A Pair of Mules Digital paint

by Debbie Portwood

Title

A Pair of Mules Digital paint

Artist

Debbie Portwood

Medium

Photograph - Phototography Photomanipulation

Description

]A pair of beautiful mules stand in their field looking a me while I take their picture. I love the soft carmel brown coats with white mane, tails noses and stockings. They even have a thin white area around their eyes. Their mothers have the same beautiful markings. It is a breezy spring day as you can see by their mane being blown about.
Wonderful for any wall in your home or office, or perhaps a greeting card. Many more wonderful works can be found in my various galleries, from photographs and photoart to digital creations and abstracts. Thanks for browsing, commenting and most of all for any purchases. Debbie Portwood :D........................................(Wikipedia - A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny (the offspring of a male horse and a female donkey). The size of a mule and work to which it is put depends largely on the breeding of the mule's dam. Mules can be lightweight, medium weight, or even, when produced from draught horse mares, of moderately heavy weight. It has been claimed that mules are "more patient, sure-footed, hardy and long-lived than horses, and they are considered less obstinate, faster, and more intelligent than donkeys."A female mule that has estrus cycles and thus, in theory, could carry a fetus, is called a "molly" or "Molly mule," though the term is sometimes used to refer to female mules in general. Pregnancy is rare, but can occasionally occur naturally as well as through embryo transfer. One of several terms for a gelded mule is a "John mule.".....................................The median weight range for a mule is between about 370 and 460 kg (820 and 1,000 lb). Although it depends on the individual animal, an army mule can "carry up to 72 kg and walk 26 km without resting." In general, a mule can be packed with "dead weight" of up to 20% of its body weight, or approximately 90 kg (200 lb). The average equine in general can carry up to approximately 30% of its body weight in "live" weight, such as a rider. However, while a few mules can carry live weight up to 160 kg (350 lb), the superiority of the mule becomes apparent in their additional endurance. One of the virtues of the mule is that a mule has the size and ground-covering ability of a horse, but is comparatively stronger than a horse of similar size and inherits the endurance and disposition of the donkey father. Mules also tend to be more independent than most other domesticated equines other than the donkey. Mules also tend to require less food than a horse of similar size.......................................................With its short thick head, long ears, thin limbs, small narrow hooves, and short mane, the mule shares characteristics of a donkey; in height and body, shape of neck and croup, uniformity of coat, and teeth, it appears horse-like; the mule comes in all sizes, shapes and conformities. There are mules that resemble quarter horses, huge draft mules, fine-boned racing mules, shaggy pony mules and many more types. A mule does not sound exactly like a donkey or a horse. Instead, a mule makes a sound that is similar to a donkey's but also has the whinnying characteristics of a horse (often starts with a whinny, ends in a hee-haw). Sometimes, mules whimper. The coats of mules come in the same varieties as those of horses. Common colors are sorrel, bay, black, and grey. Less common are white, roans (both blue and red), palomino, dun, and buckskin. Least common are paint mules or tobianos. The mule possesses the even temper, patience, endurance and sure-footedness of the donkey, and the vigor, strength and courage of the horse. Operators of working animals generally find mules preferable to horses: mules show more patience under the pressure of heavy weights, and their skin is harder and less sensitive than that of horses, rendering them more capable of resisting sun and rain. Their hooves are harder than horses', and they show a natural resistance to disease and insects. Many North American farmers with clay soil found mules superior as plow animals. Mules are generally less tolerant towards dogs (much like donkeys) than horses are. They are also capable of striking out with any of their hooves in any direction, even sideways if needed. Mules exhibit a higher cognitive intelligence than their parent species. This is believed to be the result of hybrid vigor, similar to how mules acquire greater height and endurance than either parent. Mules are highly intelligent. They tend to be curious by nature. A mule generally will not let the rider put it in harm's way......................................Mules come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors, from minis under 50 lb (20 kg) to maxis over 1,000 lb (500 kg), and in many different colors. Mules from Appaloosa mares produce wildly colored mules, much like their Appaloosa horse relatives, but with even wilder skewed colors. The Appaloosa color is produced by a complex of genes known as the Leopard complex (Lp). Mares homozygous for the Lp gene bred to any color donkey will produce an Appaloosa colored mule.

Uploaded

August 15th, 2013

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