# A white mule?



## WalnutPixie (Oct 15, 2010)

I was at the grand canyon a while ago (hiking rim-to-rim, btw, 24 miles!) The whole way down I was behind a group of tourists on mules. I had plenty of time to think so I started to play guessing games with the mules, like what kind of cross they might be. The mule right in front of me was completely white, and I started to wonder how that could be? Ever since then I have wondered what kind of genetics could make a mule white.

He had pink skin and white hair. He couldn't be a double dilute of something because of being a hybrid, right?

I will probably never see this mule again, but I am so curious!


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## haviris (Sep 16, 2009)

I don't think white mules are that uncommon, I've heard crossing w/ an app can make a white mule. I think the mule I had, Canya, would probably end up white as she gets older, she was 3 in this pic,








She was quite colorful as a baby!









What breed would you think she was out of?


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## hflmusicislife (Dec 15, 2010)

I know absolutely nothing about mules, but I would say that it's probably a max sabino, which would appear completely white without DNA testing. But again, I know nothing about mules, so they may not even be able to carry the sabino gene.


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

White is a fairly common color is mules. You can get it from a number of breeds. Mules are most commonly bred from QHs, so the momma was likely a QH. White... Maybe. The jack could have carried the white gene as well.


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## WalnutPixie (Oct 15, 2010)

Thank you all for your ideas. 
Havaris, she is really pretty. I did think about appaloosa, but they have freckles on white skin don't they? Or is it different on mules?
hflmusicislife, that's an interesting idea. It never occurred to me that he could have been tobiano. It is possible that there was a spot hiding under the saddle pad for all I know!
Brighteyes, Do donkeys have some kind of white gene? I don't know anything about donkey genetics haha.

The more I come back to this post the more I realize what a silly question it is. I just can't find any good donkey/mule color genetics information on the web, so I really appreciate your input.


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## hflmusicislife (Dec 15, 2010)

WalnutPixie said:


> hflmusicislife, that's an interesting idea. It never occurred to me that he could have been tobiano. It is possible that there was a spot hiding under


I also just wanted to point out (because I'm a teensy bit obsessed with horse genetics, heh  ) that a horse doesn't have to be tobaino to have sabino. Sabino results in a lot of white markings, and I believe they're doing research now to prove that Sabino is the cause of nearly all facial/leg white markings. So the mother could very well have been a solid-color with just white markings or even specific forms of roaning. 

*Edit: if I'm wrong, someone please correct me


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

I've seen white donkeys. What this says about their genes is unknown to me. I know very little about equine coat color genetics, but I assume there is a gene for white that makes things white...So... Yeah. White donkeys can make white mules if the circumstances are right. :wink:


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## Indyhorse (Dec 3, 2009)

I honestly don't know about the genetics, but I have known a fair few white mules, so I don't think they are terribly uncommon. One was the first mule I ever rode, named Cotton. I believe he had ALWAYS been white. (The owners had raised him from a foal - why else would they have named him Cotton?) I also had a good friend back when I was a kid, in 4-H that showed a white pony mule named Streak..lol


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