Book Reviewed by:
One of the characters in Derek B. Miller's novel The Curse of Pietro Houdini is a limping mule named Ferrari. The author notes that mules were used extensively during World War II in the Italian theater, in areas where trucks couldn't go, such as mountain passes and forests.
Mules are remarkable creatures that have been used as pack animals for millennia. The offspring of a male donkey and a female horse, mules inherit the best characteristics of each. They're hardier, eat less, and live longer than horses, and they also have harder hooves, making them ideal for rocky terrain. They're less stubborn but more intelligent than donkeys, which makes them easier to train.
It's not known precisely when mules first appeared, but it's thought they arose organically in areas where wild horses and donkeys roamed, likely in Central Asia. The practice of breeding them dates back at least 3,000 years. They're mentioned numerous times in the Bible's Old Testament, and it's thought they were ...
