MULES are half horse (stamina) and half donkey (nasty temperament).
The nuns who first went east from Mexico City to evangelize/educate the Yucatan always rode on mules. The horses would always RUN at the first sign of trouble. Donkeys would stand their ground and fight. They were too small for too much service.
MULES were ideal. They had the stamina/size of horses and the temperament of donkeys...but were larger and harder to kill/eat for predators.
FUNCTIONAL: perfect for those good nuns.
Very interesting posting about the Nuns and mules. Thanks