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Question about donkeys vs horses for story I'm writing

3K views 21 replies 12 participants last post by  lonewolfe 
#1 ·
Hi. I hope you don't mind me joining your forum to ask for your insights please. I'm writing a novel which includes a fair bit of interaction with horses, though sadly I don't have as much personal experience with horses as I would like.
This question is for anyone familiar with both horses and donkeys or mules. If there was horse, donkey or mule in a stable or barn, is there anyway you could tell just from sounds (or smells?) whether it was a horse or donkey/mule - apart from an obvious bray or neigh? Perhaps a quieter noise a donkey/mule would make?
Basically I want my character to know it's a donkey or mule, not a horse, without seeing it and without it braying.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
 
#10 ·
Thanks for the mention, Change; but afraid I can't add much to what has already been said.

George is not as stinky as my horse, but he still smells like one. He weighs about 900lb, so his footfalls aren't gonna be noticeably lighter. His "quiet" vocalizations are distinct to me, but then he _is_ my mule; they are "horsey" sounds, and I can't imagine any one who didn't know him pretty well would make a distinction.

As Cordillera suggests, a donkeys feet are considerably different than a horses, and the difference is easily distinguished in their prints. A horses hoof-prints will be relatively round, a "C" shape. A donkeys will be more "U" shaped. Some mules have very donkey-like feet, some are more horse-like, so a mules prints would not necessarily be a distinguishing characteristic.

That leaves you with the sound of the animal moving around. A Donkey is generally smaller than your average horse, and his footfalls are going to be quicker, and lighter. A large Standard, or Mammoth Donkey, I doubt you would notice much difference, a Mini-Donk would be distinctive.

Lonewolf, I hope this is helpful. ByeBye! Steve
 
#5 ·
Sometimes certain mules do have a definite odor to them---ever heard of a stinking mule? Our little 50 inch mule pretty much smelled like any equine but the draft mules owned by a good friend who mentored me when I bought the little mule sure had a "ripe" odor that didn't go away even after bathing them.


As for donkeys I've never noticed any different odor than the normal equine one.
 
#6 ·
Some kind of psychic 6th sense?

"The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and that's when I knew...there was an *** nearby..."

In all seriousness though, could the character be seeing the animal indirectly? Like a shadow cast on a wall? The ears would be a giveaway. In my experience with donkeys, the only non-braying sound I've heard them make was a sort of snorting/huffing that didn't sound exactly horselike, but this was usually during or immediately following braying.

I really don't know much when it comes to mules. The breast collar and crupper/britchen that I've seen sometimes used on trail mules can look distinct from the type that is used on a horse. Again, this would be seeing something that gives the impression that this is not a horse, but it is not a sound like you requested.

 
#7 ·
My donkey coos and has a very light hoot when he wants to communicate. He is a quiet donkey compared to many donkeys, though. I rarely get a full bray unless I am really late coming out to the barn and he is positive he is going to starve. Or if he sees a dog or animal he doesn't recognize and must warn me. My neighbor's donkeys are obnoxious though.
 
#8 ·
My donkey would not let me take a step into the barn without braying...that is why he no longer lives here... But anyway...

The stalls on my barn have wooden floors, so I could clearly tell the difference between a horse and donkey! Maybe your barn could have wood floors on the stalls.
 
#12 ·
george the mule;9457266 As Cordillera suggests said:
Hi Lonewolf, All!

I took these fotos yesterday. The first is from my large Thoroughbred horse Oily. The second is from my mule George. George takes after his donkey daddy, and he has donkey feet. You can clearly see the difference in shape. What you can't see is the difference in size; Oily's hooves are about six inches wide; Georgies not quite three.

Also, both animals are barefoot; i.e. un-shod. An equine wearing shoes leaves a somewhat different mark, but the same round vs rectangular distinction will hold; it may not be as distinct. Do people shoe their donkeys?

Steve
 

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#13 ·
Hi Again, Lonewolf, All!

I was re-reading Yogi's post. Yes, the only positive way to distinguish between a horse, mule, or donkey w/o actually seeing them would be their call. A horse whinnies, a donkey brays, a mule is kinda halfway in between, and every mule seems to do it a little differently. I can generally tell which horse in the pasture is bellowing, and absolutely tell if it's George sounding off. I can also distinguish between George, and a friends mule Rufus, and the difference is more distinct than, say, between Oily and my elderly Paint horse Banjo.
For best realism, either give your character a glimpse of the critters ears somehow; maybe a shadow, or silhouette thru a window, or have him/her hear them calling.

Steve
 
#15 ·
Donkeys do make a softener noise when they are begging. Its like the beginning of a bray. If they dont get the attention they want then a full out bray will ensue.

Donkeys do NOT have the lovely smell of a horse. Love, love, love, the smell of a horse. Donkeys? Well, when they get damp/wet they smell like a wet dog. Blech. A horse has a distinctive smell.

Our donkeys saw the kitchen light come on in the morning and they knew breakfast was on the way. They would start to sing. They are very vocal. Miss not having them.
 
#17 ·
Honestly, noise is going to be the number one distinction without actually seeing the animal.

Donkeys and mules can make a "HAWWWW" noise, but mules can sometimes do a weird mix between a whinny and a bray. Sometimes it'll start as a whinny, but then end with an "Awh, awh, awh!" It all depends on the individual animal. My mule actually whinnied, but it was a deep, coarse sound.

As far as smell, I can't say I ever noticed Buddy or any other mule I have worked with having a smell different than a horse! Donkeys do have a different type of hair coat than horses do, and they don't do well in wet/cold climates without some sort of protection.
 
#20 ·
As far as smell, I can't say I ever noticed Buddy or any other mule I have worked with having a smell different than a horse! Donkeys do have a different type of hair coat than horses do, and they don't do well in wet/cold climates without some sort of protection.
The 12+ donkeys I had did great in cold wet weather. The colder it gets the more of a mushroom look they get on their head. Its pretty cute. They didn't seem to enjoy the barn unless eating. They did enjoy standing under trees.

The only problem I noticed with donkeys is they tend to get a snow/ ice build up in their hooves. I kept pine tar in their hooves to prevent the build up.

The mules I have encountered and the one I owned didn't smell the way a donkey does.
 
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