With its short thick head, long ears, thin limbs, small narrow hooves, and short mane,

the mule
shares characteristics of a donkey. In height and body, shape of neck and rump, uniformity of coat,
and teeth, it appears horse-like. The mule comes in all sizes, shapes and conformations. There are
mules that resemble huge draft horses, sturdy quarter horses, fine-boned racing horses,
shaggy ponies and more.
The mule is an example of hybrid vigor.[10] Charles Darwin wrote: "The mule always appears to me a
most surprising animal. That a hybrid should possess more reason, memory, obstinacy, social
affection, powers of muscular endurance, and length of life, than either of its parents, seems to
indicate that art has here outdone nature."[11]
The mule inherits from its sire the traits of intelligence, sure-footedness, toughness, endurance,
disposition, and natural cautiousness. From its dam it inherits speed, conformation, and agility.[12]:5–
6,8
Mules are reputed to exhibit a higher cognitive intelligence than their parent species. That said,
there is a lack of robust scientific evidence to back up these claims. There is preliminary data from at
least two evidence based studies, but they rely on a limited set of specialized cognitive tests and a
small number of subjects.[13][14] Mules are generally taller at the shoulder than donkeys and have
better endurance than horses, although a lower top speed.[15][13]
Handlers of working animals generally find mules preferable to horses: mules show more patience
under the pressure of heavy weights, and their skin is harder and less sensitive than that of horses,
rendering them more capable of resisting sun and rain. Their hooves are harder than horses', and
they show a natural resistance to disease and insects. Many North American farmers with clay soil
found mules superior as plow animals.
A mule does not sound exactly like a donkey or a horse. Instead, a mule makes a sound that is
similar to a donkey's but also has the whinnying characteristics of a horse (often starts with a
whinny, ends in a hee-haw). Mules sometimes whimper.