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    Know Your Donkeys & Mules
    Know Your Donkeys & Mules
    Know Your Donkeys & Mules
    Ebook76 pages27 minutes

    Know Your Donkeys & Mules

    By Jack Byard

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    About this ebook

    Did you know that the Bourbonnais donkey drinks 4 gallons of water a day? In this pocket-sized guide, you’ll discover loads of interesting facts about 34 popular breeds of donkeys and mules, including their appearance, history, breeding, and uses in agriculture and tourism. From the critically endangered Abyssinian, to the speedy Onager who can run at 40mph over a 15-mile stretch, this fascinating and fun guide will turn both young and old into a donkey and mule enthusiast.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOld Pond Books
    Release dateJan 7, 2020
    ISBN9781913618049
    Know Your Donkeys & Mules
    Author

    Jack Byard

    Jack Byard is a former mechanic, jewellery craftsman and school technician. He is retired and now lives in Bradford. The popular "Know Your" series includes Know Your Sheep, Know Your Cattle and most recently Know Your Bees

    Read more from Jack Byard

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      Book preview

      Know Your Donkeys & Mules - Jack Byard

      What Is a Mule?

      It is a common saying that mules can do anything a horse can do and they usually do it better and with a sense of humour.

      A mule is a cross between a male donkey (a jack) and a female horse (a mare). Mules come in all shapes and sizes from a miniature 9 hands (92 cm) to a large 17 hands (173 cm), and are available from local dealers in most horse colours, except pinto.

      Mules are neither stubborn nor stupid, but are highly intelligent, rugged, and sure-footed animals. It is because of these attributes that the mule is such a prized working animal. It has the ability to work in climatic extremes well beyond any that a horse can withstand. Treated well, a mule will work hard for its owner. And those foolish enough to abuse or ill-treat a mule beware: These animals have long memories. In a recreation environment, the mule is used as a pack animal for trail riding, for driving, and dressage.

      Both mules and donkeys are highly intelligent animals with a great sense of self-preservation that may feel like stubbornness: if a donkey is unsure what it is being asked to do, it just won’t do it.

      1Abyssinian

      Characteristics

      Size: 12 hands (122 cm).

      Colour: Tan to grey with a grey/white underbelly, inner thighs, and muzzle; the ear surround is dark, as are the tips of the mane; a dorsal stripe and cross (a darker stripe that runs along the spine and across the shoulders).

      Found throughout Ethiopia and bred in captivity worldwide, the Abyssinian donkey lives mainly in desert areas that vary from below sea level to 2,300 ft (700 m) above, where the rainfall seldom exceeds 7¾ in (200 mm) a year. The breed has developed the ability to survive on poor-quality grasses and forage plants. It tends to live in small groups of up to five animals, the number depending on available food and water. In some areas the Abyssinian is used for food and its milk is drunk for its health-giving properties. The donkeys often have to compete with domestic livestock for food and water.

      The Abyssinian is currently a critically endangered breed. In conservation areas, it is used for transporting all manner of goods, from food and water to fuel and heavy building materials. It is not an easy life. The Donkey

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