What popular medieval animal is rare in England today?

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

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.

Rider “Walk on” Spanish mule “ Quė?”

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! ;)

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

"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).

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.

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.

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

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!

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!