# mule genetics??



## toto (Mar 3, 2013)

I was wondering how different mule genetics are from horses? 

Ive seen some 'white' mules in ads but arent they called 'ivory'? Its not got blue eyes if that helps. Just brown.


What two colors (jack & mare) produce 'white' mules?


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## dbarabians (May 21, 2011)

One of the parents is grey. White mules are grey just like horses. Shalom


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## toto (Mar 3, 2013)

Does the color of the jack even matter?


Are the mares genetics dominant over the jacks?


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## haviris (Sep 16, 2009)

I don't know what causes all white mules, I'd assume it's like horses and can be several different things. I know that many mules that end up white didn't start that way, one of my mules was born looking a bit like a loud sorrel frame, but as she got older her red roaned out and faded til it was almost non existant, leaving her white. The jack was spotted (gray dun), and her dam was a sorrel (completely solid).


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## toto (Mar 3, 2013)

haviris said:


> I don't know what causes all white mules, I'd assume it's like horses and can be several different things. I know that many mules that end up white didn't start that way, one of my mules was born looking a bit like a loud sorrel frame, but as she got older her red roaned out and faded til it was almost non existant, leaving her white. The jack was spotted (gray dun), and her dam was a sorrel (completely solid).


wouldnt it be a sorrel that greyed out? i wonder why and how? :-o


Donkey Color Genetics | Equine Color Genetics

I was thinkin ivory but it would have blue eyes-- it doesnt explain a light grey.. i have no idea.. so confused:? Thank you for the reply.


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## haviris (Sep 16, 2009)

Except it didn't gray, it roaned, and neither parent was gray (real gray, not donkey gray).

I think from that link roan is correct, except that she was mostly white already.


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## haviris (Sep 16, 2009)

As a baby,








And I think she was around 3 here,


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## SnowCowgirl (Jun 3, 2010)

haviris said:


> As a baby,
> 
> 
> 
> ...


aw too bad she didn't keep her colour!

Is it really common for mules to grey out then? 

I've wanted a mule for a few years now and might finally be in a position to buy one this summer (they're really hard to find here). I'd love to end up with a pinto or appy coloured one but wonder now if it's super common for them to just end up white anyway.


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## toto (Mar 3, 2013)

Wow! I didnt know roan could fade a color completely in just 3 years? Awesome!


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## haviris (Sep 16, 2009)

I've seen adult appaloosa mules, so I'm thinking they don't typically fade out. If you find a tobiano (pinto from the mare not the jack), they typically stay, although they are minimally marked generally (often just white stockings).

I have seen a few spotted mules (from the jack, not the mare) that stayed and were colored similar to a spotted donkey, but I've seen more with the red like mine, and I think they do typically fade out.

I loved the red and wish it would have stayed, you could still see her markings very faintly, more so when she was wet. And the bottom of her mane and top of her tail were still darker. I sold her as a 3 year old so don't know how she changed after that.


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## SnowCowgirl (Jun 3, 2010)

I'm sort of confused, I've read a couple sites now that say that mules cannot be overo... but that baby sure looks overo to me regardless of whether or not she roaned out.


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## haviris (Sep 16, 2009)

She's not overo, she's spotted, she got her color from her spotted sire. Donkey spotting is different then overo.


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## haviris (Sep 16, 2009)

Here is a spotted mule that should stay spotted!
Loud paint molly mule


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## toto (Mar 3, 2013)

haviris said:


> Here is a spotted mule that should stay spotted!
> Loud paint molly mule


I LOVE this mule! 

I didn't know mules lost their spots-- with the sorrel spotted baby being an exception.. I've seen some beautifuly spotted up mules-- but I love the appaloosa spotted mules.. are they still 'spotted'? Or would an appy mule be just that-- an appy mule? :shock:

..i know, silly questioning-- I'm dead serious though, I promise. ;-)


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

It is interesting that the color genetics experts have not chimed in about mule colors yet.


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## MissColors (Jul 17, 2011)

In reference to genetics....

Is it true Mules cant reproduce??


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

Yes, it is true. They are infertile hybrids because the donkey and the horse have different chromosome numbers. A male mule needs to be gelded. A mare mule can carry a foal that is implanted in her embryo; she just can't conceive her own foal.


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## toto (Mar 3, 2013)

Celeste said:


> Yes, it is true. They are infertile hybrids because the donkey and the horse have different chromosome numbers. A male mule needs to be gelded. A mare mule can carry a foal that is implanted in her embryo; she just can't conceive her own foal.


Theyre not always infertile-- its uncommon but they can be fertile.  .. im wonderin if the fertile mules offspring would be fertile too if bred back to a jack or jenny? :-o


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

toto said:


> Theyre not always infertile-- its uncommon but they can be fertile.  .. im wonderin if the fertile mules offspring would be fertile too if bred back to a jack or jenny? :-o



A fertile mule is an extremely rare thing. It is not the normal.


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## toto (Mar 3, 2013)

Celeste said:


> A fertile mule is an extremely rare thing. It is not the normal.



Aint it cool though? Someone could breed it back to a horse and it would be 1/4 donk. :shock:

..i think? 1/4 right?


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## TheLastUnicorn (Jun 11, 2010)

I was reading in a color and genetics group that mule and donkey colors are still largely still not understood that well...


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## haviris (Sep 16, 2009)

Yes, I think an appaloosa mule, would be an appaloosa mule! A tobiano mule would be a tobiano, they are just spotted if they got their color from the jack.

I haven't looked into this so don't know how true it is, but I watched a documetary once about mules, and if I remember right it said something along the lines of on the rare occation a mule is fertile (always a female) that it's 50/50 if she'll pass on horse or donkey genes, meaning if bred to a jack there is a 50% chance that the baby will be full donkey! And 50% chance it will be another mule (and therefore most likely infertile).


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## SnowCowgirl (Jun 3, 2010)

just wanted to say... I am going to look at a 3 year old leopard appy spotted molly at the beginning of May (if she's still there, fingers crossed!!)


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## toto (Mar 3, 2013)

haviris said:


> Yes, I think an appaloosa mule, would be an appaloosa mule! A tobiano mule would be a tobiano, they are just spotted if they got their color from the jack.
> 
> I haven't looked into this so don't know how true it is, but I watched a documetary once about mules, and if I remember right it said something along the lines of on the rare occation a mule is fertile (always a female) that it's 50/50 if she'll pass on horse or donkey genes, meaning if bred to a jack there is a 50% chance that the baby will be full donkey! And 50% chance it will be another mule (and therefore most likely infertile).


Coolio--i thought reguardless of where the color come from a mule with color was always 'spotted' 

Dang i thought it would have the hybrid genetics! Thata been so crazy! Weird that a mule could have a horse baby-- wonder what it would look like? Identical to the mules dam? I wonder if it would be like a clone? :shock: 





SnowCowgirl said:


> just wanted to say... I am going to look at a 3 year old leopard appy spotted molly at the beginning of May (if she's still there, fingers crossed!!)


Have them hold her for you!!


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