Jason discusses animal power in the medieval period and goes into detail about a relatively unknown but important medieval animal.
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The mule with no name
Direction, Camera, Sound, Editing Kasumi
Presenter Jason Kingsley OBE
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"So I imported a mule from spain" I really want to be able to causally say that one day.
I'm working on it
That's why we say Nay to Brexit!
You can have the mule. I want an elephant. Ungawa, Jumbo! Ungawa!
@@DzinkyDzink irelevant, and pointles, I think now you will be able to import cheaper mules from mexico
@@osvaldodoron643 And extra-fortified chlorine chicken, eh?
I can't wait until you try out a war elephant.
J8n3eyr3 I laughed thanks
Unfortunately an elefant needs to be tortured until his will is broken in order for it to let people ride on her. Therefore I hope he wont.
"Good boy"
lol thanks
Timurids
We were told by some friends in Maine that thy knew a small logging company that had switched from a skidder to team of mules. There were only two guys but it worked fine because the mules could operate autonomously to haul the logs. One guy was in the woods hoking up the logs and the other was at the truck to unhook them. The mule team went back and forth on their own. If the log got stuck, they would try different angles, and if that didn't work they made noise until one of the humans came to help.
That’s so cool!
What smarties!
Not only will they work by themselves, Mule’s & oxen don’t tear the woods up like machinery does.
Also cheaper to maintain. Hey and grass are cheaper then gas. Also no new tires and repairs. Altho you need a Vet every now and then, and horseshoes.
My Grandfather was a farmer and plowed with a team of mules. Mother said that it was a pretty sight to see him and the mules coming in from the fields after a day of plowing. He would braid wild flowers and roses in the mules mane and harness. She said that he would talk to them like he would one of his children and brag about how hard they worked. I think he must have been very proud of his mules. I'm glad I found this video because we rarely get to see mules actually work any more.
Thank you for sharing such beautiful family history. Where was your grandfather's farm?
My great-grandfather used mules to plow. Until the 1950s when my grandfather bought him a tractor. It was an issue until my great grandfather died in 1980. 13 years later grandfather died. Anyhow for some reason. Great grandfather was mad about grandfather buying him a tractor. You also need to understand that great grandfather was in his 60s using mules in the 1950s and grandfather was in his 40s
Thank you for painting us that lovely, interesting word picture.
Rider “Walk on” Spanish mule “ Quė?”
🤣
You mean ¿Qué?
Clergy: Rides mule because it represents humility Also Clergy: puts a whole bunch of gold on it, because humility is for dirty peasants
Clergy riding mules or donkeys looks humble and can be but some of these beasts (equine beasts not H. Sapien) have a smooth ground covering gait and when treated humanely by their riders will look out for them, I suppose, as a part of their herd.
Like putting $20,000 KONIG Spinners on a base level Honda pilot
@@ssjaken spinners?
Actually, I think their appeal to clergy was: (1) celibacy - you don't have to worry about a mule fighting with other horses or mules, because they don't have those mating/fighting instincts. You also don't need to go through the extra step to have them gelded; and, (2) mules are really strong, and clergymen tended to be rather plump compared to a man in fighting shape. Further, many ladies rode mules because many of them do stay calmer than horses. I have heard that when a mule gets frightened, it's time to get out of there - they have a good instinct for preservation. A good place to investigate getting a mule is the state of Tennessee, where I think, they have a big mule festival every year.
Things got weird when Christianity made humility a status symbol.
I am a Texan in America. I remember my father and grandfather (I’m 74) having mules. The draft mules were Morgan or Percheron cross and were HUGE. Much larger and stronger than the horse parent. Very patient. Mules were not irrationally fearful of snakes like horses are. Very useful in our large sugar cane fields. They bonded extremely well with a teammate and a bonded, trained pair were very valuable. Their strength and weakness were their substantial intelligence. If you encountered a steep drop a horse could be bullied into going down. A mule would refuse and be risk intolerant. Also, mules can’t jump or at least jump very poorly. When a horse jumps he places weight on rear legs and raises front and pushes with rear. A mule tends to hop with all four feet at same time. My father was a horse trainer and loved mules though he never trained them. We had on mule which was a small male horse and female Jenny cross. I didn’t know they had a different name. We called them “palfrey mules” or “palfries”. The few I saw (2) were bigger than a donkey but more stocky than a horse. Like a smaller more mule-like horse. Very long ears. They were for saddle but hard to train. Had a wonderful softer gait. Trot forever but hopping uncomfortable gallop. I could see them being the animal of choice for a long walk-trot trip with little likelihood of gallop or run. Have family photos of me as a child standing under a mule’s chest while my father hitched them up.
That’s very interesting, thank you
Look up the history of "coon jumping ". Mules jump very well. Don't even need a running start, it's from a standstill.
I have heard about the gentle gait as well. They are also supposed to be able to bear more weight than a horse their own size & do not startle like a horse.
That is such an interesting addition of experience to this thread, thank you.
Thank you sir
My mum grew up in an Egyptian village, she was born in England but would be sent over there multiple times a year, she always tells us about the mule that would pick her up from the bus stop, she said it would just turn up, some one would put my mum and her sister on its back then it would set off, it knew the way home but it would constantly veer of the road to eat the shrubbery, so the journey would end up taking way longer than it would have if he would just walk haha.
Aww, what a sweet story. The mule sounds amazing
Nanny mule. In some ways better than a nanny dog (mastiff) though I’d prefer the dog even though their lifespan is incredible brief 😢
I rode a mule for about 10 years, for the endurance sport. Never had a better ride than my female "spirit" and I almost cried here, because I recognized everything you've said and experiance, but mark my word, a mule is different, has a more independent streak (not stubborn, he just thinks more for itself, descides more independently) but helps and assist you whenever it can, is far more hardened and very cool. Once you ride a mule, you stay to riding a mule! Unfortunately, my dear Spirit had to be euthanised after a car crashed into his trailer on route to our next endurance race. I never had a more laughed at animal as she, but dang, she was the best and after she won many prizes, no one laughed that hard anymore (except for her giant ears, but that was because she made everybody smile with her giant ears). I ride a little stallion haflinger horse now, and he's my best friend, but Spirit became my soulmate. I never rode an endurance race again. Much luck with your mule, brother! Give him an extra cuddle from me xxx Ps actually, when she came to me as a small filly, we didnt know she was a mule. She was so extreme underweight, you could count every little bone in her body. My husband had to carry her (he found her at the side of the road and nobody claimed her after that) to our stables at chrismass eve. I saw immediatly her big ears (who were floppy, she hadnt the strenght anymore to lift them up, she was litterly dying). I sat that christmas night next t her, I didnt want her to die allone, covered her op with blankets and warmwaterbottles. But she didnt die, she didnt want to give up yet. In the early morning, she began to move a bit and two hours later, after drinking a little bit and a bit of rasped apple and rice water I cooked, she stood up. Shaky, but alert and awake. One week later and that fiesty little horsy (so I thought, I thought she had such big ears because everything else, including her head was so horribly thin and emaciated) trotted behind me whenever she got the chance. That year was so cold, that we let her sleep next to the stove in our kitchen. In no time she learned to open the door and do her thing neatly outside, to come back to the kitchen right after. When I hung a cord on my door, she learned in an hour how to close it again behind her. Her behind leg was badly injured, from barb wire, and she had a very nasty infection. The vet finaly could temper the fever and infection, but she needed an operation. We held a big donation party and practicly all our friends, neighbours and clients donated some euro's for her big operation. To make a long story short, thats why she was called Spirit (or lovingly "sprits" in short), because she not only survived, she actually fought many battles and became a big little horse that everybody knew and called that strange pony with the long ears :D That early summer, she had a growth spurt and grew about to 1,55 m and became a bit fat by all the grass, hey and granes she ate and I knew by then she was not a horse. Although she grew and fattend up, her ears became not smaller in apearance, no they grew too! My funny hazelnut coloured funny long eared pony was a mule! ...and I wanted to mount and ride her one day. Everybody laughed at me, riding a mule, how silly was that. Mules suposed to be stubborn (are not, they are just more independent then horses) and no good horses. Tbey were right, Sprits was a no good horse...she was an absolutely fantastic mule! She was the best christmasgift I ever got. Live long and prosper in mule heaven Spritsy, I know you're the bos there! ;)
Lovely story!
Take care of any animal like that and they'll be loyal. I have problem with my animals not wanting to leave my side. Imagine digging a trench while you dogs insist about supervising.
🖖😢
Thats so lovely
This story!!! Wauw!! So sad you lost her in such a way. I'm a pony girl myself and have the tendency to pick the independent ones.. they teach you so much! Most of all to respect and listen to their opinions even if it make you 'look bad' when the rest of the ridingstable people have trained their horses info submission. My horse literally goes through for me, he's still with me and I can't bear the thought of losing him, I can Imagine how you feel without your soul Spirit. Hope you find another soul horse. I thought it wasn't possible to vind two of Them in a lifetime, but then there was Brisingr. I truly, truly hope it happens for you too! #releaseyourinnerviking ❤
“My favorite animal is the mule. He has more horse sense than a horse.” - George Washington
He could be named George!
The least intelligent horse is the most intelligent cow. The most intelligent horse is the least intelligent mule. ~ Monty Roberts.
Washington was gifted miles by the King of Spain. The early trade from the Spanish to Missouri buyers via the Santa Fe Trail was for mules. This video features a mule from Spain. Why Spain? Narrative speaks as though mules existed across Europe. But the history points to Spain as origin or cultural persistance. Does anybody know why?
talked with an old guy who used to run pack trains to resupply line cabins in Alaska. Said he started out with horses, but ended up switching to mules. As he put it "Horses shy and run at even the smell of a predator, Mules will keep going and if one DOES show up they'll stand and fight!". There's a picture going around of a mule that killed a coyote.
@@skaoi87 If so, he perhaps should deserves the full moniker. First and last name. And be called by it as often as possible.
Mules are actually very common in the US. At one point there were 6 million mules. They’re used by the police, farmers, trail riders, for carriages, etc. I’ve been to horse shows where mules were competing against the horses. I’ve been around horses for 49 years and I can’t remember a moment when I didn’t see a mule in our equestrian community. I’ve also lived in three states and travelled from the east to west coast. Always saw mules, horses and donkeys.
Yes, they're pretty common in the 3rd world, and parts of the USA. Very rare in the UK and most of norrhern Europe.
I helped raise money for various community projects in Haiti. One of the community workers needed daily transportation along a footpath to a community that wasn't accessible by cars or motorcycles. We helped him buy a mule. The mule ended up being named by one of the people who donated money; the name of the mule was George Fox
I suspect America's varied terrain has a lot to do with that. Mules can get you places that an ATV or dirtbike or horse can't. They're certainly cheaper than a helicopter, anyway.
Farmers in the States have used mules for generations as defensive animals to protect smaller livestock from predators like coyotes, wolves, and mountain lions. Mules are very strong and tough, and typically have a much stronger fight reflex rather than a strong flight reflex. This means that if a threat comes into their area, they'll try to kill it rather than try to escape it. My friend's mother started a garden when he was little. Rabbits kept getting at her plants and she heard geese were territorial and would chase away the rabbits. So, she got some geese to fight the rabbits. Then coyotes came and started eating her geese and she heard mules would kill coyotes. So, she got a mule to chase the coyotes who were after the geese who were after the rabbits. Apparently, it worked.
In Canada we use donkeys and Llamas for herd protection because mules are too valuable for that and donkeys aren’t
It’s a turducken matryoshka doll of animal protection 🖤
Is that common now though? All the farmers in states where I've lived have used donkeys, not mules.
It reminds me of that song “there was an old lady that swallowed a fly…”
My Grandfather used mules; Arkansas/Missouri up until WWII. They were prized because of how hard they could & would work. In later years, while he had horses, he was never all that fond of them. He thought them none too bright, high strung and not as tough. I should state that after WWII everything became mechanized, if it wasn' already.@@AdeleiTeillana
My wife told me I was crazy for buying a mule, she said I was having a middle age crisis
Alexander you probably are if you just decided to buy a mule, like who does that haha
@@BobMarley-vl5gl I did too. So far I've found Mules to be more calm, steady, and thoughtful than horses.
My husband heard me talking about this little mule and pre-emptively told me I don't need a pet mule. Haha
I see what you did there.
*middle ages* crisis
Farmers here in the States have a funny story about the time tractors started taking over for horses/mules. Many a farmer on their first ride on a tractor would try to stop-panic and instinctively say "WHOA!" to the tractor which of course didn't listen as it plowed through a gate, fence, or garage end.
Tractor companies took draught horses and probably mules, on trade - and slaughtered the animals, thus making sure there was more and more demand for the tractors. Stupidity of humans.
Apparently my great grandpa did that. And drove into the spring next to the house. My grandpa was in charge of plowing from then on. Lol Edit: just remembered, the story goes that he yelled "Gee!" to turn but it kept going straight, obviously
@@LeglessWonder Ha! Too funny. My grandpa told the story of a hired hand his dad (great-grandpa) employed for cultivating corn with a team of mules. He was cultivating one field with nearly mile long rows when of course a thunderstorm came out of nowhere when he had just turned around at the far end. A big crash of lightning caused the mules to take off instinctively running back to the barn. The cultivator was a twisted heap by the time the hired hand got back and my g-grandpa went off on him and fired him. After he'd cooled off he felt terrible for firing him and ran into him in town a few weeks later. He acted like nothing had happened at all and even paid the man more to get him back.
Rather like hitting or yelling at a computer
Same thing happened with people learning to drive cars apparently.
The stubborn reputation comes from the mule tendency to judicious disobedience. If they stop and won't go the route you're directing them to, try loosening the reigns. They're apt to pick a safer path. And wow! I am very impressed with that one! You were being watched intensely, he was paying attention very closely to where that sword was swinging, but also listening to you. You were calm, obviously meant no harm, but believe me you were being checked out as much as you were checking out. They're smart. They think. They speculate. That is an animal that you need to develop a partnership with, even more than a horse (and you need to develop a partnership with a horse, too). That is a safety thing.
I'm surprised to hear you describe him as "handling more like a wild animal." He seems very comfortable with handling. He's definitely not enjoying the bit - I wouldn't be surprised if he was trained with a bitless bridle; that could be why he neck-reins, too. You can see where a noseband has abraded some of his hair. He seems intelligent and sensitive, and he's obviously beautifully bred, so I'm guessing he came from a good, thoughtful breeder. This too supports him having been trained with a bitless bridle. I hope you'll give it a try and give him a chance to show what he can do wearing it.
That was my impression as well. A hackamore may be more suitable for him.
Bitless bridle = Hackamore bridle.
Yes, he definitely seems to have been very gently and kindly raised & trained - he has absolutely no expectation of being struck even by accident. He’s not afraid of the sword because it doesn’t occur to him that a person might hit him with anything.
Even a rubber bit for a sensitive mouth
Thank you! The man was insensitive to the fact that this mule was hackamore / bitless bridle trained. Pretty obvious to me -- but i am an American, and we love our mules.
Come to learn about medieval history, stay to fawn over animals.
I came for the Mule and decided to stay for the History. I've read a lot of stories that have mules as part of the plot, that whetted my appetite for more data.
Best of both worlds.
Spanish Mule ? How about the name 'Donkey Hoté' ?
Best name!😊👍
i wanted to suggest the same :P
@MichaelKingsfordGray Hey he wasn't cowardly, he thought he was fighting giants! He was just crazy.
LOL
Touche!
"Once you've got a mule, you can't breed with it." Well, there go my weekend plans.
😂
😂🤣😂🤣
😆
😂😂😂😂
👏😂
Is there an update on him and his progress? The bit didn't seem right for him, I'm glad you talked about that, and I can imagine once he got into the right tack he was even better. Great video!
Yes that is an awful bit. The Mule seems to have a narrow mouth, perhaps a simple pony sized Snaffle would be better, and kinder on his sensitive mouth.
There is something magickal about a grown man enjoying riding a mule in metal helmet swinging wooden sword
Everyone I've known who has ridden mules says that they're not stubborn, just very cautious, and smart. If they don't see the point, they turn into a table and won't move.
So I'm a mule with grad school
My grandpa said they were better than horses, because a good horse would let you work it to death. When a mule decided he'd been working enough, he'd just quit.
oh goodness he's adorable. I write fantasy novels and one of my horses just transformed into a mule because it fits waaaaay better. Thank you for that!
That's awesome!
Please give us the name of this future book. I cant wait to meet this mule and the fantasy characters around it
@@ModernKnight a mule seems like a good fantasy mount. I know that David in the Old Testament made a big deal about riding a mule... which reminds me... Are you sure that "mules in antiquity were treated with quite a lot of disdain?" Couldn't they have been ridden into war back in those days as well? It seems like all the reasons that mules would be good for medieval knights would be even MORE relevant to riders in antiquity! And I've seen terra cotta Hittite chariots being pulled by mules, so certainly they were used in war not just as things to haul goods in, but also to haul spear-chucking soldiers. Obviously there's a big difference if you have someone on your back versus just pulling them. But still... why would it take knights in shining armor to make mules good rides into war? Or maybe it took more modern tech to make a mule valuable as a war mount. E.g. strong, stable saddles and stirrups. I wonder if you did similar trials with a mule but without stirrups or a good saddle, if the experience would be harder to manage than using a horse in similar fashion. But either way, THANK you for making this video! It's always so illuminating to hear what other animals besides just horses were used as offensive tools in wartime.
Ooh can you give us a link?
Hello, my Father was in a mountain artillery unit in the 1930s and they were issued mules because of the difficult terrain. He found them amazingly better than horses for everything and managed to break his wrist falling from a disgusted mule while playing polo. The mule thought that he was an idiot for falling off and told him so roundly in front of all the players. He had many little tales about his mule friends and enemies.
"Walk on", "No hablo Inglés Senor" I'd suggest Rucio, which was Sancho Panza's mule, el rucio is "the grey"
Weird, there's mules in use all over the USA. Draft mules, riding mules, pack mules, guard mules(kinda works like having guard llama's).
And they still generally cost more than horses. Love mules!
Endurance riding...
We had one that was very hard to catch when I was a kid lol he was a lovely buckskin .
I have a guard donkey I just bred to my mini horse mare. Very excited for a mini mule in a year! Im going to train the mini mule to pull a cart and plow.
@@juliestark3484 I've seen a mini paint mule before soooo cute and frendly,you're lucky 😊
The main difference as I have leaned from a few mule enthusiast in my life between a mule and a hinny aside from which parent is a donkey in which parent is horse. Is that a mule is faster and more agile in his movements more horse like in what he eats and some of his temperament, the shape of his Hooves is also more rounded and closer to that of a horse. Both inherit the great strength of the Donkey, a hinny however is more meticulous and its way of moving and slower, but won't Tire as quickly as a mule when worked heavily. A hinny is better for Rocky or mountainous Terrain as a result of the shape of its Hooves being more like a donkey's and its greater ability to pick its way slowly across unsure footing. It also has a wider appetite then the mule as it will eat more shrubs and scrubby plants than its pickier mule counterpart. Also many times both hinnies and mules are often just referred to as mules. There are actually quite a few mules used for hunting trips and dude ranch trips into the backcountry in America. I was not aware of their contributions as much to earlier history though so this was very interesting to see.
Absolutely fascinating and new to me
Interesting comments, Caitlin. A former co-worker of mine had a mule and of course I had to make jokes being a horseman. But he was nice and didn't punch me but explained why he bought a mule. He was part of a wagon train for the South Dakota Centennial (1889-1989) caravan. The group spent most of the year going back and forth across SoDak which is roughly 400 miles east/west and 200 miles N/S. He planned on being on the road full time so hundreds of hours in the saddle. The mule has a much smoother gait than a horse, which I didn't know until he informed me. So there's less stress or wear on on the rider. There were a few other advantages of a mule over a horse for this project I don't recall. But Jim didn't talk empty words and his mule performed very well the whole trip. After that I had more respect for the capability of mules besides being pack animals.
Yes in the old west 1800 to the earliest 1900 hundreds cowboys and wagon stock. They were liked alot because they have a thicker hide and harder hooves than a horse.
interesting
yeah i went to the states once and my sister wanted to go horse riding and i was quite surprised to see mules as well
In Alberta, there was (15 years ago or so) a young woman who had considerable success with her mule in show jumping, right along with all the warmblood horses.
I may be alone in this, but I actually find him quite beautiful. His head is so expressive.
I agree. he's a character, but we're getting to know each other.
@@ModernKnight Looking forward to seeing updates!
You are not alone. He's gorgeous.
You're right, Filippa. That's a good looking mule with a lot of talent and promise.
you're not alone, he is beautiful
What about Sterling, for a name? Speaks to his colour and his character.
Fits perfectly.
An English 'knight' riding a mule named 'Sterling'.... The Scottish side of me LOVES it!
@@williamphillips6779 why did you put 'knight' in inverted commas? Jason is a real knight.
@@Abudzin Knight is an official title, so maybe that's why.
@@Linda-hs1lk Nowadays maybe, in medieval times a warrior on a horse would be considered in most cases a knight. For example there are diaries from crusader soldiers in wich they called "kights" muslim horseback archers.
My grandfather always had mules on his land. More pets than work animals, but he did use them to plow his fields on his farm. He was a mule skinner most of his life. A mule skinner in America is a person who ran mules to haul logs thru the forest for lumberyards. He hauled logs out of the forest using mules. He treated them very well.
We have several mules at our riding/boarding stables (southern California). I'll echo the comments here - they're very smart, and very affectionate once you gain their trust. The trainers/instructors don't use special saddles on the mules, just western ("cowboy") saddles. Western saddles distribute weight a bit differently (and better) than the typical English dressage or jumping saddle. The mules ridden in western tack do just fine. Most are ridden in a hackamore or a bosal, snaffle bits not necessary. it's been an education for me as a rider and trainer as I'd had little exposure to mules prior to moving to this facility.
Yes, as others have stated -- this mule is used to a hackamore, not a bit. Greetings from a fellow Californian.
Thats' an interesting point. The way he has that saddle adapted it didn't occur to me it might be an English saddle. They do sit sit differently, a bit more forward.
Before my grandfather passed away, he said that the reason why they (farmers; he was a farmer when he was young) would use mules instead of horses was because like donkey's they pull with 4 legs instead of 2 legs like horses do and because a mule is bigger than a donkey. Thus, this combination meant it could pull more than a horse could/would. He said they would also eat less than a horse but even if they ate as much they would have been worth it for how much more they could pull. And he was referencing a time when tractors either weren't common on a farm or they just didn't have the capability they do now.
Mules are 4wd like elephants
@@lh8593 During the depression, my grandfather dealt in "Mammoths"....tremendous animals.
So donkeys have 4 leg drive but horses only 2 leg drive?
@the Achaean wow that's pretty cool, thx for sharing that, had never heard of that town etc. 🙂
The U.S. Marines used mules in many battle zones in the early 20th Century. They were more reliable than trucks by far.
Any chance to hear Jason praising an animal by telling him "Gooood booooy" is fantastic for me really.
And "C'mon then" ☺️☺️☺️
Love it!
We had a man that had a beautiful pair of mules. They were big boned red mules that looked almost like twins. He got lucky finding a matched pair. He would use them to harvest wood in places where people didn't want the land torn up. I think they are beautiful animals.
As a child my father was a Navy Corpsman attached to a light artillery unit in the US Marine Corps. As such we had both a Bulldog (Marines) and a female Goat (Navy) as pets. I enlisted in the US Army Corp of Engineers and when I left active duty (for a time after I was active duty at a reserve company , then Just reserve) I was gifted with a Mule as a pet we called Big Red. It became the unofficial mascot of the Reserve for awhile. Red an I would go cross county hiking and camping, sometimes just the two of us, some times with a couple of dogs , sometimes with friends as part of a hiking group. I can attest to their extreme endurance and the ability to eat on the go (though Red was partial to S’Mores )
He is a lucky mule to have been adopted by you~ his ears are adorable.
What a strong and gentle man this guy is. Like Jon Townsend. Why are there not more men like these guys? I agree this mule is blessed to have this new owner! The mule is very handsome. I love his ears and they picking up every sound aren't they.
Those ears are sooo soft to touch. Same with donkeys.
An ass filly has more developed ears than the rest of the head - meaning, some new-born ass fillies have longer ears than the rest of the head. Mules have smaller ears than asses. For riding/driving, check white Andalusian or black Catalan giant asses. The Italian Martina Franca giant ass is bred amongst others to breed good mules for the Alps.
Wouldve been so funny if the intro was altered with him riding his mule.
Haha I need to see this!
im glad you pointed this out, most people dont give enough respect to mules and donkeys.......im from brazil and the painting made for our independence show the prince and generals riding horses...but we know for a fact he must had used mules because horses werent good for the terrain he was....but horses are prettier to save for posterity
I took horseback riding lessons at a stable as a child. I had a different horses each time. My favorite mount was actually a mule! He was the sweetest and most gentle of all the animals I rode there. He was a staff favorite too.
I've recently become interested in mules. And while doing some research, I heard that they do indeed need a special saddle. Another fun fact, because of the shape of their head, they can see all four of their hooves when they look down. A horse, I'm told can't do that. The advantage is that they are very sure footed. I'm told that mules, when spooked, don't automatically default to flight. They have a measured and more thoughtful response. The advantage is they won't run you both off a cliff without giving it some thought first.
The disadvantage is that if they run you off a cliff, you KNOW they meant it. 😂
@@hollymiller4155 I would say that if a mule decides to run off a cliff, I'm running down after them! They have more sense than most people :D
I've taken a number of pack trips where they use both horses and mules in the Sierras of California. I remember once at the top of a 9000 ft pass during a thunderstorm the horse I was riding got spooked by a close crash of lightning on an incredibly steep trail and took off running, how we both survived I'm not quite sure. The mules however were fine and just kept on walking.
Name him Pewter. A silver colored hybrid metal with its own uses and properties.
And is a punny name, because pews are used in churches.
@@Liquessen And Pewter is similar to Peter, also with a religious reference.
Yes
Nah. Francis.
That's a really good name,actually. .
Mule Day is still celebrated in Columbia, TN because they were once so important.
Argent would be a good name as it means silver in French and he is a lovely grey colour . And worth his weight in silver !
My grandfather was raised on horses and mules and always said that he'd much rather have a mule than a horse. He said that mules were generally smarter than horses and had a much smoother gait. But because the mule was smarter you had to watch what you were doing with them as if you mistreated it, the mule would never trust you again.
My dad talked about how mules could untangled their leg out of barbed wire while a horse would just rip his leg off because of impatience.
That's interesting. I know nothing about these guys but I think I read somewhere that a horse will run himself to death if you ask him to. Or drive him to, to be more accurate. But a mule will not. They'll just stop right there and nothing you do will make them move. And that might be behind the expression about them being stubborn. But really they're just more intelligent.
Mules and donkeys are one of the most uplifted biblical animals and from all I’ve ever met, they’re wonderful.
I noticed the smooth gait!
@@PaulTheSkeptic I've always said that mules have a strong sense of self preservation.
"What medieval animal is seldom used today?" obviously it was the walrus
Literal LOL 😉😁🤣
It's a dragon. In medieval times dragons were used to train knights in the art of maiden rescuing. 🐲
Goo goo g’joob
My thoughts exactly 😳
tea wrecks I use my walrus at least five times a day. Never leave home without a good walrus.
What a wonderful video! Your patience with Mr. Mule was wonderful. I think Mr. Grey Mule did amazingly. He is a very beautiful!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I knew a mule, she was a buddy of my horse. She was the sweetest thing, always up for cuddles and so much more affectionate than any horse I've ever met 💚
Did she move cross country?
That mule did great-- and he doesn't even speak english.
The Burning Sensation honestly I bet he only understands Spanish honestly. It will take him time to know what is wanting of him I expect
I believe that equines 'see' your mental image pictures - I've read a few books on training that had some great examples. So it might not matter too much about the Spanish lol
@@D2.159 Easy to check out, and noted by many. And there was always the times I would dive deep into my thoughts and the gosh darned mule would catch me out every time and spook. He made a sport of it. I finally gave in and paid attention. Tom Dorrance, an old cowboy trainer rip noted it in his books, as well as a noted old time trainer from England who did experiments with the horses under his care. (in a book). Then there was the time I went on a big trail ride at Pt. Reyes. The only time one of the mules balked at going forward was jumping over a log into the dark forest. Her buddy had gone well ahead before she was asked to jump. It turned out that she was completely blind in both eyes. Oh and haven't you ever thought about someone and they called you out of the blue?
I was wondering that myself (the Spanish thing, not the telepathy thing...) Are all his commands in Spanish. I didn't know much about horses and the like, but I know dogs recognize language. I was wondering how that would affect his training
Que?
Mules are used a lot in the US, especially in the American West.
George Washington was a fan of mules. Kind of gave them a following in the United States.
Yup. I pass at least 7-10 pastures with mules on my commute into town. One pasture has giant draft mules!
There are mule trains actively used in the Grand Canyon.
They used to be used in the coal mines in Wv. Recently I have seen people keep them as workers and kinda as a pet or hobby.
@@paulab2242 that would be so cool to see!
In Southwest Georgia, we have a festival dedicated to the mule. It is called Mule Day. This festival happens on the first Saturday in November every year. Mules are still used over here.😊
We have a festival called Mule Days in northwest Georgia (Gainesville) as well 👍🏼
'Hinny' is a Geordie endearment that stems from the mighty stallion and female Donkey. They were notoriously strong and sturdy..... and hence the Geordies adopted this as an endearment for hardworking women. Normally preempted by "Eeeehhh". 😊 Your new friend is beautiful!
Thanks for this. I have a Geordie friend who calls me hinny. Nice to know where it comes from. 🤗
Mules are preferred when traveling up and down the Grand Canyon in the US. Mules might have a stubborn reputation because of the mentality of harsh training, rather than the gentle approach you are using.
They're also more cautious than horses, so if they see a situation they find threatening, they'll let you know. I'd trust a mule over a horse.
@@amicableenmity9820 this reminds me of a story I read on line with photos were a couple were riding mules down a canyon with their dog running with them, and when they had a brake to water the mules the dog exploring the area and ran into a Cougar aka mountain Lion and come runing back to them fallowed by the Cougar. One of the two mules then charged the big cat and kicked it in the head and while the cat was stunned came back and knelt on the cat's chest and crushed him to death, then the mule got back on to his feet and walked over to the two humans and stood by them weighting form them to get back on and continue the ride. Mules you do not mess with them.
I didn't ride it, but I was with a group doing a mountain trek back in my Boy Scout days (which I dare say was one of the most memorable experiences of my life, I would highly recommend it if you have the money), and we were rented a mule to carry much of our rations and heavy equipment during a particularly rough leg of the journey. He was actually a rather sweet animal, and we had no problems with him -- we were actually rather sad to part with him, as we had grown rather attached during the few days he was with our party. I think you're right, mules and donkeys only had bad reputations because they were usually abused; trained well and treated with respect, as people tend to treat horses, they can be just as easy to work with.
I was just telling my roommate that!
Mules have that reputation because they are smart, generally smarter than horses. If they dont want to do something it's for an actual reason. Donkeys on the other hand are just stubborn to be stubborn.
The mule is a lot bigger than I was expecting. Donkeys are a lot smaller.
there are bigger donkeys too, up to 17 hands and some are over that
Not all donkeys are small. My husband breeds mammoth Jack's. You'd need a mammoth to get mule that size.
And it's still smaller than the only mules I've met. Admittedly, I've only run into Missouri mules and those were bred from draft horses and larger than average donkeys to be huge.
Oh I love mammoth mules, I only get to see them at our state fair because no one down here really has any. My aunt keeps a few donkeys as pets and they are pretty small.
I live in Margate, Kent, a UK seaside resort and they used to have donkeys here for rides on the beach, they were much smaller than the mule shown in this video, he's a big boy, must be well over 20 hands.
One of my favorite competitors in regional horse shows where I live is a gorgeous mule named 'Redheaded Stranger'. He's a champion, almost always beating the horses he competes against, is so handsome, and such a lovely temperament. It just delights me to see him. Love the mules!
Mules take a great amount of their personality from the mother. My mule is from a Tennessee Walker mare and she is a gem. Her name is Dina martina.
Love the name Dina Martina.. ❤ "When the Mule hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's Amorè " 😂 Greetings from Auckland New Zealand 🇳🇿
There was a fellow in 1st Century Rome who made much of his fortune breeding and selling mules. You may have heard of him, Titus Flavius Vespasianus, who in 69 AD became Emperor after the year of chaos following the suicide of the Emperor Nero. Vespasian ruled for 10 years and built, among other things, the Roman Coliseum, which when completed was called the Flavian Amphitheater. Not bad for a mule farmer, huh.
I love Roman history! Probably a bit more than medieval lol! Vespasian is my favorite emperor!
I bet there was a lot of jokes going around about his background during his reign.
@@greatexpectations6577 Who would joke about that jackass?
Yea Roman history is so interesting but medieval history britain is basically worlds history japan history is dope too
Mule trader was a polite way of saying slave trader, that emperor actually made his wealth off of slavery.
Earl Grey or Caballero Gris. Also, mules need britchen to keep the saddle from sliding forward as their shoulders move up and down rather than forward and backwards like a horse. You should absolutely look into buying a mule saddle. Horse saddles can ruin their whithers.
I was going to recommend a crupper and breeching too- since the saddle does need to sit a bit farther back like he mentioned, the crupper and breeching help to keep it from sliding forward onto the withers. That is an incredibly sweet mule- someone started him correctly and didn’t ruin his temperament
Earl Grey, I like that name!
Yes, Earl Grey!
I, too, like Earl Grey. Because he's in Britain now, and so Tea.
I like Earl Grey!
Why does it look like he had a very harsh Spanish bridle used where you got him from, look at the ridges on the poor guy's nose :(
I feel so bad for him and harsh Spanish bridles like that should be banned
I didn’t even notice that on first viewing
Here in the southern United States I've seen quite a few people riding mules for trail riding. I've only ridden horses my whole life but it would be fun and something different to try a mule. There are also gaited mules I've seen as well but they are few and far between and very costly. So neat to know mules date back so far in history! Thank you for sharing!
When I saw him I was like "Holy shit!!" Man, he's BIGGER than I imagined a mule to be. I guess I thought it would have been slightly larger than a donkey!
They differ in size. I've seen some smaller than him in person.
He said horses used to be smaller, so I'd imagine the mules would have also been smaller back in the day.
Maybe it had to do how many spanish donkeys tend to be bigger than those from UK and other places, or that is the impression I have.
Look up a draft mule, they're huge!
I worked with a mule named chug (named for the sound a freight train makes) who was part Clydesdale and stood 18 1/2 hands tall
wow, never in a million years would I have thought watching a guy on a mule waving around a wooden sword would be so damn interesting!!!
What a clever gentleman! I didn't expect a mule to be so tall in the legs, helps that he has a beautiful gait
Interesting info about mules! A hundred years ago, my grandfather and other wheat ranchers used mule teams to pull combines to harvest the steep hills of southeastern Washington state. They were regarded as smarter and tougher than horses for the heavy farm work.
Mine too! Same place!
Finally a channel on KZhead where an adult can actually learn something interesting.
There are many channels like that. You just gotta look for them instead of expecting content to be fed to you.
I found this the other day.. just keep falling asleep - doh ;) But one day I will get through it. kzhead.info/sun/f8iqdrtwiYmchKM/bejne.html
@@bernardobastos5996 Indeed, there are countless invaluable channels these days.
old people are crazy jeez
Might want to check out Forgotten Weapons as well. kzhead.info/sun/n9V7pMxsoGKLfmw/bejne.html Very interesting bits on History and weapons technoligy.
"so i imported a mule from spain" he just dropped that so casually i love it
It is relatively easy with a horse box, drive to Calais, take a ferry etc.
Im sure money isnt a problem, the video game bizz is booming right now.
I dare say that would be neigh on impossible now with Brexit done and dusted. “Take back control” and all that
@@Aussiemarco Neigh. I see what you did there.
He is all things considered a very gentle and calm soul.
He's an amazing animal worthy of respect and admiration.
Mules are quite common here in brazil, and in some cases, they are more valuable than horses, because riding a mule is more comfortable than some horses breeds, like the American quarter horse, whose his steps are much hard!! Sorry 4 my bad english, i can barely speak portuguese 😆😆
Your English is perfectly clear to me.
Whose já é um possessivo, o his depois não é necessário. Dizer "Whose his steps" seria como dizer: "cujo seu trote" sendo que "cujo trote" ou "whose steps" é mais apropriado. Tirando isso o inglês tá ótimo.
Your English is great! Thank you for this interesting bit of information.
You’re absolutely correct about Quarter Horse, like riding a Jack-hammer. A good Tennessee Walker is like gliding on air.
Donkeys are also much smoother gaited than horses.
Riding mules are still in demand in the southern USA. People use mules to hunt with because they are more sure footed and as you stated, stronger from hybrid vigor. Riding mules fetch on average more than a horse at auction.
Mules are common in the area of the States that I live in. I grew up with several members of my family owning pulling teams. We even have a local agricultural festival, the Mule Festival, in their honor. It is interesting that they are rare in other places and that they have such an old lineage. I love these videos!
Which area of the States is ghat?
My great grandfather was a well known horse and mule trainer. He loved mules and they loved him back (so I have heard). These animals were an institution in many places. Thank you for telling us this information!!!!
What a gorgeous mule. I owned mules when I lived in Arizona: Oatis, Sunny and Surprise. We used them for civil war and indian war interpretation. They are generally smarter and tougher than horses....and are like cats are to dogs. They are smart enough not to founder....especially when in the heat, they would not drink too much water at a time. Also, they get bored easily. They have to be entertained or they get into trouble. This brought tears to my eyes as I miss them so much. Love the rabbit ears! Thanks for a fabulous presentation.
I'm watching going, "this is pretty interesting"... "So I imported a mule from Spain and I'm going to try to ride it" I'm in!!
Hi Jason, your video just popped up randomly on my feed. I thoroughly enjoyed it and learnt something new and very interesting today. You have an amazing affinity with these lovely animals and a very interesting voice to listen to. I hope i can find some updates and see more of your fabulous new mule and also what you eventually named him. Many thanks for this video.
Glad you enjoyed it!
This was the first of Modern History TV videos I watched and I was much taken by this approach to enhancing our understanding of medieval life. It is not only mules that are largely forgotten as work animals. The humble ox was very widely used as work animal, and training a pair now would be a significant challenge, in terms of rediscovering lost skills.
Mule: Is a good boy Jason: Good Booooooy
Jake Chafin- Mule is saying, "if I hear good boooooooooooooooooy one more time, I'll show him how good I am!
Nah that's pretty traditional with horses. The long drawn out sound of all the ooooooo's in good & boy are calming to them. Some horse people I know just make the oooooo sound.
Oh what a sweetheart that mule is. I hope we get to see him, again!
You will.
@@ModernKnight Sterling is a good name for him.
Ask a Spaniard to speak to him and see how he reacts. Circus animals suffering from depression have come out of it when hearing their familiar language spoken. He is responding incredibly well to be spoken to in an unfamiliar language!
What a beautiful mule! I'm writing 2 years later and I hope you have had a wonderful time together and you're best friends now.
Mules. Unsung hero’s of mans historic wars, including WW I.
The Chindits used them in Burma in ww2, and so did Merrills Marauders (the americans de voiced the mules and many said it was traumatic to watch when voiced mules spoke to the unvoiced ones and the panic when the de voiced mules could not respond.) True information. They were also used to carry Pack Field Artillery in India and the wars in those regions. The pack gun was a very effective artillery piece that broke down and was packed on a number of animals.
@@robinloxley205 Yes, my grandfather was there, an artillery scout for his mule battery.
Camels are a close 2nd. Lol. They help navigate the American Southwest as well.
@@khrashingphantom9632 They were also used in Australia, where they have now gone wild.
@@robinloxley205 My grandfather was a muleteer in WWI, though - like so many veterans - he would hardly ever speak about his wartime experiences. Prior to his war service he had worked with draught horses in railway shutting yards.
My experience is that mules, like their fathers, aren't stubborn, but misunderstood. Stronger personality and base their relationship on trust...they dont trust you they wont move. A horse you can whip into submission, a mule needs to have confidence in you.. once you have his loyalty,. Mule will love serving you
The donkey isn’t a stubborn jackass, it just thinks you’re an idiot trying to get it killed.
Lots of mules in BC, Canada. We have cattle ranches where they are used, for packing. They are used in the packhorse based guiding industry. For hunting. Lovely animals
This is fascinating- I'd never been able to work out how they could use mules but this explains a lot. That is obviously an animal of considerable character.
I prefer riding my old mule over most horses. They are great in the mountains, rarely scared of anything, I used to carry tons of gear and any deer I harvested for miles on my old boy. Used him to drive cattle as well cause he was mean as a snake to anything that he thought was going after his herd.
this reminds me of a story I read on line with photos were a couple were riding mules down a canyon with their dog running with them, and when they had a brake to water the mules the dog exploring the area and ran into a Cougar aka mountain Lion and come runing back to them fallowed by the Cougar. One of the two mules then charged the big cat and kicked it in the head and while the cat was stunned came back and knelt on the cat's chest and crushed him to death, then the mule got back on to his feet and walked over to the two humans and stood by them weighting form them to get back on and continue the ride. Mules you do not mess with them.
@Scott Whatever A mule pastured with cattle will adopt & defend the herd as well as any dog.
Where I live most ranchers keep a mule in with their herd of cows because mules will run down and kill coyotes that threaten the herd.
shadowwalker117 we were getting ready to break out for the night and a young calf got separated, so I rode out to look for her. A pack of coyotes tried to get her and my mule kicked two of them to death while I was still on him. It was all I could do to stay in the saddle.
My father in law preferred riding a mule as well
In Belgium we say "I am not a mule" when someone is making us carry an awful lot at one single time. I say this to my kids quite often as they throw their backpacks and jackets and everything on me when I pick them up from school and it's hot outside.
In France, we say it too. :) "Do I look like a mule to you?"
in italy we say it too! "I'm loaded like a mule" or "I'm not a mule!"
Same in German ;)
"what am I, a pack mule?" US
That's interesting. Here in the U.S. two idioms I can think of are "stubborn as a mule" or "strong as a mule" which are pretty self-explanatory. I don't think I've heard one referring to the pack animal aspect.
I loved the way you adapted your riding style to him within the first five minutes. You can see him settle down almost immediately. Bravo!
Mule teaches first lesson. “Ride me correctly”,
The look of joy on your face as you experience something new, surprising and enjoyable demonstrates something everyone should experience in their lives, and so few do. Cheers for sharing that experience.
Sounds like mules were the toyotas and hondas of medieval times.
You can tuna fish but you can't tune a mule
@@abstract1dea That's a joke right? lol
Oh goodness, what a lovely lad! I love the whole "so yeah, I bought a mule, haven't ridden him, he doesn't know me, lemme just grab this sword over here and see what happens." Classic MHTV haha. Name idea: Alabas/Alabaster.
He is the most BEAUTIFUL mule I've ever seen, and I haven't seen many but this one will be tops for a long time! Those black legs and the color of the moon on his fur is GORGEOUS!
It's delightful to see how you work with him, how conscious you are of how your actions will affect him, very observant and gentle. It's also fun to watch you move out of your comfort zone and try something new! Ever notice how people laugh when they make a discovery for themselves? Thanks for the history--I never knew that about mules in Europe. New subscriber!
Americans took mules to another level, over here they are huge animals and very powerful. I think they were preferred to other animals for being more docile
I agree; once when I was young I met a man from the forest service who was quite a bit taller than the average male. His service mules shoulders were taller (higher up) than his own. Sweetest thing ever thought, that mule was. I thing they're bred for their size so you can pack and ride at the same time. Plus near nothing makes them fright.
Yeah. In the Nc mountias(especially the Cherokee area) Mules are just as popular as horses!
They come from the ass stallion Mammoth lineage, yes. Still, mules eat less than horses, but retain asinine intelligence (compared to equine intelligence, asses are rocket scientists).
@@kywolf9403 it depends on the parents...the donkey bred to a TB is tall, sleek and faster, a donkey bred to a Draft breed ( artificially inseminated now) are huge, strong animals. A mule even won at DRESSAGE!!!
@@enysuntra1347 It's so weird to consider that we use "asinine" to mean "dumb", then! I never considered this until reading the phrase "retain asinine intelligence". My first language is Hungarian, and even we use "donkey" to mean a dumb person. That's a huge disservice to donkeys (and quite a compliment to idiots).
He's a lot bigger than I was expecting! I love the fact you bought a mule to test out the stories! It's so cool that you have the opportunity to use your resources to experiment and share your findings with us!
There are some amazingly large mules. There’s a farmer in Illinois that breeds Belgian mares to Mammoth donkeys. His mules weigh over a ton.
A Mule is a wodnerful being. They wont let you harm them by running them into the ground or off a cliff. They are incredibly smart. My dad and I had one called Shinry Pearl. She had more tricks up her sleeves then any horse could imagine. lol!
I found you by accident and have now watched many of your videos. The medieval period never interested me before, but now I’m obsessed…thank you for igniting my interest in this fascinating period in history. I love the way you deliver your knowledge…..keep doing what you are doing. Thank you 🙏
My mule don't like people laughing. He gets the crazy idea you're laughing at him, so respect the mules. Always liked mules for some reason, so this is really interesting, and he's so dam cute
Clint E. Could not have said it better.......
General Crook liked saddle mules, too. Look him up. Fascinating indian fighter.
me, waiting for the mule reveal: when’s he gonna bring the mule out when’s he g- when the mule comes out: OHHHHH
On our farm as a kid (In Canada) we looked after a neighbors mules for a year and the range of personalities was pretty great. Most were pretty docile and even tempered as the records say and always curious in way not quite the same as a horse. I found them to be quite smart, more so then the horses I have met, and fantastic "guard" animals. They were fearless in the face of things like Wolves and Coyotes, and we would keep them with the calves/mothers for this reason. Otherwise they were great at eating all the weeds the cattle and horses would not touch, I think that maybe the only summer we had no Canada Thistle in the fields we kept them in as they would just munch it right down.
I have family in both Cuba and Mexico and I’ve been to both places. In Mexico, they still use donkeys or mules with a cart attached to pick up garbage once a week in some areas. In Cuba, they use horses much more for transportation. I even rode a carriage! People use them as taxis. It was a surreal experience. I felt transported to another time and it was 2017. Because almost no one has window panes in their windows and just shutters, you wouldn’t believe the noise early in the morning coming from the cacophony of horseshoes hitting the pavement outside in the street!