Mule, the hypird offspring of a male ass (jackass, or jack) and a female horse (mare).
The less-frequent cross between a female ass and a male horse results in
a hinny, or hinney, which is smaller than a mule. Mules were beasts of burden in Asia Minor
at least 3,000 years ago and are still used today in many parts of the
world because of their ability to withstand hardships and perform work
under conditions too severe for many other draft and pack animals. Mules
are usually sterile.
The mule resembles the horse in height,
uniformity of coat, and shape of neck and croup. It resembles the ass in
its short, thick head, long ears, thin limbs, small hooves, and short
mane. The coat is usually brown or bay. In size, mules range widely from
about 12 to 17.5 hands (120 to 180 cm, or 50 to 70 inches) in height
and from 275 to 700 kg (600 to 1,500 pounds) in weight.
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