A hinnie or hinny is a domestic hybrid
produced by a horse stallion (father) and a jenny
donkey (mother). It is the opposite cross to the common mule, which is the product of a jack donkey (father)and a horse mare (mother).
There are both male and female hinnies. A male hinny is
properly called a
horse
hinny, and a female hinny is properly called a
mare
hinny. In England, a hinny is commonly called a
jennet.
Hinnies in general are slightly smaller on average than
mules. It is believed that as donkeys are generally smaller than horses, the growth
potential of horse offspring is influenced by the size of the womb of the
mother.
There is much debate over whether this is the only reason
for the size variances between the two types of hybrid equines. Some fanciers
believe this size difference is onlyphysiological, owing to the smaller size of
thedonkeydam, as
compared to mares, which are generally much larger. Others claim it is a
natural consequence of the reciprocal cross, but the position of the
American Donkey and Mule Society(ADMS) is
that the genetic inheritance of the hinnie is exactly the same as the mule.
Like mules, hinnies do come
in many sizes. This is because donkeys come in many sizes, from miniatures, as
small as 24 inches to large donkeys such as the Mammouth Jack that may be over
(60 inches). Thus, a hinny is restricted to being about the size of the largest
breed of donkey. Mules, however, have a female horse as a parent, so they can
be as large as the size of the largest breed of horse.
Other than size, there are
some minor differences that may occur to distinguish between mules and hinnies.
The head of a hinny is said to resemble that of a horse, more so than mule
heads, with shorter ears, although they are still longer than those of horses,
and more horse-like manes and tails than mules.
About Hinnie Donkeys
