Horse Sense Donkeys on the Homestead
Common Misconceptions
You ' ve undoubtedly heard that donkeys are stubborn. This is not necessarily true. Sometimes a donkey will cautiously approach a new situation and evaluate it slowly. In a“ spooky” circumstance that might send other equines straight into“ flight” mode, a donkey might carefully look at the situation and simply not move on until he’ s feeling more at ease. A good relationship between donkey and handler is important to help put the donkey’ s naturally cautious attitude to best use.
And in the same way that many people think ponies and foals are the same thing( oops! they ' re not), many people also think that donkeys and mules are the same thing. Ah, not so! Here ' s how it works. If a male donkey( known as a jack) and a horse mare have a foal, the result is a mule. If a female donkey and a horse stallion have a foal, it ' s called a hinny. These hybrid offspring are beloved by many for the unique combination of qualities they exhibit. But remember: mules and hinnies are sterile and cannot reproduce due to the fact that they have 63 chromosomes.
But let ' s set aside those misconceptions and just think about those ears! Who can resist?
Photo Copyright Daniel Johnson / Fox Hill Photo
About the Author:
Samantha Johnson is a writer, farm girl, and the author of more than a dozen books on rural living. She lives on a farm in northern Wisconsin with a colorful herd of Welsh Mountain Ponies. You can find her online at https:// www. authory. com / SamanthaJohnson
Photo Copyright Daniel Johnson / Fox Hill Photo
14 AcreageLife November 2026 AcreageLife. com