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]

  Johanna said:

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]

  Quote

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]

  Johanna said:

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]

  Doug Mclean said:

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

  Timbo said:

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 .....

[bruce johnson]

  Randy Cornelius said:

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. RandyBoy this topic got way off .....

Randy,

LOL, and on the other group you posted this to, they got talking about tanned horse fronts and using it to line wooden legs in about 2 jumps also. Must just be one of those topics...

[Timbo]

........sorry.......it was Johannas fault........she led me astray!!!!

Tim

[Johanna]

If I only had a dollar for everytime someone has said that about me! It's always MY fault.

~J

[greg gomersall]

Randy as was mentioned in the link call Caledon Sales in Calgary at 403 252 0232 and get a couple pieces of apron split and build an apron from it. your customers will be so happy with this stuff you will have them hooked for life. Ken can mail this to you , there are no customs or import hassles and he can be paid with a credit card. its worth the phone call. Greg

[leatherworklee]

I once asked My Dad who was a horseman and about 65 years old at the time how long do mules live or at what age do they die? He replied that he did not know because he had never seen a dead one. Might make it hard to find mule hides. I personally have seen two dead mules both caused by close contact with automobiles. I have always been told that it took lots of gentle handling to make a good mule but some times a good bash from a 2x4 is needed to get their attention. My Bother-in-law once won a trophy for the Grand Champion Horse (Male) Mule at the Eastern Idaho State Fair. I told him that I had always thought of him as a champion A**. Lee

[Kowboyboots]

Chichester

If any one can get mule hide these guys can.

[Gilligan]

Johanna, this site is pretty thorough on details>> http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancest...HorseSense.html

Hope it helps

The Kid

[mulefool]

As far as I have always known mule hide is just what folks call apron splits. I figured it got that name since it's good for tough jobs, just like a real mule. As you might guess from my name I'm a fool for mules and could talk about them for hours. But mercifully, I won't. They're tough, they're smart (sometimes too smart). They like to sit back and mull over whether a particular task will fit into their plans for the day. The task for the human is to make sure it does.

One other thing about hinnies. I have a friend rides one, he looks just like a mule to me. I've seen others that seem more horse like. An interesting thing I just learned recently is that the conception rate for the hinny (stallion+jennet) is only about 20%. Also while a jack ass will breed about anything, a stallion will be much more discriminating and often refuse to breed a jennet. Anyway these things would explain why hinnies are just not that common. Chris