Rider “Walk on” Spanish mule “ Quė?”

I can't wait until you try out a war elephant.

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.

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.

"So I imported a mule from spain" I really want to be able to causally say that one day.

Clergy: Rides mule because it represents humility Also Clergy: puts a whole bunch of gold on it, because humility is for dirty peasants

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.

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.

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! ;)

Spanish Mule ? How about the name 'Donkey Hoté' ?

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.

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.

“My favorite animal is the mule. He has more horse sense than a horse.” - George Washington

I may be alone in this, but I actually find him quite beautiful. His head is so expressive.

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.

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.

My wife told me I was crazy for buying a mule, she said I was having a middle age crisis

Come to learn about medieval history, stay to fawn over animals.

"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!

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.

"What medieval animal is seldom used today?" obviously it was the walrus

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.

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!

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.

There is something magickal about a grown man enjoying riding a mule in metal helmet swinging wooden sword

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.

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.

"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).

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.

Wouldve been so funny if the intro was altered with him riding his mule.

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.

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.

What about Sterling, for a name? Speaks to his colour and his character.

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.

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

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 !

Mules are used a lot in the US, especially in the American West.

Any chance to hear Jason praising an animal by telling him "Gooood booooy" is fantastic for me really.

Mule Day is still celebrated in Columbia, TN because they were once so important.

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 💚

Name him Pewter. A silver colored hybrid metal with its own uses and properties.

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.

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.

What a wonderful video! Your patience with Mr. Mule was wonderful. I think Mr. Grey Mule did amazingly. He is a very beautiful!

That mule did great-- and he doesn't even speak english.

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 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.

'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!

The mule is a lot bigger than I was expecting. Donkeys are a lot smaller.

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!!!

He's an amazing animal worthy of respect and admiration.

He is all things considered a very gentle and calm soul.

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!

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.

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.

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 :(

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.

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.

What a clever gentleman! I didn't expect a mule to be so tall in the legs, helps that he has a beautiful gait

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!

Jason: Curious about mules and how they handle, flat out buys one. Mate, I applaud your dedication to your hobbies and audience. May I suggest Sigismund? That was the name of Brother Heinrich’s donkey.

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 😆😆

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.

I have a friend in the US that has a pulling team of hinny's. They're not any different depending on the genetic makeup. Basically depends on the type of male horse that you use. Many here use Percheron's, Belgian's, Shire, and usually Mammoth donkey's that can handle the foal delivery. The history of hinny's being smaller stature is because it was an accident that happened in the field. They're not always sterile as well. It doesn't happen often, but occasionally, the mule will get pregnant and deliver a live foal. The foal ends up being about 3/4's horse or 3/4's donkey depending on which impregnated the mule. Mules are being used as surrogates in places now. I've been around horses, donkey's, and mules all of my life, and I've also happened to be a volunteering living history participant for decades. Mules can be tremendously strong, they can also take traits favoring donkeys more and be extremely difficult to train or be temperamental. I've watched a mule completely remove his pulling harness by kicking within seconds. I find the characteristics of the mules you're riding look much more like a donkey. His back end is very narrow, much like a donkey, his ears are huge, more like a donkey, and just his whole structure except his size looks more donkey. He looks amazingly like the structure of a Mammoth donkey.

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.

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.

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!

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

Oh what a sweetheart that mule is. I hope we get to see him, again!

"so i imported a mule from spain" he just dropped that so casually i love 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.

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.😊

I would name him “ Earl Grey”!!! I think he is awesome.

Finally a channel on KZfaq where an adult can actually learn something interesting.

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.

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!

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!!

Mule: Is a good boy Jason: Good Booooooy

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!!!!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

Sounds like mules were the toyotas and hondas of medieval times.

I love the dappled grey, he is beautiful.

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 🙏

Loved the gentle but meaningful cow kick at 6:30 -- the mule is saying "come on, less talk and more work!"

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

Sad about his nose being scarred up, hopefully he has a better home now and a gentler rider

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.

It is so incredibly satisfying having the opening line being the answer to the title of the video! Mainly because it's just so unlike many other youtubers who act like we didn't just see the title before clicking and who drag on and on before getting to the point.

me, waiting for the mule reveal: when’s he gonna bring the mule out when’s he g- when the mule comes out: OHHHHH

Do away with the bit and hook your rains to the halter. This has worked well with my mules. The other method is to use a bit-less bridal. Either method, I have found the mule is much more relaxed.

Really, really excellent. Thank you,Jason, for a wonderful video. Mules and horses are such majestic beings.

My Grandfather drew the short straw when he joined up in WW1. He spent all his service time breaking Mules on Ainsdale Beach as they came in from America. His Officer developed a speedy procedure to fenestrate the mules that was a vital part of the use of mules in the Chindits campaign in Burma in WW2. I think in California in Jasper they run mule races at a race track. Buffalo Bill rode a mule in his early life as an Army scout. His mule could go all day when the Army mounts flagged. The last time I came across mules was up the mountain behind Palm Springs where they ran Mule Treks. Did they smell!