“Work hard like a donkey
But show attitude like a horse!
Send replies in the open
And keep secrets in the code of Morse!”
Jenney and Jack can get together to give a Hinny!
Confused? or intrigued!?
read on!
Years back when we used to go to this horse riding school in Secunderabad, the constant smell of horse manure stuck to us!
Before we started the whole show, there was this kid who had a broken hand and a plaster! Now the next day we had the first class and then our mutual friend introduced us to this other boy who was our neighbor but we still did not meet him officially.
He was apparently injured and our friend had got a couple of colour pens to show his artistic skills on his other friend’s plaster!
So we (my brother and me!) tagged along for extra art! While making a rough version of the Fido Dido which was the craze at the time, I simply asked him how he got hurt.
He told that he was an expert horse rider but one fine day, a horse which was named B (it was some other name but let sleeping horse’s lie!) who kicked him with his legs and he broke his hand!
That was a shock for us both since we had the first class the next day! Then the kid told us that there would be three horses but only one of them is the actual horse which would be tall and majestic and proud and a kicker! But there would be two other horses which were actually shorter and more tame and in fact they were mules!
So mentally we decided to take the mule!
During the class we always used to pick the mule who was an obedient horse! He would make nice couple of rounds and come back! He would obey our pulling of the reins and he would not canter (its the horse riders lingo for galloping!).
This was fine because only the B was the real horse and he was always in demand with the serious riders! But one fine day the trainer saw through our act and made me sit on B! I reluctantly sat on her and held on to her saddle and my life!
Now the first two rounds were smooth! But the moment it came to the third one, the B ran like no tomorrow! Galloping at full speed and all I could do was hold! I was not riding her, she was taking me! It reached the trainer and stopped almost suddenly and I was glad to get off carefully avoiding her hind legs! I could almost swear that she was smiling!
Now coming to the Jenny!
My favourite riding companion was not a horse but a mule! So the mule is a domestic equine hybrid between a donkey and a horse. It is the offspring of a male donkey (also called a jack!) and a female horse (a mare!).
The horse and the donkey are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes; of the two possible first-generation hybrids between them!
Mules vary widely in size, and may be of any color. They are more patient, hardier and longer-lived than horses, and are perceived as less obstinate and more intelligent than donkeys!
The mule is easier to obtain and more common than the hinny, which is the offspring of a male horse (a stallion) and a female donkey (also called a jenny!). The hinny is distinct from the mule both in physiology and temperament as a consequence of genomic imprinting and is also less common.
The mule inherits from the donkey the traits of intelligence, sure-footedness, toughness, endurance, disposition, and natural cautiousness. From the horse it inherits speed, conformation, and agility.
Many times mules are preferred since they are more sturdy than a horse and more fast than a donkey! The best of both!
Unfortunately though, mules are infertile!
Another more sturdy animal which is like the horse and the donkey and has been tried to be ridden is the zebra!
Everyone knows about the Zebra because of the famous zebra crossing which actually has nothing to do with the zebra!
It is generally attributed to British MP James Callaghan who, in 1948, visited the country’s Transport and Road Research Laboratory which was working on a new idea for safe pedestrian crossings. On being shown a black and white design, Callaghan is said to have remarked that it resembled a zebra!
Despite their superficial resemblance to horses, zebras possess several characteristics that make domestication extremely challenging because of several reasons like Zebras are naturally aggressive, making them difficult to handle and train, also they have a strong ducking reflex, complicating efforts to lasso or restrain them. Finally Unlike horses, zebras do not have a clear family structure or social hierarchy, which is crucial for domestication.
Practically also Zebras have not evolved to support the weight of a human rider comfortably. Their backs are not strong enough to carry heavy loads or to be saddled. For all the majestic nature of the horse, you may not find a Zebra who listens to you! That shows its nature! I am glad that my trainer never thought of training a zebra! Of course birthday celebrity like Mukesh is a majestic horse when it comes to skill!
A quick travelling sketch!
Now sleep like a baby!
Shubh Ratri!
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