Donkey vs Horse: What's the Difference?
A donkey has much larger ears, which help it pick up distant sounds and cool its blood. The donkey isn't dangerous to people; the horse can be dangerous to people.
Quick answers
They differ on 1 of the 8 quick answers: dangerous.
| Question | Donkey | Horse |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | Mammal | Mammal |
| Carnivore? | No, herbivore | No, herbivore |
| Dangerous? differs | No | Can be |
| Domesticated? | Yes | Yes |
| Awake when? | Daytime | Daytime |
| Hibernates? | No | No |
| Kept as a pet? | Sometimes | Sometimes |
| Do people eat it? | In places | In places |
At a glance
| Question | Donkey | Horse |
|---|---|---|
| Found in | Worldwide | Worldwide |
| Habitat differs | Farmland, Desert, Scrub | Grassland, Farmland |
| Size | Large | Large |
| Height differs | Under 90 cm to about 150 cm at the shoulder | 142–163 cm at the shoulder (light riding horses) |
| Weight differs | About 250 kg on average | 380–550 kg (riding horses); 700–1,000 kg (draft) |
| Legs | 4 | 4 |
| Covered in | Fur | Fur |
| Lives | In herds | In herds |
| Lives for differs | 30–50 years | 25–30 years |
| Can fly | No | No |
| Swims | Yes | Yes |
| Lays eggs | No | No |
About each
Donkey
A domesticated member of the horse family, bred from the African wild ass some 5,000–7,000 years ago and used mainly as a working animal ever since. There are more than 40 million donkeys worldwide.
Horse
A one-toed, hoofed grazer, domesticated on the steppes of western Eurasia. Modern breeds spread across Eurasia from about 2000 BCE, and horses have been ridden and worked ever since.
Sources
Last reviewed . The answers and notes come from each animal's own page, where every source is listed.
How each answer is decided: How we answer. More look-alikes: Commonly confused animals.