The most obvious difference between a horse and mule can be seen in the ears, which are much larger than a horse, and the mane and tail, which are usually much thinner on a mule than a horse.

The inhabitants of Paphlagonia and Nicaea (the northern and northwestern parts of modern day Turkey) are said to have been the first to breed mules.

Mule: The result of a donkey stallion mating with a female horse. Mules tend to have the head of a donkey and the extremities of a horse. Hinny: The result of a horse stallion mating with a female donkey. Hinnies are less common than mules and there might be subtle differences in appearance.

Mules are used for a variety of purposes. Throughout history, they have most commonly been used for draft and pack animals; however, they have also been used as mounts, and they even compete in all the same types of equestrian events as horses. The smallest mules were used as draft animals within mines.

A hinny is a domestic equine hybrid, the offspring of a male horse (a stallion) and a female donkey (a jenny). It is the reciprocal cross to the more common mule, which is the product of a male donkey (a jack) and a female horse (a mare).

Mules can be either male or female, but, because of the odd number of chromosomes, they can't reproduce. However, a male mule should be gelded in order to make him a safe and sociable animal.

Despite its name, the Moscow Mule originated in America and did not come from Russia. The name is a reference to the two main ingredients - vodka and ginger beer. Vodka is associated with Russia, and the ginger beer has a kick "like a mule". You might also hear the Moscow Mule called a vodka buck.

Samuel CromptonSpinning mule / Inventor The inventor of the mule, Samuel Crompton was born in 1753 to a family of Lancashire weavers and small holders. His father died when he was young. By the age of 10 he had learned how to weave on a loom.

They live longer than horses and tend to require less food than a similar-sized horse. They can also sense danger better and are more cautious than horses or donkeys, making them safer to ride when crossing difficult terrain.

Mules show pain response characteristics of both parent species, being less evident than in horses, but more overt than in donkeys. Their physiologic parameters fall between the donkey and horse.

Mules are often considered superior to horses when it comes to trail riding - there's nothing better for riding in the steep mountains. They are more sure-footed, tend to be smoother gaited and because of the aforementioned self-preservation and less flight response, some consider them safer than horses.

A mule has 63 chromosomes, intermediate between the 64 of the horse and the 62 of the donkey. Mules are usually infertile for this reason. Pregnancy is rare, but can occasionally occur naturally, as well as through embryo transfer. A few mare mules have produced offspring when mated with a horse or donkey stallion.