Is a mule in the horse family? Is it a breed of horse?

Question

Please try to answer to the best of your knowledge. An explanation to your answer would be very helpful. My dad and I are having an ongoing debate about this and we can't settle it.

Answer 1

It's half donkey, half horse (male donkey father, female horse mother)

It's in the Equidae family which is the horse family but it's officially classified as a hybrid.

Answer 2

No, it's not a breed of horse - a mule is a hybrid, the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse (the offspring of a male horse and female donkey is called a hinny). So mules (and hinnies) do belong to the horse family, Equidae, like both their parent species, but they're not a species in their own right, since they are hybrids and are therefore almost always sterile.

Answer 3

mule is a funny word

Answer 4

it is a crossbreed between a horse and  a donkey....

Answer 5

Mules are related to horses, but are not horses themselves.

A mule is the hybrid result of a male donkey and a female horse breeding (the opposite of which --female donkey and male horse-- is a hinny, which looks more like a donkey).

Once born, mules (hinnies) are almost always sterile; they're unable to breed afterwards.

Unlike the hinny, mules resemble horses more than donkeys, though this mostly depends on the breed that the dam (mother, in this case a horse) was.

They have good patience, lots of stamina and are hard workers. They have harder hooves than horses, along with thicker skin. they also seem to be resistant to many illnesses, unlike horses.

If you're interested in more information, I'd suggest Googling. You'd be surprised what you'd find. :)