# Mule's Gender **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 11, 2002, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mules-gender/97598 "2002-03-11T16:13:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Polski\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9de053/32.png) [@Polski\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polski_King)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2002, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mules-gender/97598/1 "2002-03-11T16:13:48Z")
My dad and I were arguing this the whole trip. You know how Cows are the name for the Female and Bulls are the name for the male, Well, what are mules? Are there Male mules and Female mules? Someone suggested that mules are no sex. What is a mule? -P.K. \ ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2002, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mules-gender/97598/2 "2002-03-11T16:18:55Z")
Mules are created by crossing a male donkey with a female horse. The resulting offspring are virtually always male and sterile. New mules can only be created by cross-breeding again. Next question. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2002, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mules-gender/97598/3 "2002-03-11T16:22:53Z")
Welcome to Straight Dope. Mules come in both male and female. A mule is the offspring of a male ass and a female horse. Although they are essentially sterile, mules have had foals. A hinny is the offspring of a female ass and a male horse. Hinnies can be either male or female. Male mules are called horse mules; females are called mare mules. Male hinnies are called horse hinnies; females are called mare hinnies. Source: [Mule Home Page](http://www.imh.org/imh/bw/mule.html) ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2002, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mules-gender/97598/4 "2002-03-11T16:24:13Z")
For future, and no doubt pointless, reference, the offspring of a male _horse_ and a female _donkey_ is properly referred to as a _hinny_. So now you know. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2002, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mules-gender/97598/5 "2002-03-11T16:26:02Z")
Let me correct my above post before someone else does. There is such a thing as a female mule but the term for them is also “mule”. Almost all mules are sterile but there have been cases in which a female mule has given birth. This page should tell you what you want to know. [http://www.imh.org/imh/bw/mule.html](http://www.imh.org/imh/bw/mule.html) If you really want to impress your father, tell him that the term for a female donkey is crossed with a male horse is a “Hinny” although these are commonly referred to as mules also. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2002, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mules-gender/97598/6 "2002-03-11T16:26:40Z")
And so does **Libertarian** , who types faster than me… ---
**Author:** ![Stellablue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@Stellablue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stellablue)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2002, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mules-gender/97598/7 "2002-03-11T16:27:14Z")
Hi PK, Mules can not reproduce. They are not male or female. They are the product of a male donkey and a female horse and are always sterile. Most often refered to as a “she.” Mules are very hardy animals and can out work almost any other farm animal. They are smart and sure footed. Yes they have a well deserved reputation for being stubborn. ---
**Author:** ![Stellablue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@Stellablue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stellablue)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2002, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mules-gender/97598/8 "2002-03-11T16:30:42Z")
Sorry for coming in so late.☹ I thought they were ALWAYS sterile. Opps. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2002, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mules-gender/97598/9 "2002-03-11T16:30:22Z")
> [@](#): > > They are not male or female. That is factually incorrect. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2002, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mules-gender/97598/10 "2002-03-11T16:42:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Stellablue \* > They are not male or female. They are the product of a male donkey and a female horse and are always sterile. > [@](#): > > I thought they were ALWAYS sterile. Opps. As **Lib** already pointed out this is incorrect. Mules are indeed almost always sterile but being sterile has nothing to do with gender. There are still males and females of the species with all the parts one would expect attached to a given sex. Androgynous mules…that would be interesting.