Mule

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Mule

In an age before tractors, oxen were not the only draft animals necessary to run a large agricultural enterprise. Mules were also commonplace, prized for their strength, their long working lives, and their resilience. A mule is a cross between a male donkey and a female horse, resulting in a sterile animal with the body of a horse and the extremities of the donkey. The reverse relationship results in a hinny, with somewhat different appearance and abilities. Mules tend to be intelligent animals, which may account for their reputation for stubbornness. They will do what they want to do, and they respond much better to training and persuasion than to force.