fitted riding saddle or pack rig a must.
