Posted
on March 28, 2016
I
have already written about “Mule Day”
on October 26, the anniversary of the arrival of mules in the United
States.
This
is another celebration of “all things mule,” a tradition in
Columbia, Tennessee, for almost 170 years.
It began as Breeder's Day,
which was a livestock show and mule market held on a single day once
a year. But now it is a week-long festival that includes all sorts of
shows and competitions.
Here
are some of the things Mule Day festival-goers can enjoy:
And,
if that doesn't sound mule-oriented enough:
-
jackpot
mule races
a
mule auction
a
riding mule show
log
loading and pulling competitions
a
miniature donkey and mule show
driving
and riding mule shows
a
gaited mule championship
and
more!
And
of course a ton of food! From ham and biscuits to a “Hee-Haw Chili
Supper,” from a pancake breakfast to a bake sale, and loads of food
booths.
The
biology of mules
You
probably know that a mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a
female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, and they have
different numbers of chromosomes. Horses have 64 chromosomes, and
donkeys have 62. Mules end up with 63 chromosomes. Because of the
different structure and number of chromosomes, most mules are
infertile – a pair of mules can't themselves have offspring.
Chromosomes
are the threadlike organizing “packets” that contain most of the
DNA of an animal (or other organism). A gene is an individual segment
of DNA, and chromosomes contain many genes packed together. One way
of thinking about it is to say that DNA is in genes, and genes are on
chromosomes.
If
a male horse and a female donkey have offspring, it is not called a
“mule,” but rather a “hinny.” However, it is easier to breed
mules than hinnies.
In
nature it would be unusual for two species to breed together. So you
may wonder why people would bother to breed horses and donkeys. Why
do mules even exist?
Because
mules are considered by many to have the best of both animals. They
are more patient than horses, more sure-footed, more hardy. They live
longer than horses and have more endurance for long journeys or heavy
loads. They are faster than donkeys, and they are also less stubborn
than donkeys (although “mulish” is a word we use for a really
stubborn person...hmm...). Mules tend to be larger and more
intelligent than either of their parents.
This
“best from both” parents is called hybrid
vigor.
Also
on this date:
Plan
ahead:
And
here are my Pinterest boards for:
