Vintage horse Vs mule leather.

[AdeeC]

Did some rudimentary research on the ratio of horses to mules in the US. As I have never seen a mule leather label I assume mule was legally labled as horse. A ball park figure gives about a 25% mule to 75% horse ratio pre 1940 with peak horse and mule population of about 26 million around 1925. An interesting fact is that mules were significantly more valuable than horses. In 1930, an average horse was valued at $67.51 and a mule was valued at $82.60. Being the classic commercial beast of burden, it is reasonable to assume most ended up at the knackery and tannery for extracting maximum value so a lot of mule leather must have got out there. A lot of vintage genuine horsehide must really be mulehide.

 

[Monitor]

Mules rock, and if their hide is as superior as mules are to horses, this can only be a good thing.

 

[tmitchell59]

I've probable got a few of those Mules in the House. What would one look for?

 

[AdeeC]

Mules helped win the war, especially Francis. Too big to fit into a cockpit though.

 

[tmitchell59]

I see.

 

[navetsea]

in before someone say "but BUT... it is a less noble beast than horse" in 3..2....1....

 

[Peacoat]

I have a pair of tall Mule riding boots, and they are very nice. And no, they don't talk. At least not very much.

 

[AdeeC]

He was also a big hit with the WACS.

 

[Denton]

From an anonymous poem (after Tennyson) responding to an episode during the siege of Chattanooga in which the mules of the Federal teamsters were frightened by a midnight attack and bolted, frightening the attackers, who thought they were cavalry:

Half a mile, half a mile,
Half a mile onward,
Right through the Georgia troops
Broke the two hundred.
"Forward, the Mule Brigade;
Charge for the Rebs!" they neighed.
Straight for the Georgia troops
Broke the two hundred.

When will their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wondered.
Honor the charge they made;
Honor the Mule Brigade,
Long-eared two hundred.

(quoted by Shelby Foote, The Civil War 2.810-811)

 

[AdeeC]

D

in before someone say "but BUT... it is a less noble beast than horse" in 3..2....1....

In the never ending quest to find a unique leather to market, will we ever see the likes of GW, Aero etc label a jacket as mulehide?

 

[ButteMT61]

Mules are smarter than horses. Not that it matters when you're wearing one

 

[nick123]

Every jacket ever sold labeled as mulehide has been retrofitted with an exterior canteen pocket.

 

[Benny Holiday]

Oh no . . . not a murse scandal! or is that horle?

 

[navetsea]

Mules are smarter than horses. Not that it matters when you're wearing one

ooh great hide for skullcap then

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I heard that BK has the best Jackass...

 

[Peacoat]

Francis is a difficult Mule. Don't need more like her.

Speaking of talking equines, Allan Young, who played the straight man to Mr. Ed, died a few days ago.

 

[AdeeC]

Since mules were more valuable than horses, could premium horsehide as compared to genuine horsehide be considered as mule?

 

[willyto]

What I don't get is that if mules had more value than horses and were worth more why wouldn't they label it as Mule hide? It wouldn't make sense to make Mule hide jackets and bother to label them as Horshide.

 

[pak]

Checking into the qualities of donkey hide

 

[Fanch]

I've always wanted a FQMH (front quarter mule hide) jacket.