where to find mule hide

[Randy Cornelius]

I have been asked to make several pair of horse shoeing chaps out of Mule Hide. I have checked around and not finding it listed with any of my suppliers. Does anyone know where I might find it, if it is still available.

Thanks

Randy

[Hennessy]

check with some class shops.i believe it to b no more thana grey apron type material some ruff others smooth it is not from a mule just a false track eh,sounds good,adios peter john

[Johanna]

As you know, Randy, some customers don't really know what they want, and will use incorrect terms in their descriptions. People used to come in the Tandy store and ask for rawhide strings, but what they meant was latigo, that kind of thing. Perhaps they don't want mulehide after all. I'm guessing to them "mulehide" means tough and thick, not "mule" hide in particular. Take them some scraps of the leathers you would consider for the project and let them feel it and look at it. Bet you know what they want better than they do.

By the way, what is the difference between a donkey and a mule? (I'm a town girl, can you tell? ) I was thinking "mule hide" sounds rugged and durable, "donkey skin" sounds cheap. But isn't it essentially the same thing?

Johanna

[tashabear]

By the way, what is the difference between a donkey and a mule? (I'm a town girl, can you tell? ) I was thinking "mule hide" sounds rugged and durable, "donkey skin" sounds cheap. But isn't it essentially the same thing?

Johanna

Not exactly. A donkey is the offspring of a mommy donkey and a daddy donkey. A mule is the offspring of a daddy donkey and a mommy horse. :-D They're almost always sterile.

[Denise]

By the way, what is the difference between a donkey and a mule?

Johanna,

I can't help with finding out where to get mule hide, but I can help you out with this question. A mule is a cross between a mare and a jack (male donkey). A cross the other way - stallion and jenny (female donkey) - produces a hinny. Both types of resulting equines are sterile (with the very rare exceptions). And from what I have heard of mules, they are very smart and like to stay safe. Hence, the difficulty in finding mule hide!

No, I DO know it is a type of leather used commonly to wrap horns and in farrier's chaps but doesn't come from mules. Here is a thread about some other material for shoeing chaps. Hope it helps a little.

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?s...&hl=farrier

[Johanna]

Okay, jacks and jennys make mules and hinnys. Can you tell them apart? They are sterile, but do they count as males, females or androgynous creatures? Do you yell "Whoa Boy!" or "Easy Girl!"?

I'm curious because they used mules to pull the canal boats, not horses. There is no mention of donkeys in the history, but there had to be some, right? With no jacks, you don't get mules, right? The local history is full of mule stories and they sound like stubborn critters! Twelve and thirteen year old boys tended them and traveled from Cincinnati to Toledo, Lake Erie. I don't mean to be hijacking this thread, it's just something I've always wondered about.

~J

[Crystal]

Hi Randy-

Found this topic it might help you out.

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?s...mp;hl=mule+hide

Crystal

[Doug Mclean]

Is your customer truly asking for Mule hide? Or are they just confusing the heavy apron splits because everyone calls it a mule hide wrap when it is used on a saddle horn.

[Timbo]

Okay, jacks and jennys make mules and hinnys. Can you tell them apart? They are sterile, but do they count as males, females or androgynous creatures? Do you yell "Whoa Boy!" or "Easy Girl!"?

I'm curious because they used mules to pull the canal boats, not horses. There is no mention of donkeys in the history, but there had to be some, right? With no jacks, you don't get mules, right? The local history is full of mule stories and they sound like stubborn critters! Twelve and thirteen year old boys tended them and traveled from Cincinnati to Toledo, Lake Erie. I don't mean to be hijacking this thread, it's just something I've always wondered about.

~J

Mules were used as laborers due to the fact that they are as strong or stronger in some cases than a horse of equal size and the fact that mules like repetitive tasks. I think they actually find comfort in doing the same thing over and over. That is why they use only mules on the rides down into the Grand Canyon, that and they are more surefooted than horses and less skittish. You can't make a mule do something unsafe or something it doesn't want to do......usually because it sees it as unsafe. But I'd ride a mule into the mountains anyday...........ok, I'd like to ride a mule into the mountains but I'm stuck with horses.

Another mule breeding tidbit is king jack and giant jack........these are mutant donkeys that are HUGE....so subsequently you can breed them to your mare and get a big full sized mule....the kings and giants used to (more than now anyway) get bred to draft mares and then you'd have these huge draft size (almost) mules. They are so cool!!!

I love mules and want one so bad........it would be even better if the ranch I work for bought one or five or six.

Thats all my mule trivia for now.

Sorry to hijack.

Tim

..........and yeah what most people call mulehide is just the greyish blueish work apron splits.

[Randy Cornelius]

Is your customer truly asking for Mule hide? Or are they just confusing the heavy apron splits because everyone calls it a mule hide wrap when it is used on a saddle horn.

I am sure that they are refering to apron splits but some people just don't know what they are talking about. I just thought I would throw it out there and see what I got. I had never seen real mule hide leather advertized but I don't claim to know everything. Randy

Mules were used as laborers due to the fact that they are as strong or stronger in some cases than a horse of equal size and the fact that mules like repetitive tasks. I think they actually find comfort in doing the same thing over and over. That is why they use only mules on the rides down into the Grand Canyon, that and they are more surefooted than horses and less skittish. You can't make a mule do something unsafe or something it doesn't want to do......usually because it sees it as unsafe. But I'd ride a mule into the mountains anyday...........ok, I'd like to ride a mule into the mountains but I'm stuck with horses. Another mule breeding tidbit is king jack and giant jack........these are mutant donkeys that are HUGE....so subsequently you can breed them to your mare and get a big full sized mule....the kings and giants used to (more than now anyway) get bred to draft mares and then you'd have these huge draft size (almost) mules. They are so cool!!!I love mules and want one so bad........it would be even better if the ranch I work for bought one or five or six.Thats all my mule trivia for now.Sorry to hijack.Tim..........and yeah what most people call mulehide is just the greyish blueish work apron splits.

Boy this topic got way off .....