what are the differtences between horses, mules, ponies and donkeys

Well, a ''horse'' is typically considered to be over 14.2 hands high. Equines are measured in ''hands from the ground to the top of the shoulder. 1 hand=4 inches. There are specific ''pony'' breeds, but technically a pony is any horse smaller than 14.2 hands. A mule is the offspring of a horse and donkey, and is almost always infertile. A donkey is a separate species in itself, but is typically pretty small and is usually gray with long ears.

they are all similar since they come from the same group, but apparently just size, and species. a mule is a cross between a horse and a donkey (either sex). a pony i guess its just a smaller species of horse. think of it as hobbits and humans lol. there both look the same i dont know!

Horse: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse

Donkey: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donkey

A mule is a mix of a female horse & a male donkey: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mule
Male mules r almost always sterile.. a good percentage of female mules r sterile & can have young. We had a female mule that had babies. so they can not be too rare.

You forgot to ask about a Hinny! And those r the offspring of a male horse & a female donkey. They r smaller in size then mules.. & they look different.. but they have the same genes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinny

A pony is a small horse with a specific conformation & temperament. There r many different breeds of ponies. Compared to horses, ponies often exhibit thicker manes, tails & overall coat, as well as proportionally shorter legs, wider barrels, heavier bone, thicker necks, & shorter heads with broader foreheads: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pony

horses are large equines, ponies are small breed of equine, donkeys are asses and mules are a hybrid cross of horse and donkey and cannot reproduce

Horse-over 14.2 hands high (1 hand=4'')
Pony-under 14.2 hands high
Donkey-long ears with ''tuft'' on end of tail
Mule-Mix between donkey/horse

-Google pictures of each and you should be able to tell the anatomical differences of each.