We’ve got a lot to share with you in this week’s edition of eNews, including an opportunity for you to speak up on behalf permanently banning the slaughter of equines, an article about an important new bill banning the use of helicopters in wild horse and burro roundups, and an adorable guest blog post from rescued burros “Huck” and “Puck”!
On Friday, May 19, 2023, U.S. Representatives Vern Buchanan (R-FL) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) reintroduced the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act (H.R. 3475) to permanently ban the slaughter of equines for human consumption and to ban the export of equines to foreign countries for slaughter. Please urge your representatives to co-sponsor this bill today!
On Wednesday, May 24, U.S Representatives. Dina Titus (D-NV), David Schweikert (R-AZ), and Steve Cohen (D-TN) reintroduced the Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act to prohibit costly and inhumane helicopter roundups of wild horses and burros. Read on for more information surrounding this important bill, and be on the lookout for an action to take in the coming days!
Huck and Puck, AWHC’s wild burro Ambassadors, were pulled from their range in Nevada in one of the Bureau of Land Management’s helicopter roundups, adopted through the Adoption Incentive Program, and flipped at an infamous kill pen in Oklahoma soon afterward. From there their luck changed, however, and they were saved by a rescue and fostered in Wyoming, before ending up with AWHC’s program specialist Mary and her husband, Dick. Be sure to read on for the “policies” Huck and Puck have adopted over the last 12 months or so.
THIS is the reality for over 60,000 formerly free-roaming wild horses and burros:
Tens of thousands of innocent animals crammed into corrals with no shade or room to run, vulnerable to deadly disease outbreaks and in danger of being funneled into the slaughter pipeline via the BLM’s disastrous Adoption Incentive Program (AIP) – all at a hefty cost of over $80 million to American taxpayers every year.
We know it doesn’t have to be like this. Through our fertility control program on Nevada’s Virginia Range, we’ve been proving for over four years that there IS a better way to manage our nation’s wild horses and burros, one that keeps them out of these overcrowded facilities and in the wild where they’re meant to be.
It’s summer time, and there are tons of adventures to be had for two mini donkeys on a bustling ranch like Lucky Three. Today, Spuds and Augie explore the hay field with Meredith and test their bravery against a fearsome, loud machine.
Hey, Spuds! I hear Meredith calling…what’s up?
She’s kinda silly, Augie. Who ever heard of saying “how do you do” to a swather, Augie?
Whoa….look what’s coming!!!
WOW!!! That’s super noisy and REALLY BIG!
Oh look, Spuds, it’s not so scary. This is how they make our hay!
Yeah, and look how they pick it up with this other big machine so they can put it in the barn!
What a fun adventure in the hayfield…we learned a lot today!
As you know, AWHC has been advocating for SB90, a bill in the Nevada state legislature that would designate the wild mustang as the official state horse. Despite passing in the state Senate by a bipartisan vote of 18-3, SB90 unfortunately did not receive a vote in the Assembly before the deadline and therefore will not proceed in the legislative process this session.
Going into this, we knew getting SB90 passed would be a challenging process. There is a small but well-funded special interest coalition advocating against wild horses in Nevada, and the legislative process itself is not easy to move any bill through. In fact, 40 other bills were not brought to a vote in time either.
But in the face of vocal trophy hunters, wildlife trappers, and ranchers — you spoke up, took action, and exemplified the spirit of the wild mustangs we fight so hard to protect — wildly determined, unwilling to back down, and fiercely protective.
Your advocacy efforts and support for our cause helped open the door for a broader conversation in Nevada about the need for collaborative solutions to humanely and sustainably protect wild horses and burros.
We believe the bill should have become law to rightfully name the wild mustang as Nevada’s official state horse. So moving forward, we will focus efforts on growing our grassroots and political base in this crucial wild horse state — and you’ll undoubtedly play a significant role in that effort.
We will continue to work to advance legislation that reflects the will of the 86% of Nevadans who view wild mustangs as a symbol of the state and want to see them protected. And we’ll continue our work to advocate for improved management that is humane, sustainable, and fiscally responsible. Our wild mustangs and burros are worth fighting for.
Remember Jackson, an 8 year old bay mustang who came to AAE from the Virginia Range in Nevada?
Jackson is a handsome, athletic, and sensitive gelding. He prefers the company of his herd-mates over that of humans. He is curious and willing, but he tends to keep his distance. He is not readily approachable in a large space; however, he can be approached and haltered in a smaller, confined area.
Jackson (left) and Martina (right)
Jackson was adopted and returned a few years later after a death in the family. After adoption, Jackson went directly into training, spending about five months with his trainer learning about humans, groundwork. trailer loading, and saddle and rider. Sadly, his adopter was unable to continue his education. As a result, he regressed, and his fear of humans returned. Because of this regression, he will only be adopted into a home with previous mustang experience. Jackson will be a long term project for someone with no time limits and no motives.
If you think you might be the Denise to this (Alan) Jackson, please visit his page to learn more, and submit an “Adoption Inquiry”.
Can’t adopt? Sharing Jackson’s story is so helpful, too! Maybe your family member, friend, or co-worker would be his perfect match!
You can also sponsor Jackson and help cover his care costs. Horse sponsorships help give us the stability and flexibility we need to make sure we can take our time finding the right home for each of our adoptable horses.
DUSTY
It’s been a tough several weeks at AAE. Our sweet ol’ Dusty crossed the Rainbow Bridge last week. Dusty was one of the cutest minis ever. He helped our new volunteers learn the ropes at AAE, and they learned about minis and mini care. This lil’ man was far less intimidating than a 1,000 pound horse for anyone new to horses. Sadly, he got very, very sick with a severe case of colitis, and like minis can do, he declined quite rapidly. Helping him across the Rainbow Bridge was the kindest choice for this lil’ man. We’ll miss his cuteness every day, but we know he’ll be watching over his two buddies, Robbie and Flame.
Thank you for your support helping horses each and every day!
Your donations, volunteering, adopting, and social media shares & likes allow us to make this work possible!
Support for the American Wild Horse Campaign (AWHC) and our mission to protect and preserve America’s cherished wild horses and burros has grown tremendously over the past several years — largely because more and more Americans are learning about the mismanagement these innocent wild animals face every day.
As the nation’s leading organization in the fight to keep wild horses and burros wild, we’ve taken great strides over the last decade to inform the American public about how their tax dollars are being used to unnecessarily round up and confine for life these once-wild animals.
If we’ve learned one thing as an organization, it’s that once people learn about the plight of wild horses and burros, they are upset, frustrated, and ready to take action to protect them. That’s why I joined AWHC’s team last year, aiming to help elevate this issue to new levels. Last summer, we did just that when we launched There’s A Better Way — an awareness campaign spanning the West to inform Americans about the tragedies facing wild horses and burros right in their backyards.To power more awareness efforts like this campaign, will you make a donation to fuel AWHC’s work today?
We deployed billboards, digital ads, a TV commercial, took over local newspapers, and even had a mobile billboard that drove around Capitol Hill and the Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C. aimed at pressuring lawmakers to enact further wild horse protections. This year, we’ve expanded our efforts to different states — in Nevada and North Dakota, we’re fighting to preserve herds integral to each state’s history.
This critical work has helped us grow our supporter base to 230,000+, send over 520,000 messages to the federal government demanding wild horse protections, and receive over 1,100 mentions in the media promoting our work and this cause.
I can’t even breathe as I write this. Tika crashed this morning.
Our beautiful filly was drowning and needed to leave this world asap. I promised her I would fight until she was done, and today was that day.
Tika was not a baby yanked off the range and stolen from her Mom for fun.
Sadly her band knew exactly what they were doing when they left her to die.
She fought so hard to stay here, and was the biggest love bug ever. But this morning she hit the point where she was in pain and had no quality of life.
NOW her little body is in my trailer. Our vet bill is $3695 BEFORE her emergency visit on Mothers Day, all the meds and now today’s urgent visit.
I need to reduce the vet bill so she can be buried on a beautiful ranch. The other option is landfill, and I don’t think I can do that.
Doc’s number is 509-773-0369 if you want to help with her burial fees.
I told Doc I would let her know by tonight if we can give her the burial she deserves. I KNOW she is not there, but that is the little body I cuddled with, the little mouth that constantly kissed, nuzzled and chewed on me and those beautiful eyes that spoke so deeply.
I can’t think and I hope this makes sense. Thank you for helping me keep her out of the garbage dump.
She does NOT deserve that.
THANK YOU, ALL OF YOU, FOR BEING SO AMAZING FOR THESE PRECIOUS SOULS! YOU are the reason so many lives are saved!
I will keep fighting the good fight as long as I can afford to. I so appreciate all of you and so do the critters.
If you want to help with the Vet Bill, call Goldendale Veterinary at 509-773-0369.
I appreciate every single one of our Chilly Pepper Family. God has truly blessed this rescue!
Have a safe, blessed and life saving 2023!
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KEEP HELPING US SAVE MORE LIVES, YOU CAN GO TO:
WIN (WILD HORSES IN NEED) is a 501c3 IRS EIN 55-0882407_
If there are ever funds left over from the cost of the rescue itself, the monies are used to feed, vet, care for and provide shelter and proper fencing for the animals once they are saved.
“Hey, Augie…watcha doin’?!
“I’m practicing my halter stance…you know, four-square!”
“Good idea, Augie! I guess I’ll practice my halter stance right here!”
“And I will wait for my turn at the hitch rail…I wonder what’s up today.”
“Hey Augie, you’ve got some pretty dirty feet down there!”
“Cut with the wise cracks, Spuds!”
“I sure like it when they come down to our eye level, Augie.”
“Yeah, it’s not as scary as it is when all you see is their legs…whatcha doin’ back there, Dean?”
“Your turn, Spuds! This isn’t bad at all!”
“Yeah, it’s all peace, love and OATS!”
“It doesn’t get any better than this!”
“Dang, I was working on a Mohawk…it’s the IN thing with donkeys, you know!”
“Just be happy with your crew cut, Spuds. Crew cuts are always IN!”
“Oooh, here comes the baby oil again!”
“Aah, nuts! Now I can’t chew on your mane and tail…baby oil tastes just awful!”
We’ve got a lot to share with you in this week’s edition of eNews, including an opportunity to speak out against the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) inhumane use of helicopters during wild horse and burro roundups, an update on our fight to defend the iconic wild horses of the Wyoming Checkerboard, and more!
On May 24, 2023, the BLM will hold a legally-mandated virtual meeting on the use of helicopters and other motorized vehicles in wild horse and burro management. These meetings provide an important opportunity for public input into the BLM’s roundup and removal Wild Horse and Burro Program.
On Wednesday, the American Wild Horse Campaign (AWHC), Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), Western Watersheds Project, author and Casper College instructor Dr. Chad Hanson, and wildlife photographers Kimerlee Curyl and Carol Walker filed suit against the U.S. Department of the Interior over a federal plan that would result in the largest-ever eradication of federally protected wild horses and the elimination of 43% of designated wild horse habitat in the Red Desert area of Wyoming.
The lawsuit is the culmination of a decade-long battle to defend the wild horses of the Wyoming Checkerboard against demands by the Rock Springs Grazing Association (RSGA) to remove these animals from more than 2 million acres of land in the southwestern part of the state. Click the link below to read more.
Recently, the Colorado General Assembly passed SB23-275, also known as the Colorado Wild Horse Project, and sent it to Governor Polis’ desk for signature. This bill, supported by AWHC and other wild horse protection and environmental groups, invests in a humane and cost-effective alternative to the inhumane roundups that have reduced Colorado wild horse herds over the past several years.
SB23-275 is a significant step forward in the long term conservation of Colorado’s wild horses, dedicating $1.5 million in state resources to support the work of existing – but traditionally underfunded – local wild horse volunteer groups focused on sustaining wild horse populations through robust fertility control and habitat stewardship programs. Click the link below to read more.
In honor of Burro Awareness Month, we have created two designs to help raise awareness about our long-eared friends! By supporting these apparel items, you will continue to support the work of the American Wild Horse Campaign and our efforts to keep wild burros wild.
Thank you for all you do.However, Chilly Pepper is in desperate need of help!
I started this fundraiser at the vet yesterday. Yup, I got to spend Mother’s Day at the Emergency Vet with Tika.
As you can see, even with the $2500 payment, the Current bill is $3,769.49,
THIS IS BEFORE YESTERDAY’S EMERGENCY VISIT.
Tika is barely here, but still fighting to stay. I had to make the decision to honor her fight or let her go because I haven’t raised enough money for the vet bill. As hard as she wants to be here, I just couldn’t let her go because I don’t have enough funds.
Thankfully our vet is an Angel and treated her anyway.
Her white blood cell count is twice what it should be, and that is how she came in. So now we are trying another type of antibiotics.
Doc thinks she has bleeding ulcers in her intestines, so now she is getting additional ulcer medicine. ALL of this is extremely expensive, and we have to check her blood again in 5 days.
But this is what we do. The critical care for the true orphans. The band left her for a reason, but with your support, prayers and critical care, we can give her the chance she deserves.
I am NOT trying to raise thousands of dollars for babies deliberately stolen off the range.
God put these beautiful souls in front of us because they ARE TRULY ORPHANED and they need us.
I still need to pay for the barn, buy hay here in WA and hay in NV for the permanent residents in Golconda.
I will keep fighting the good fight as long as I can afford to. I so appreciate all of you and so do the critters.
If you want to help with the Vet Bill, call Goldendale Veterinary at 509-773-0369.
I appreciate every single one of our Chilly Pepper Family. God has truly blessed this rescue!
Have a safe, blessed and life saving 2023!
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KEEP HELPING US SAVE MORE LIVES, YOU CAN GO TO:
WIN (WILD HORSES IN NEED) is a 501c3 IRS EIN 55-0882407_
If there are ever funds left over from the cost of the rescue itself, the monies are used to feed, vet, care for and provide shelter and proper fencing for the animals once they are saved.
Now that you have spent many months teaching your mule to drive and he is doing so well, you have decided that it might be fun to show him in harness. So, what are that kinds of things that a judge looks for in a driving class of mules? Well, it’s basically the same as it is with horses.
The first and foremost consideration for a judge is your mule’s manners. His manners will exhibit just how safe your mule is for driving. As with people, a judge can get an overall impression from the expression on your mule’s face! An attentive and pleasant expression is definitely preferred. The expression on his face will reflect his overall comfort within a situation. If he is comfortable, he responds to minimal aids calmly, confidently, yet promptly. He should reinback easily upon request, and stand quietly at the halt with all four legs squared. His ears will be relaxed, but attentively turned to the driver most of the time. Ears that are rapidly in motion indicate anxiety and distraction.
A major contributing factor in your mule’s overall manners is his conditioning. If your mule has been brought along with a carefully planned exercise program, his muscle growth and strength will increase with little or no stress, as it should in most athletes. The mule that is conditioned in this way will have the strength to pull while maintaining a smooth, steady and effortless gait. He is comfortable in his work. Properly conditioned mules will not exhibit the tenseness that comes from overexertion, a tenseness that can inhibit his entire performance.
How can you tell if your mule is well-conditioned? Touching his body with your fingers at the neck, shoulders, barrel, loins, stifles and rump can tell you a lot. These muscles should be hard and not mushy to the touch. Standing behind your mule, you should begin to see considerable gaskin development. A driving class lasts approximately 20 to 30 minutes. If you condition your mule at the medium trot for 20 minutes straight, without any sweating or breathing hard, he should be able to handle the class with no problem. Another helpful hint is to condition him on uneven ground. Then, when he performs on the flat ground, it will seem a lot easier to him. Remember to condition slowly to avoid overexertion, muscle soreness or injury. If you condition your mule beyond what is expected in the class, you won’t have to worry about him being fit for class! And, as long as he is so well conditioned, be sure he is well-groomed as well.
Your mule’s way of going is another important consideration for the judge. In the driving class, your mule will be asked for the walk, collected trot, working trot and the reinback. The walk should be “regular and unconstrained, energetic, but calm with even and determined steps with distinctively marked four equally spaced beats.” In the collected trot, “the neck is raised, thus enabling the shoulders to move with greater ease in all directions, the hocks well-engaged and maintaining energetic impulsion not withstanding the slower movement.” The mule’s steps are shorter, but are lighter and more mobile. The working trot is a pace between the collected and extended trots. The mule “goes forward freely and straight, engaging the hind legs with good hock action, on a taut, but light rein, the position being balanced and unconstrained. The steps are
even as possible and the hind feet touch the ground in the foot prints of the fore feet.” The reinback is “a kind of walk backwards. The legs being raised and set down simultaneously by diagonal pairs, the hind legs remaining well in line and the legs being well raised.” The mule that is conditioned slowly with special attention given to core strength, straightness, balance and bend will begin to carry himself in good equine posture and exhibit these true gaits naturally after a period of practice time.
The next consideration is the appropriateness of the animal to the vehicle he is pulling. A smaller mule should never be used to pull a large wagon, nor should the larger draft mule be used to pull a pony cart! Select a vehicle that pulls easily for your mule and one that is proportionate to his size. The overall picture should be balanced and harmonious. Fifty percent of your total class score will include your mule’s manners, his conditioning, his way of going and the appropriateness of the general turnout.
Twenty percent of your total score is judged on you, the whip or teamster. Your hands should be held at waist level, about three inches in front of your body and about 10 inches apart. “A rein passes between the forefinger and middle finger of each hand and is held secure with pressure from the thumb; the whip is held in the right hand.” You should always sit in good posture and the use of your aids should be almost imperceptible. An expert Reinsman rarely exceeds a 12″ imaginary box around his hands. Your dress should be appropriate to the vehicle in which you ride.
For instance, a formal coach would require a more formal dress than would a two-wheel country cart. Dress must be conservative for the times. Western dress is permitted where appropriate. Hat, gloves, coat, tie, and a lap apron are required. A whip must be held in hand at all times! Always look where you are going, check the judge for instructions periodically and pay attention to spacing in the arena! The remaining considerations for a judge are the vehicle and the harness with each carrying 15% of your total score. The vehicle should be in good repair, appropriate size and style for your mule, and should fit him properly through the shafts and tugs. The harness should fit him as well as possible and should be adjusted correctly, especially the breeching so it can do its job in the reinback.
Often, it is difficult to find horse harnesses that will fit the lighter and smaller mules or donkeys properly, but you can approximate the size you need (i.e. pony, cob, horse, draft) and then make the necessary adjustments, or have a professional harness-maker help you. Your mule should be fastened snugly to the vehicle. Be sure that your collar or breast collar fits your mule properly as this can create soreness and make for a very unhappy mule! Adjust the breeching snugly enough to make your “brakes” effective! One of the most common mistakes made by beginning drivers is adjusting the breeching too loose. This makes it difficult for your mule to either slow down or back straight and evenly, and the resulting slack will make his transitions look abrupt and awkward!
There is a lot to consider as a driving judge, but judges are also human beings, and basically the judge is going to select those mules for placement in the class that HE would most like to drive. If you follow the guidelines that I have described, your Longears will be one of the judge’s favorites!
To learn more about Meredith Hodges and her comprehensive all-breed equine training program, visit LuckyThreeRanch.com or call 1-800-816-7566. Check out her children’s website at JasperTheMule.com. Also, find Meredith on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
On Monday, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) approved a land use plan amendment to eliminate 2.1 million acres of wild horse habitat in Wyoming and slash the allowed population of wild horses in the state by one-third.
Two days later, AWHC and our coalition of conservation and animal welfare groups, academics, and wildlife photographers filed suit in federal court to stop the plan. The stakes are very high: two iconic wild horse populations in the Salt Wells Creek and Great Divide Basin Herd Management Areas (HMA) would be completelyeradicated, and a third population in the Adobe Town HMA would be slashed in half.
If allowed to stand, this plan will take away 43% of wild horse habitat in Wyoming and deprive thousands of wild horses of their legal right to roam free on our public lands. These magnificent animals will be cruelly rounded up and confined in holding pens, some for life. Far too many will be sold into the slaughter pipeline.
This is the end of a more than decade-long battle over the future of these wild horses in an area of the Red Desert known as the Wyoming Checkerboard. It’s an area of alternating public and private land parcels one square mile in size. The Rock Springs Grazing Association (RSGA) controls the private land in the Checkerboard, and its members graze cattle and sheep on the public lands there. In 2011, the RSGA sued the BLM to force the elimination of wild horses from this area.
Now, 13 years later, the BLM is giving the RSGA what it wants. And the agency is asking American taxpayers to pay for it! Millions of our tax dollars will be spent to clear the public lands of wild horses for commercial livestock grazing, an activity taxpayers also subsidize.
Not on our watch. As our lawsuit clearly lays out, this government-funded land grab by private grazing interests violates three federal laws. Among them: the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act, which mandates protection of wild horses, while livestock grazing on public lands is a discretionary activity.
For more than a decade, AWHC has been litigating against the RSGA and the BLM to hold off what would be the largest-ever eradication of federally-protected wild horses and their habitat. In this time, we:
Stopped the BLM from surgically sterilizing mares in this area.
Won lawsuits stopping the BLM from treating the public lands as private.
Defeated rancher claims that the BLM must round up horses immediately when their populations exceed management level.
Blocked the BLM from rounding up more horses than legally allowed by omitting foals from removal totals.
Now the legal battle has reached its final stage, and we’re leveraging everything we’ve got.
This is not a battle about management. There’s a better way to manage wild horses with fertility control instead of roundups. Wild horses can be managed on Checkerboard lands through landswaps that create continguos blocks of public land for habitat.
This fight is about challenging the government’s elevation of private special interests above the public interest and the law.
Your equine depends upon you for his safety and well-being. The best feed in the world won’t keep him in good health if you neglect other important areas such as vaccinations and worming. It’s up to you to create a program to prevent disease and control parasites. Here are some suggestions for a general health program:
1) Cleanliness is very important. Make sure feed boxes are clean and manure is removed from stalls and paddocks. Do not feed hay or grain on the floor or anywhere it may become contaminated with manure. Similarly, small, heavily used pastures tend to build up a heavy parasite load. Pastures should be rotated and harrowed as frequently as possible to break the life cycle of the parasites.
2) Internal parasites are the most common danger to the health and well-being of your mule, and you must be prepared to wage a constant battle to control these worms. Follow your vet’s advice to set up a parasite-prevention and control program through regular worming. The drugs that are available today are very effective in removing parasites and breaking the cycle of re-infection. At Lucky Three Ranch, we worm every eight weeks in January, March, May, July and September with Ivermectin and then break the cycle and worm with Strongid in November. Don’t forget to watch out for bot eggs and remove them immediately.
3) Avoid letting your equine drink from public watering facilities. Use your own clean water buckets. Keep an eye out for anything that might injure your equine, and remove or repair it.
Proper treatment of diseases and injuries depends on two very important factors: correct diagnosis and knowledge of the proper treatment. Your job is to become familiar with equine diseases and their symptoms. In case of sickness or injury, know what to do for your animal before help arrives. Understand what simple treatments and remedies are safe to follow. Above all, know when to call a veterinarian.
4) There are many resources available to help you learn how to be better prepared including books, clinics and, especially, advice from an expert such as your own veterinarian or farrier.
Assemble your own equine first aid kit and, with the help of your veterinarian, learn the proper use of each item in the kit. Be prepared to handle the situation before the vet arrives.
When signs of infectious disease appear, isolate infected animals promptly and call your veterinarian right away.
5) Seek your vet’s recommendations for shots and immunizations, and faithfully follow an annual vaccination program. Make sure you keep good records of vaccinations and worming, and be sure to keep track of when they’re next due.
6) One of the best ways to monitor your equine’s health is by establishing a daily grooming routine. Not only will he be rewarded with a shiny coat, but you can watch for cuts and bruises and check the condition of the feet.
Basic grooming tools include a rubber currycomb to rough up the hair and bring dirt to the surface, a dandy brush to lift out the dirt, a body brush to smooth and shine, a hoof pick to clean the feet and a mane and tail comb and brush. A sweat scraper is handy to remove excess water during and after a bath, or sweat after a workout. A grooming cloth can be used to polish the coat and bring out the shine. In the springtime, a plastic multi-bristled hairbrush and shedding blade are also nice tools to have on-hand to remove dead hair, and a sponge can be used to clean muddy legs.
Begin your routine by using a hoof pick to clean the feet. Start with the near front foot, move to the near hind, then the off fore and off hind. If your young mule is skittish, work in whatever order he is comfortable. As he becomes accustomed to having his feet cleaned, you can do them in a consistent order. Clean from heel to toe and watch for infections like thrush and injuries from rocks or nails. This is also a good time to check his shoes. Mules should be shod (if working regularly on very hard surfaces), or trimmed, approximately every six to eight weeks according to use.
Next, begin to groom the body, starting on the left side at the head. Hold the currycomb in one hand, keeping the other hand on your animal to steady him. Gently curry in small circular strokes, working your way down and back, ending with the hind leg. Next brush vigorously, first with the hairbrush and then with the body brush. During springtime shedding, use your plastic bristle brush on the body to reach the dead hair in the undercoat before you use the shedding blade. Make sure that you apply only as much pressure as feels good to your equine (lighter pressure over bony areas). This should be an enjoyable experience for him.
After grooming the left side, move to the right side. Brush the head with a Dandy brush and use a multi-bristled human hairbrush on the mane and tail. By adding a little Johnson’s Baby oil to the mane and tail during grooming, you can train a mane to fall to one side and keep other equines from chewing on manes and tails. Finish with a soft body brush. Finally, use the grooming cloth to wipe around the ears, face, eyes, nose, lips, sheath (if it’s a male) and the dock of the tail.
While paying this much attention to your mule’s body, you will be sure to see anything abnormal such as an abscess, a cut, mites or insects, or a sore. Early discovery and treatment keep problems small.
Besides routine grooming, your equine’s longer hairs can be trimmed as often as needed. Clip the long hairs from the head, the outsides of the ears, on the jaw and around the fetlocks for a neat and clean appearance.
Mules and donkeys like to be dusty, but they also like to be clean. Bathing every so often will make your Longears look and feel better. All equines enjoy having all that itchy sweat rinsed off after a good workout. I don’t recommend bathing too often with soap because an equine’s skin is sensitive. Soap can irritate it as well as strip away the essential oils. Most of the time, a good rinse, while scraping the excess water off with a shedding blade, will maintain a clean, healthy coat. Of course it’s essential to have a spotless animal if you’re off to a show or parade.
Once your mule has been bathed and is spotlessly clean before the show, all you need to do to prepare him for your class is a quick once-over with a vacuum. Vacuum training is like anything else—take your time, be polite in your approach and make sure your mule understands that this strange, noisy monster is not going to hurt him. Soon he will learn to enjoy being groomed by the vacuum. The vacuum will also promote better circulation to the muscle tissue.
BODY CLIPPING
If you plan to show your mule, you might consider body clipping. If you clip in mid-April or May, you will expedite shedding and the hair that grows in will be more manageable than the heavy winter hair. Equines that are not going to be shown should be left with their natural hair coat, as it insulates them from both cold and heat, and protects them from invasive insects. Mules and donkeys shed more slowly than horses and are not usually fully shed out until late summer.
There’s a bonus to clipping a show mule or donkey—their hair won’t grow back as quickly as that of a horse. Just remember that clipped animals should be stabled and blanketed during cold weather. If you do blanket your mule, you must be ready to add or remove blankets and hoods as the weather changes each day. To keep the coat from growing back too quickly, it helps to have them under 16 hours of light (summertime light duration).
To body clip your mule, begin with a quick bath. Your clippers will last longer if your mule is clean. When he’s dry, use your rubber currycomb to bring any dirt and dead hair to the surface. Follow with a good brushing. If it’s too cold for a bath, use a vacuum to get him clean.
Begin clipping the legs and head, because these are usually the hardest areas to do. If he’s a little difficult, don’t hesitate to use the restraints you learned about in DVD #2. Use a twisted lead rope hobble to restrain the front legs, a scotch hobble for the rear legs, or a face tie for the head, but be sure to use them as described and don’t be punitive in your approach. Start with small clippers on the coronet band and fetlock, working your way up each leg.
Do the body last with large animal clippers. Clip against the lay of the hair. Start at the rear and work your way forward, clipping first one side and then the other. Pay special attention to the flanks, the mane and the fuzzy areas under the belly and around the forearms and buttocks.
If your mule has a nice mane, leave it and clip a bridle path. The length of the mane and the bridle path will depend on trends in the event you are participating in. For example, in English riding, manes are kept shorter to make braiding easier, but if your event is reining, keep the mane as long as possible. I like to grow the manes as long as possible (they help to keep flies and insects at bay), give crew cuts through the bridle path to the males and leave a foretop and bridle path on the females.
If you’re packing, you might want to shave or trim the mane short for the sake of simplicity. Many people shave the foretop and bridle path with a #10 blade, and then trim the rest of the mane to half an inch. You may trim the outside edges and backs of the ears, but leave the inside hair to prevent irritation from flies and bugs.
The tail is another area where there are many variations. I recommend applying Johnson’s Baby oil to the base during each grooming and letting the tail hair grow. This is a good idea if you compete in open events with horses. A second method is to shave the first two inches of the tail for a clean, well-groomed look (however, it does grow back even fuzzier!). A third variation is to “bell” the tail in three tiers. This looks best with a thick tail and is generally used for identification purposes by packers and the military, but is not recommended for normal grooming, as it is difficult to maintain.
Now you’re ready to trim the head. This will include trimming the bridle path, muzzle hairs, hair under the jaw, long hairs around the eyebrows and the backs and edges of the ears.
Lastly, remove chestnuts and ergots by soaking them with baby oil for about 30 minutes and peeling them off. If the ergots don’t peel off, you may cut them off with scissors or nippers.
Now you’ve got an equine that looks great! It will be easy to keep him looking good with a weekly trim that should include bridle path, ears, around the face and coronet bands.
BRAIDING FOR SHOW
Depending on the event you plan to show in, treatment of the mane varies considerably. For Western pleasure, you may want to simply band the mane so it lies flat. The tiny rubber bands can be purchased in tack shops in colors to match your mule’s hair. Tradition dictates the braiding of the mane for hunters and English classes for a neat, clean appearance. A thick, heavy mane cannot be properly braided and must be thinned until all the hairs are about four to six inches long and lay flat on the neck. This is done by using a mane comb to pull out the long hairs from the underside of the mane. This can be a big job and it’s annoying to your equine, so limit mane pulling to a few minutes a day. Make sure the hair is the same length from poll to withers. Don’t even think about cutting it with scissors—it will just end up short but way too thick to braid.
You can spritz a little water and hair spray to make the hair easier to handle. The quickest way to secure the braids is by using tiny rubber bands. It’s also very easy to do and it’s great for one-day shows or quick changes between classes.
Sewing with thread or weaving yarn looks very professional and is more permanent, but it’s also more time consuming.
Once the braid is finished it should be folded once and fastened with either rubber bands or a piece of yarn or thread. It can also be rolled and tacked into place. How you finish your braid will depend upon the time you have and the look you want to achieve, as well as what looks good on your equine!
Braiding the tail begins with a clean, well-groomed tail. Even short hair can be braided if you use a lot of hair spray to make it sticky. Moisten all the hairs along the dock with a damp sponge and bring them forward. Take a section of hair from each side of the tail, as close to the top as possible, pulling the sections out from as far under as you can.
On a horse, you can pick up a third section from the middle of the tail, but on a mule’s thin tail, take the hair from the side. Cross it over one of the outer strands. Begin braiding with three strands down the center of the tail. With each twist of the braid, pick up a little more hair from either side or from the middle. Continue braiding until you reach the root of the tail, then don’t add any more hair, but braid until you reach the end.
Fasten the end of the braid with a tiny rubber band or a piece of yarn. Now fold the braid once and pull the end up into the braided root, tying it at the base with yarn or thread.
In showmanship and halter classes, it goes without saying that your equine must be groomed to perfection. This means that, for months prior to the show, you’ve given your equine a good brushing or vacuuming at least once a week. Brushing stimulates the skin and brings out the natural oils that make the coat shine. No amount of “shine in a can” will replace the natural luster of an equine that’s been brushed regularly.
To learn more about Meredith Hodges and her comprehensive all-breed equine training program, visit LuckyThreeRanch.com or call 1-800-816-7566. Check out her children’s website at JasperTheMule.com. Also, find Meredith on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
We are so grateful for how much love and kindness you give to horses. It’s inspiring to know our AAE community hears our calls and helps wherever they can. Thank you for being the reason horses get chances for better lives.
Gabby has wings
Spotlight: Casper & Pearl
Save the Date: Boots & Bling
Horses Available for Adoption
Volunteer Corner, Current Volunteer Help Needed
Special Project Help Needed
Ways You Can Help
Gabby has wings, run free sweet girl!
It’s never easy to say goodbye, but Gabby is running pain free in green pastures. After her surgery went well, and she had several days of promising progress, Gabby took a turn for the worse. She wasn’t progressing like she should, and her pain increased. Unfortunately, it was highly likely infection had invaded her coffin joint making her chance for a pain-free recovery slim to none. Helping her across the Rainbow Bridge was the kindest way we could help her be pain-free forever.
Gabby was such a warrior. When she got to AAE, she quickly weaseled her way into everyone’s hearts. She was progressed so well, initially. Then she rode some ups and downs these past several months like such a champ, meeting each battle with such a strong will and rebounding when we didn’t think she would. This last one was too much and could not be overcome. Thankfully, Gabby was loved by so many volunteers, and she had so many friends she never met.
Oh Gabby-girl, we’ll miss you. You’ll be missed by everyone, and we’ll long be remembered the warrior you were. Rest easy, sweetest girl
CASPER and PEARL
Casper and Pearl came to AAE in a group with three other ponies: Ace, Bucky, and Minnie. AAE got a call from Wilbur Hot Springs in Williams, CA requesting help for this little herd. These sweet ponies were part of a larger herd of feral ponies, the Robinson Creek Ponies (click for history), that came from the hills west of Ukiah in Mendocino County. This group separated from the main herd and wandered dangerously close to the highway. In 2019, these ponies were relocated to the 1,600 acre nature preserve at Wilbur Hot Springs in hopes they could resume their free-roaming lifestyle and live among the other wildlife on the preserve. Sadly, some of the ponies eventually foundered from eating so much of the green grass. One was euthanized. Though the remaining herd was seen by a vet and had hooves trimmed, later, it was discovered their hooves were getting overgrown again. They were still feral and not easily caught or handled. WHS staff recognized the ponies could not live wild and without maintenance care, but they did not have the experience to give the ponies the attention they needed. WHS Staff was connected with AAE, and our team drove out to the nature preserve, loaded the five ponies into a trailer, and brought them back to AAE for gentling, and hoof care, along with radiographs for those that appeared they may have foundered.
Once at AAE, they all had hoof and dental care, vaccines, and deworming. They each also got a microchip and DNA analysis, too.
Casper’s hooves were long, but in otherwise fairly good condition when he arrived. He was very reactive, untrusting with humans, and lacked confidence. The ponies have been gentled, and they have been learning basic groundwork, hoof handling, and how to stand quiet for the farrier. Casper has improved tremendously. He’s getting more curious and growing more confident every day. He is not quite sure he wants to be with humans all the time, but he willing and tries hard. Some days he’s very approachable; other days, he is evasive. Sometimes, it depends on who is approaching.
Caspar stands quietly for hoof cleaning, and he’s doing well with the farrier. Once haltered, he does well on a lead. He still has some fear issues loading into a trailer, but he will eventually get in the trailer IF he’s given time to check it out and isn’t pressured. He accepts fly spray and a fly mask without much concern. He’s come a long way and though he’s not quite as far as the others, with consistency and ongoing handling, this guy is going to make nice little pony for an experienced family.
Pearl’s hooves were long, but also in otherwise fairly good condition when she arrived. She was very reactive, very fearful of humans, and lacked confidence. Pearl is improving every day and evolving into a very sweet little mare. She’s getting more trusting and brave every day. She wants to be with humans, but still has a little reservation. Once she gets beyond that first touch, her confidence grows a lot.
Pearl leads and stands fairly quietly for grooming and hoof cleaning. She’s doing well with the farrier, too. She accepts fly spray and a fly mask without much concern. She, too, has come a long way, and with consistency and ongoing handling, this sweet mare is going to make a nice little pony for an experienced family.
Caspar and Pearl are bonded, and they have likely been together their entire lives. They are looking for a home where they can remain together, forever. The perfect home will be a horse-experienced home with a couple of youngsters that want to make them the best ponies ever! They’ll be fun to bring along.
Thank you for your support helping horses each and every day!
Your donations, volunteering, adopting, and social media shares & likes allow us to make this work possible!
This week, the Colorado General Assembly passed SB23-275, also known as the Colorado Wild Horse Project, and sent it to Governor Polis’ desk for his signature.
This bill, supported by AWHC and other wild horse protection and environmental groups, invests in a humane and cost-effective alternative to the cruel roundups that have reduced Colorado’s wild horse herds over the past several years.
SB23-275 is a significant step forward in the long term conservation of Colorado’s wild horses, dedicating $1.5 million in state resources to support the work of existing – but traditionally underfunded – local wild horse volunteer groups focused on sustaining wild horse populations through robust fertility control and habitat stewardship programs.
The bill creates a broad stakeholder working group to make recommendations for responsible placement options for wild horses who have been removed from the range, and is a model for positive and collaborative state involvement to improve the humane management of these federally-protected animals across the West.
The Wild Horse Project is an outgrowth of public opposition to the last two years of government helicopter roundups in Colorado, which removed 1,800 wild horses from their habitats and led to the preventable deaths of 149 of these state icons in overcrowded holding pens.
Colorado’s political leaders – representing broad constituencies that include wild horse advocates, environmentalists, and ranching interests – came together in response. We are thankful to Governor Polis, First Gentleman Marlon Reis, House Majority Leader Monica Duran, House Minority Leader Mike Lynch, Senator Joann Ginal, and Senator Perry Will, for working on a bipartisan basis toward a better way to care for and protect Colorado’s majestic wild horse herds.
We believe that Majority Leader Monica Duran said it best when she testified for the bill:
“… In Colorado, we love our horses. They are central to our state’s history and culture…after the two helicopter roundups that occurred in our state, there was an outcry. And this bill is an answer to that outcry.”
Please help us spread the word about this important step forward for our cause! Here are two ways you can help us get the news out:
Thank you to all the citizens and organizations who took action to support this game changing legislation – this win would not have been possible without your support. Our collective herd of advocates is strong, and when we all band together, we succeed!
Thank you for standing with our wild herds in the fight for their future.
As you may know, over the last few months our team here at AWHC has been working hard to support key state legislation in Nevada called SB90. This bipartisan bill would designate the wild mustang as Nevada’s official state horse!
The wild mustang has an undeniably significant place in Nevada’s history and culture, and is a major ecotourism resource for the state. The passage of this bill would be a huge step towards recognizing the animal’s importance to the Silver State.
SB90 recently passed in the State Senate, and will soon be heard by the Assembly Committee on Government Affairs before heading to a final vote in the full Assembly. But unfortunately, hunters, trappers, and ranchers who want wild horses eradicated from public lands they call home have come out in full force against this legislation.
That’s why we’ve put up this billboard on US 395 in Nevada — to inspire the public about the true spirit of Nevada and raise awareness and support for this bill!
This bill is by no means controversial. Nevada already has a state bird, flower — even a rock — but no state horse, despite the significance of the wild mustang to the culture and history of the state.
As the home to over half of the nation’s wild horses, these iconic animals are celebrated in literature and art, memorialized in the names of businesses, school mascots, and neighborhoods, and adorn countless statues along Nevada’s roadways.
Big Day of Giving (BDOG) is a 24-hour online giving challenge to help AAE and other non-profits in the Sacramento area to raise funds and awareness. It is a day to give where your heart is! To learn more about Big Day of Giving, visit www.bigdayofgiving.org.
This is a BIG, BIG deal!
With BIG thanks to some anonymous supporters, donations to AAE from now through 11:59pm will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $6,500!
Donate now to double your donation and help us reach our goal!
It’s not to late, you too can step up to the plate and pledge matching funds now! Inspire giving and double your donation to make your impact twice as BIG! To learn more about starting your own matching funds campaign for AAE, send us an email.
Every gift makes a BIG difference for the horses!
Especially when it’s DOUBLED!
Your gifts this Big Day of Giving will help the horses (and other equine) in so many ways including providing feed, veterinary care, hoof and dental care, vaccines, deworming, and whatever they need. Of course, it doesn’t stop there: diagnostics, surgery, treatment, medications, and the list goes on.
Whether you give $1000, $100, or $5, any amount can help improve the lives of horses like Raye and Mags! No donation is too small. In fact, if every one of our followers made a $2 donation, we could surpass our BDOG goal of $25,000. Will you help us reach our goal?
Help us reach our goal of $25,000 by making a gift anytime from now until tonight at 11:59pm.
Or, raise the bar by pledging matching funds! Inspire giving and make your impact twice as BIG! To learn more about starting your own matching funds campaign for AAE, send us an email.
Please note: There is a $15 minimum for all donations made through the BDOG website. To give a gift below $15 please use one of the alternative options below.
Other Ways to Give
Mail a check to All About Equine Animal Rescue, Inc., 2201 Francisco Drive #140-174, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762 (AAE will not be charged transaction fees).
Drop off a check at AAE’s Used Tack Store, 4261 Sunset Lane, Shingle Springs, CA 95682. (AAE will not be charged transaction fees).
Text AAEBDOG to 53-555 (AAE may be charged a lesser transaction fee).
Donate through our website(AAE may be charged a lesser transaction fee).
Donate via Venmo @allaboutequine (AAE is charged a transaction fee, but it is less than the BDOG fee).
Please note: There is a $15 minimum for all donations made through the BDOG website. To give a gift below $15 please use one of the alternative options above.
YOU are why we are able to help horses like Raye and Mags.
We are grateful to have you on our team! May the “fourth” be with you today and always.
RIP my beautiful Angel.
![Happy Burro Awareness Month! We wanted to take some time today to educate you about the rich history of our beloved burros and how you can help them right now! Originating in Africa, burros were first introduced to the Southwest by the Spaniards in the 1500s. They would go on to serve as reliable pack animals for the workers of the West in the centuries thereafter – including during the Gold Rush, when they were praised for laboring tirelessly to carry supplies, ore, water, and machinery to mining camps. Their work shaped the West as we know it. At the end of the mining boom, many burros escaped or were turned loose, and with their innate ability to survive under the harshest conditions, wild herds eventually formed and flourished. America’s burros are protected under federal law, but they are in crisis due to government mismanagement that has caused dwindling numbers, lack of genetic diversity and inbreeding. Despite this, government roundups continue – including in Arizona's Black Mountain Herd Management Area (HMA), which is home to the largest and most genetically diverse burro herd in the country. Last spring, over 1,100 of these burros were subjected to a brutal helicopter roundup — a dangerous change from the usual “bait and water” burro roundup operations. We’re fighting on the Hill, in the courts, and in the field to protect these cherished animals. Will you fuel our work to protect America’s beloved wild burros today? [[DONATE]]](https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/26MnGUFJuvaz9YEA0krHP3ByzuxF37HZS_tnk4YNAHZ0X-UwWuK4nlXVd39LDUKZMQqY7QiGp8JXmrUccygrmkh7xoGuc3Uj4EHFZtCYjONRz0YqdXQBpSSHJPiCFVNnlve70oBjfgDMbYb_gYg=s0-d-e1-ft#https://prod.cdn.everyaction.com/images/van/EA/EA002/1/67303/images/burroawareness_full.png)
Hi,
Now that you have spent many months teaching your mule to drive and he is doing so well, you have decided that it might be fun to show him in harness. So, what are that kinds of things that a judge looks for in a driving class of mules? Well, it’s basically the same as it is with horses.
A major contributing factor in your mule’s overall manners is his conditioning. If your mule has been brought along with a carefully planned exercise program, his muscle growth and strength will increase with little or no stress, as it should in most athletes. The mule that is conditioned in this way will have the strength to pull while maintaining a smooth, steady and effortless gait. He is comfortable in his work. Properly conditioned mules will not exhibit the tenseness that comes from overexertion, a tenseness that can inhibit his entire performance.
Your mule’s way of going is another important consideration for the judge. In the driving class, your mule will be asked for the walk, collected trot, working trot and the reinback. The walk should be “regular and unconstrained, energetic, but calm with even and determined steps with distinctively marked four equally spaced beats.” In the collected trot, “the neck is raised, thus enabling the shoulders to move with greater ease in all directions, the hocks well-engaged and maintaining energetic impulsion not withstanding the slower movement.” The mule’s steps are shorter, but are lighter and more mobile. The working trot is a pace between the collected and extended trots. The mule “goes forward freely and straight, engaging the hind legs 
with good hock action, on a taut, but light rein, the position being balanced and unconstrained. The steps are
The next consideration is the appropriateness of the animal to the vehicle he is pulling. A smaller mule should never be used to pull a large wagon, nor should the larger draft mule be used to pull a pony cart! Select a vehicle that pulls easily for your mule and one that is proportionate to his size. The overall picture should be balanced and harmonious. Fifty percent of your total class score will include your mule’s manners, his conditioning, his way of going and the appropriateness of the general turnout.
For instance, a formal coach would require a more formal dress than would a two-wheel country cart. Dress must be conservative for the times. Western dress is permitted where appropriate. Hat, gloves, coat, tie, and a lap apron are required. A whip must be held in hand at all times! Always look where you are going, check the judge for instructions periodically and pay attention to spacing in the arena! The remaining considerations for a judge are the vehicle and the harness with each carrying 15% of your total score. The vehicle should be in good repair, appropriate size and style for your mule, and should fit him properly through the shafts and tugs. The harness should fit him as well as possible and should be adjusted correctly, especially the breeching so it can do its job in the reinback.
have a professional harness-maker help you. Your mule should be fastened snugly to the vehicle. Be sure that your collar or breast collar fits your mule properly as this can create soreness and make for a very unhappy mule! Adjust the breeching snugly enough to make your “brakes” effective! One of the most common mistakes made by beginning drivers is adjusting the breeching too loose. This makes it difficult for your mule to either slow down or back straight and evenly, and the resulting slack will make his transitions look abrupt and awkward!
After grooming the left side, move to the right side. Brush the head with a Dandy brush and use a multi-bristled human hairbrush on the mane and tail. By adding a little Johnson’s Baby oil to the mane and tail during grooming, you can train a mane to fall to one side and keep other equines from chewing on manes and tails. Finish with a soft body brush. Finally, use the grooming cloth to wipe around the ears, face, eyes, nose, lips, sheath (if it’s a male) and the dock of the tail.
You can spritz a little water and hair spray to make the hair easier to handle. The quickest way to secure the braids is by using tiny rubber bands. It’s also very easy to do and it’s great for one-day shows or quick changes between classes.
