“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.”
By Meredith Hodges INTRODUCTION I was born LOVING horses in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1950. I got a pair of chaps and a “bouncing” horse when I was six years old. My Grandmother was always teaching me about Good Posture and Good Manners. She once wanted to take me on a shopping trip to the local mall and requested that I put on one of my frilly dresses. She told me that all the little girls would be wearing them and I flatly refused! You don’t ride horses in frilly dresses! ...
By Meredith Hodges When fellow Longears Lover, Kathleen Conklin was looking to retire her 10-year-old Belgian/Saddlebred mare, she began her search for the perfect mule. In January of 1996, she narrowed her search to looking for a large mule that would fit her numerous larger carriages. She looked far and wide to find the special individual that could fill the shoes of her mare in riding, driving, fox hunting, showing and Combined Driving. After failing to find a mule that would be large enough and refined enough to suit this ...
By Meredith Hodges With the introduction of the automobile came decreased interest in horse-drawn vehicles. Tractors replaced equine-driven vehicles in the fields. It seemed as if equines had been put out of a job! But, as with any change, this was only temporary. Modern society still has need of equine participation, especially from donkeys and mules. The well-schooled driving donkey or mule is much safer and more reliable than any horse. The reason for this is the donkey and mules' natural sensibility and their positive response to verbal communication. Once ...
By Meredith Hodges After discussing this with my veterinarian, Greg Farrand from Fort Collins, Colorado, we both agree that since horses, mules and donkeys are all equines, it would be difficult to make any distinction among these three types of animals with regard to their vital signs: pulse respiration and temperature. They would all fall within the designated ranges below that are excerpted from my book, “A Guide to Raising & Showing Equines." The only real differences would be with regard to each individual equine and not among groups of ...
“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.”
