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Thanks
Is that really the stereotype for donkeys? I thought stubbornness was more commonly attributed to mules.
In my few encounters with donkeys, I have not seen them to be any more “stubborn” than a horse with an equivalently minimal level of training.
They are really intelligent at figuring out latches and buckles.
I have known some donkeys, not particularly well, but they were as biddable as the next hoofed animal. Anything cute (and donkeys are cute) runs the risk of not getting particularly well trained, because awwwwww…
See also Lhasa Apsos, cocker spaniels, and kittens.
You’re right, I meant mules.
I thought perhaps it was something to do with a mule’s center of gravity, and other physical charecteristics relative to horses.
Or that in many cases the animal is loaded down with so much weight it digs in its heels as if saying “no more”?
In any event, whence the expression, “more stubborn than a mule”?
Some years ago, I adopted a donkey. I’m no expert on them, but I tried to learn as much as I could about them so I could take proper care of him.
Here’s what I found out: horses evolved on grassy plains. As prey animals, they had to be on a constant look-out for predators, or anything that might be a threat. Their response to a perceived threat was to run away, quickly putting as much distance as possible between them and the threat.
Donkeys evolved in rocky terrain. Running helter skelter might get them injured, so they evolved a “freeze response”. They try to blend into the background when confronted with a perceived threat. They watch whatever caught their attention until they determine whether it’s a threat, then they react as needed to either defend themselves or go about their business.
My donkey was about 5 years old when I got him and had no training. I boarded him at a working ranch and took him on walks around the ranch. There wasn’t much on the ranch that could actually hurt him. Whenever he “froze” I looked between his ears to determine what was spooking him, then either waited until he figured out it wasn’t a threat, or I walked over to it and handled it. I talked to my donkey, explaining what it was and that it was not a threat. Once he realized it wasn’t a threat he never had a problem with it again.
Folks who don’t understand the donkey’s self-protective freeze response accuse them of being stubborn, but it’s not really a big deal if you know how to desensitize the donkey to “big scary things”. Once you desensitize them to something, they almost always are okay with it for the rest of their lives.
Mules are hybrids and not a separate species, being a cross between a male donkey and a female horse. (A cross between a male horse and a female donkey is called a “hinny”.) Typically, the mule inherits the donkey’s freeze response.
As for physical characteristics, mules can inherit any body part from either parent. Some mules look more horse-like, some more donkey-like. That said, there are two body parts that mules almost always inherit from their donkey parent: the shape of their hooves (which are more vertical and “boxier” than a horse’s), and the position of their eyes in their skulls. Donkeys have a wider field of vision than horses, and they and mules can see their back feet, which makes them more sure-footed on narrow paths or uneven surfaces.
In New Orleans, Louisiana, the carriages are pulled by mules, not horses. Folks who ask “why?” are told it’s because mules know when to stop working when it gets too hot.
As for weight loads, I would guess if the mule’s pack was so large as to prevent it from seeing its rear feet, it would refuse to move. But that’s just a guess and I’ll defer to the opinion of any muleskinners out there who wish to enlighten me. 
Not sure if stubborn is the right word.
My farming father grew up when the horse farming era was just ending. He told me that they always used mules (the horse/donkey hybrid) to lead a team of horses as they were intelligent and steadfast.
Wiki says: Donkeys have a notorious reputation for stubbornness, but this has been attributed to a much stronger sense of “self preservation” than exhibited by horses.
^ “ABC.net.au”. ABC.net.au. Retrieved September 2010.
It is, to the point that when Japanese video game manufacturers were looking for a phrase that meant “stubborn ape”, they picked “Donkey Kong”.
Hijack:
This is such a sweet story! I am picturing you looking between your donkey’s ears
Sorry, end hijack.
It’s true. Mules are very, very difficult to get to move if they are resisting.