“The passion that Meredith Hodges feels for the equines that she has fought for all her adult life is still as fresh, inspiring and infectious as it was when she first discovered the world of horses, donkeys and mules. She has never wavered in her devotion to them and in her mission to carve a lasting and honored place for them in our world. They are lucky to have her as their champion, but Meredith actually sees it a bit differently. She feels honored and privileged to be a part of their world.”
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Ground Breaking - Raising the Barn
Hearts and Horses broke ground on a new arena where they will continue to change lives through therapeutic riding. The new arena will be called Lucky Hearts, as much of the funding for the arena was given by Lucky Three Ranch.
Hearts & Horses Virtual Tour
Haven’t made it out to the Hearts & Horses ranch yet? Here’s your chance, thanks to our brand new virtual tour! Discover all of the state-of-the-art facilities designed to heal minds, bodies, and spirits at our 23-acre ranch in Loveland, Colorado.
Latest Podcast
MULE TALK! PODCAST: Making History With Mules Part 3
Making History With Mules –
- Mules before the industrial age were vital to the United States and utilized for heavy work.
- Mules during the Westward Expansion days, transported families and their possessions through the Western Plains.
- The U.S. Cavalry and their role in using mules.
- Harvey Riley, author of The Mule, published in 1867 – an excellent source of the mule and its history in the U.S. Army.
- Soldier, Jimmy Wright was saved by his mule during a horrific battle; his mule dragged him to safety.
Learn more on Mule Talk podcast.
All Posts
MULE CROSSING: Suitability of Donkeys and Mules For Children
By Meredith Hodges Many have inquired as to the suitability of Longears for children. As with any equine, choosing the right individual for your child is of primary importance. However, as a general rule, we find that donkeys make excellent mounts for beginning riders because of their patient, quiet nature and good common sense. They can be the best possible babysitter. There are a lot of things to consider when choosing a donkey for your child. The first rule to observe is to never get a donkey jack for your ...
Hal Walter: Pack Burro Racer, Father and Author
For most people, racing nearly 30 miles and climbing 13,000 feet up a mountain—and back down again—alongside a pack burro might be the most challenging experience of their life. But for world champion pack burro racer Hal Walter, raising an autistic son has brought many new unexpected trials that were much more serious than a 900-pound donkey barreling down a mountain path. Hal recognizes and explores the parallels between these two important elements of his life, pack burro racing and fatherhood, in his new book, Full Tilt Boogie. Autism is ...
MULE CROSSING: Why Mules Are Exceptional
By Meredith Hodges Across the United States and around the world, as mules are given more and more opportunities to perform in many diverse situations, they are exhibiting their exceptional beauty, athletic ability, endurance and intelligence. There are definite physical and psychological reasons for these outstanding abilities. It has been proven that the mule not only inherits the mare’s beauty, but is also more athletic than the mare out of which he came. The mule is an exceptional hybrid not only because he inherits these qualities from his dam, the ...
Buckeye the Mule!
A recent article at the Chronicle of the Horse had us excited to share the story of Buckeye, an 8 year-old Appaloosa mule who has been showing off the versatility of mules with his skills in the arena. When Buckeye first came to owner Christina Gregory, he was a little green under the saddle after being mostly used as a driving mule for an Amish family. After some initial work with Christina, he began training with 22 year-old Samantha (Sammi) Majors. Sammi began him with dressage and earlier in the year he was impressing judges and scoring ...
The Mule Whisperer
I have been called "the Mule Whisperer," but I must admit that the mules have been whispering right back at me for over forty years now! Mules have taught me practically everything I know about training equines and for that, I am eternally grateful...and so are the people and their equines who learn from me! I am so proud of my fans and the successful accomplishments they've had with their equines! Thank you all for your kind updates and correspondence! Keep up the great work! ...
Goodbye to Homer
Our hearts go out to Connie Bartels for the loss of her beloved Homer, longtime friend and loyal companion. He will be missed. “Sunday when we rode while I was taking his tack off I was talking to him telling him what a good boy he is and what a good ride we had. Then I hugged him tightly as I always do....he knew me, and he liked me a lot. To think that I will never ride him again is heart wrenching to me. He was my good ...
Jasper: A Christmas Caper on Rural TV
Jasper the Mule stops by your TV screen once again this Christmas! Celebrate Christmas with Jasper and all his friends as Jasper: A Christmas Caper airs on Rural TV (Dishnet Channel 232) on Christmas Eve. It's the Christmas season and Jasper and his human family are in high spirits as they travel to visit far-away friends a few towns over. When Jasper and his pal, Moxie the dog, get out of the yard and wander down a strange alley, the two friends are headed straight for one big adventure! Presents ...
Jasper: A Turkey Tale on Rural TV
Jasper the Mule returns to your TV screen this holiday season! Celebrate Thanksgiving with Jasper and all his friends as Jasper: A Turkey Tale airs on Rural TV (Dishnet Channel 232) this week. As the gang prepares for the big Thanksgiving celebration, Jasper the Mule and his pal, Moxie the Dog, are hot on the trail of adventure! A mishap with a truckload of turkeys turns into a real live mystery, as the boys solve the case of “The Beady Eyes in the Bushes!” When they make a new friend who is ...
Goodbye to Buddie Stockwell
We were sorry to hear about longtime mule skinner Buddie Stockwell. We appreciate all the work that Buddy put into mules in Colorado with the Rocky Mountain Longears Association. Here is one of my favorite stories about Buddy. In the fall of 1984, Loveland, Colorado muleskinner Buddie Stockwell and horseshoer Jerry Banks, along with a few friends, decided to make a hunting trip into the Rocky Mountains. Packing in, the weather was beautiful with warm temperatures, calm breeze, and nary a hint of what was to come. After setting up ...
MULE CROSSING: Mule & Donkey Movies & TV Shows
By Meredith Hodges
- Does the Lucky Three Ranch participate in filming? Since my parents gave me a Brownie camera when I was five years old, I have been fascinated with taking pictures. They also gave me a diary after I learned to write. When I got older and began my interaction and training with mules in 1973, I always documented those interactions with my mules and donkeys in pursuit of learning the best way to manage and train them. I wanted to give them the best opportunity to exceed ...
Rest in Peace, Besty Hutchins
As a proud representative of the American Donkey and Mule Society, Lucky Three Ranch is deeply saddened to say goodbye to our close friend, and co-founder of ADMS, Betsy Hutchins. She was one of a kind and shared our love for longears. We will miss her very much. Statement from the ADMS: It is with great sadness that the ADMS announces the loss of one of our co-founders, Elizabeth "Betsy" Hutchins. For over forty years, Betsy devoted her life and her home to the promotion of longears around the world ...
Dreaming of Friends
After two years, we finally finished our latest longears sculpture, a fountain called "Dreaming of Friends" by Robin Laws of Cheyenne, Wyoming, and I couldn't wait to share this with all of you! This piece was done to accommodate the twenty LTR longears (plus one miniature horse) that were not champions and did not have their own commissioned piece. We try not to play favorites here! Tours are currently closed for the winter season, but make sure to book your visit to see the statue in person in the new ...
John Henry: Rocking Mule
My good friend, Tennessee mule artist Bonnie Shields, recently introduced me to sculptor Dennis Page from the Rocking Horse Ranch in Riverton, Utah. Dennis is working on a hand-carved “rocking mule” that is modeled after Bonnie’s ceramic sculpture of Kathleen Conklin’s Champion Driving mule, John Henry. I am so impressed with Dennis’s work that I decided to purchase the wood-sculpted rocker. What an amazing addition it will be to the Loveland Longears Museum and Sculpture Park here at Lucky Three Ranch! Kathleen Conklin sent me some really nice pictures, his ...
Melinda’s Masterpiece “Lindy”
LUCKY THREE MELINDA'S MASTERPIECE was one of our brightest "Stars" here at the Lucky Three! She was a loving, calm and intelligent mare mule, foaled here in 1990 by "Little Jack Horner" and out of "Lucky Three Mytikas," a registered Thoroughbred mare. Lindy never gave us a bit of trouble...ever! She was three years old when we were filming Tapes # 4: Basic Foundation for Saddle and Tape #5: Intermediate Saddle Training. She learned EVERYTHING that she did on those tapes on camera for the very first time in only ...
Jasper Wins Telly Awards!
We are pleased to announce that two episodes from our Jasper series—Jasper: A Precious Valentine and Jasper: A Turkey Tale—have each won a bronze Telly Award this year! The Telly Award statuette is produced by the company that makes the Oscar and Emmy awards. They receive over 13,000 entries annually from some of the finest agencies and corporations in the world, so it is a remarkable achievement to be selected for recognition by their judging committee. The Silver Telly Council is comprised of many top industry professionals, including ...
Breeding
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Donkey Training
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Farewells
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General Interest
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Hearts & Horses
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Historical
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Interviews
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Jasper
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Longears People News
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Longears Videos
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Lucky Three Ranch
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Military Mules
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Mule Talk! Podcasts
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Pack Burro Racing
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Showing
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Statues & Exhibits
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Training
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Training Tips
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