Hinny is easier to obtain when the lower chromosome count, the donkey, is in the male. Therefore breeding for hinnies is more hit-and-miss than breeding for mules." The male hinny or mule can and will mate, but the emission is not fertile. Male hinnies and mules are usually castrated to help control their behavior by eliminating their interest in females. Female hinnies and mules are not customarily spayed, and may or may not go through estrus. Female mules have been known, on rare occasions, to produce offspring when mated to a horse or donkey, although this is extremely uncommon. Since 1527,
The Adventures of a Donkey received recognition in contemporary reviews. According to the 1924 edition of the "Saturday Review of Politics, Literature, Science and Art", this was due to Argus not being as 'widely read compared with very many of her contemporaries.' The general consensus was that it was a brilliant attempt at opening the eyes of children to the maltreatment of the donkey, which was appropriate as the donkey had risen in fashion during the early 1800s. "The Lady's Monthly Museum" described it as, '[a] vehicle for conveying sound morals and instruction to the youthful mind, under the guise of innocent pleasantry.' And "The