McLean Amy, Varnum Angela, Ali Ahmed, Heleski Camie, Navas González Francisco Javier
Department of Animal Science, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
Animals (Basel). 2019 Jul 26;9(8):488. doi: 10.3390/ani9080488.
Mules and hinnies are the hybrids between donkeys () and horses (). For centuries, mankind has used them for agrarian purposes, the military, or recreation. Contrasting literature with behavioral observations, we seek a better behavioral understanding andthus comprehensive solutions for their welfare enhancement. Over the past 6 years, we have assessed physical and behavioral welfare in over 900 mules by surveying owners from Egypt, Peru, Portugal, Spain, Mexico, and the U.S. These mules participated in shows, brick kiln work, cart-pulling, packing, tourism, and cattle herding. Observations are discussed alongside facts from the literature. Unfortunately, their behavior has been misunderstood by many, and harsh treatment and equipment has been used to control them. Few studies have attempted to define or use learning theory to understand how and why mules and hinnies behave as they do. Hence, understanding their health considerations, natural behavior, and training theory is crucial for those who work with them.Solutions to welfare improvement partially lie in an individual's ability to handle mules and hinnies from birth, and to proceed slowly through training. Conclusively, this review sets forth a clearer understanding of these hybrids' behaviors and promotes positive handling, allowing their access to more routine healthcare and ultimately, a higher welfare standard.
骡和驴骡是驴（）和马（）的杂交后代。几个世纪以来，人类一直将它们用于农业生产、军事或娱乐。通过将文献与行为观察进行对比，我们寻求对其行为有更深入的理解，从而找到全面改善它们福利的解决方案。在过去6年里，我们通过对来自埃及、秘鲁、葡萄牙、西班牙、墨西哥和美国的骡主进行调查，评估了900多头骡的身体和行为福利状况。这些骡参与表演、砖窑劳作、拉车、驮运、旅游业以及放牧牛群等活动。本文将观察结果与文献中的事实一同进行讨论。遗憾的是，它们的行为被许多人误解，人们使用苛刻的对待方式和装备来控制它们。很少有研究尝试运用学习理论来界定或理解骡和驴骡的行为方式及原因。因此，对于与它们打交道的人来说，了解它们的健康需求、自然行为和训练理论至关重要。改善福利的部分解决方案在于个人从骡和驴骡出生起就具备的驾驭能力，以及在训练过程中循序渐进。总之，本综述对这些杂交动物的行为有了更清晰的认识，并倡导积极的对待方式，使它们能够获得更常规的医疗保健，最终达到更高的福利标准。
