Probably, each of us heard about mules. These hardy and patient animals often appear in artistic works “On Old Times”. Perhaps you know that a mule is a barren hybrid of a donkey and a horse. But in fact, the mule, it turns out, is not always incapable of reproduction. And he also has a “relative” called “horses”. What are the differences between these creatures?
How the horses differ from the mule
Mule – a cross between a female horse (mare) and a male donkey. This hardy creature is usually similar to horse and growth, and physique, but in many ways it looks just like an “enlarged donkey”. After all, the shape of hooves, muzzles, long ears of a mule donkey. And the voice is incredibly similar to the characteristic “scream of a donkey”.
They bred mules for their enormous strength and endurance, and for the sake of unpretentiousness. Unfortunately, mules, unfortunately, have very slow growth, and the animal can work in full power only from the age of four (although training begins with two). But these creatures are able to eat even ordinary straw, and do not weaken. In the mountains, mules are very appreciated as excellent riding and pack animals – yes, even now, because no car will fit into the mountains, no motorcycle. The mule retains its strength for up to about 30 or 40 years, after which this tenacious “transport” begins to gradually weaken.
The mule harmoniously combines working qualities and donkeys and mares. He inherits his growth from his mother, and his strength, and relative speed. Endo and lack of whims in nutrition come from dad-lobe to mule. Mules step slowly, but confidently, and pass more per day than loaded horses, as they are less likely to rest.
It is customary to call mules fruitless hybrids, but there are cases when females of a mule gave birth to offspring from stallions. Their children are more like a horse than a donkey.
How the horses differ from the mule
Interestingly, the word “mule” comes from the Latin word “hybrid” (mulus). However, the horses will be a hybrid – and call it a completely different manner.
The horses, on the contrary, have a donkey’s parents and a stallion. This is a cross between a female of a donkey and a horse’s male. Loshakov produced much less often than mules. Loschik looks like a donkey with short ears. He is weaker than a mule, and also not so hardy, and it is more difficult to cross a stallion with a donkey than a donkey with a mare. As for infertility – the situation is exactly the same as with mules. The males of the horses are completely barren, and females are in most cases, but cases of their pregnancies are known. To meet the lugs there is some probability in China and other Asian countries, where they are used as pack lives. But pack mules are a common occurrence in the mountainous regions of Europe, in South America.
Loshakov and mules have to be castrated so that their interest in females does not interfere with work. The male cannot have “children” – however, they have a rut, and very active. The cause of the infertility of hybrids in various chromosomes in donkey and horse. Interestingly, the growth in the withers of both estates depends on the pope. The larger the larger donkey, the larger the mule from it. The larger the stallion, the larger from him and the horses. Exceptions are possible, but usually this dependence is very easy to notice. As a result, mules in China are weaker than horses, because donkeys in China too are just very small. That is why the horses here are much more popular than its “related” hybrid.
How the horses differ from the mule
Finally, let’s say that in fact, it is difficult to create a hybrid between a horse and a donkey. These creatures do not particularly love each other. However, during the rut, a male, if he does not have suitable females, it is ready to cover not his appearance. But if it is possible to avoid the risk of miscarriage during pregnancy, you get a drain animal (mule), which by force and endurance justifies the difficulties associated with the excretion. Losak, as a rule, does not cover the hardships inevitable when reducing the horse and donkeys.