Meredith Hodges

May 28 2024

MULE CROSSING: National Western Stock Show 1986

Kyle Davidson Mule Crossing Meredith Hodges, Mule Crossing, National Western Stock Show 1986 0

After three months of record lows and an abundance of snow, the sky opened up and the sun shone brightly with warmer temperatures for the National Western Stock Show Mule Show held in Denver, Colorado, January 16-19, 1986. Mule exhibitors worked hard the first day getting settled and prepared for the three-day mule show. Cooperation and determination got the jobs accomplished and by evening, mules and exhibitors were tired, but excited about the show to come.

Friday morning, the stable area was thick with curious spectators and busy exhibitors, yet they all had one thing in common… that curious grin that Longears bring to one’s face. Spectators commented on the resemblance some mules had to their relatives, then laughed at their own clever jokes. In the face of all the noise and chaos, the mules themselves radiated the character and sense of humor that is a mule! Each mule was host to a multitude of mule-scratching fingers—just imagine getting a 16-hour massage! Colorado Poncho reveled in bliss, Scott’s Gallant Eagle excitedly played with his chain and Little Jack Horner brayed with enthusiasm. The barn reverberated with the musical voices of over a hundred donkeys and mules, and the spectators all made new friends!

The improvement in the quality of performance was apparent this year, including the barn exhibits. Exhibitors made signs and posters to enhance the spectator’s experience, the Rocky Mountain Longears courtesy booth was a tremendous success and the actual performances of mules and exhibitors reflected more professionalism than ever before. Tack and harness were all cleaned and shiny and the carts and buggies were all quite impressive. Despite longer coats on some mules, they were “dressed to a tee” and showed well. The audience was unconditionally supportive.

There were disputes to deal with as in any show. However, mule people welcome the improvements these disputes will bring. Learning is an important part of growing, and those of us with mules are learning all the time!

Mules and exhibitors wish to express their deepest appreciation to the sponsors and supporters of this year’s National Western Stock Show Mule Show. First, our gratitude to Coors and the National Western Stock Show for making this show possible. Also our thanks to our class sponsors for their loyal support: Adopt A Burro, Bennett Hardware & Lumber, Bennett Vet Clinic, Bitteroot Mule Co., Colorado Poncho Syndicate, Cooper’s Haulin’ Ass Ranch, HW Leasings, Jackson’s Jackasses, Lucky Three Ranch, Nordykes Circle Bar N Mules, Plumsilly Stables, Potestio Bros. Equipment, Sherer’s Auto Parts, Thunderbolt Jack Station, Ranch Supply of Evergreen, VL7 Mule Ranch, and Watkins Feed & Supply.

Congratulations to all of our winners and a special salute to our champions:

*Champion Model Mule was Lucky Three Mae Bea C.T., owned and shown by Meredith

Hodges of the Lucky Three Ranch in Loveland, Colo.

*Reserve Champion Model Mule went to Cody, owned and shown by Gale W. Fortney of

Colorado Springs, Colo.

*Our 1986 Grand Champion Jack was Blue Zebulon, owned and shown by Fran Howe of

the Bitterroot Mule Co. of Bennett, Colo.

*Reserve Champion Jack went to Scott’s Gallant Eagle, owned and shown by Ann

Greer-Rankine of the Thunderbolt Jack Station of Grass Creek, Wy.

*Youth Pleasure Champion went to Jill, shown by Krystal Nordyke and owned by Larry

Jarrett of Franktown, Colo.

*Ranch Riding Champion was JD Diamond’s Blackjack, owned and shown by Jack

Dishong of the JD Diamond Ranch in Bennett, Colo.

*Sidesaddle Champion went to Sally, owned and shown by Zell Brink of Ft. Collins,

Colo.

*Mule Pleasure Champion went to Nift,y owned and shown by Zell Brink of Ft. Collins,

Colo.

*Single Hitch Champion (48” and under) went to Sweat Pea, owned and shown by Bud

Stockwell of Loveland, Colo.

*Drive and Ride Champion was Lucky Three Mae Bea C.T., owned and shown by

Meredith Hodges of the Lucky Three Ranch in Loveland, Colo.

*Single Hitch Champion (over 48”) was Jill, shown by Boomer Navarro and owned by

Larry Jarrett of Franktown, Colo.

*Multiple Hitch Champions were Maude and Cocoa, owned and shown by Vernon and

Sandy Miller of Strasburg, Co.

*Lightweight Champions were Maggie and Jiggs, owned and shown by Larry Jackson of

Commerce City, Colo.

*Heavyweight Champions were Jerry and Kate, owned and shown by Marsh Bates of

Evergreen, Colo.

*High Point Mule went to Jill, owned by Larry Jarrett of Franktown, Colo.

I would also like to extend a special thanks to all of those in the Costume Class; everyone did an excellent job portraying mules in their various authentic uses, making this perhaps, the largest and best costume class ever!

Mule people are special! They work harder loving mules than most and are always there to lend a helping hand as was apparent at this show. Congratulations to all for helping this year’s National Western Stock Show Mule Show to be better than ever! We cordially invite you all to participate next year. The more mules, the merrier!

NATIONAL WESTERN STOCK SHOW RESULTS

M-1 Miniature Mule Halter

M-2 Sponsored by: COPPER’S , Loveland, Colorado

1 Minnie The Mule Cynthia F. Wolf Littleton, Co.

2 Bitteroot Banjo Bitteroot Mule Co. Bennett, Co.

3 Jean Gordon Nordyke Bennett, Co.

M-3 Saddle Mule Halter

Sponsored by: RANCH SUPPLY, Evergreen, Co.

1 Cody Gale W. Fortney Co. Springs, Co.

2 Lucky Three Firestorm Meredith Hodges Loveland, Co.

3 Callipoe Arthur Boyd Ft. Lupton, Co.

4 Bitteroot Super Bill Bitteroot Mule Co. Bennett, Co.

5 Jezebel Arthur Boyd Ft. Lupton, Co.

6 Bushrod Gaye Stockwell Loveland, Co.

M-4 Saddle Mule Halter

Sponsored by: COLORADO PONCHO SYNDICATE, Bennett, Co.

1 Calico Gorgon Nordyke Bennett, Co.

2 Peggy Sue Gaye Stockwell Loveland, Co.

3 Rusty Joseph Giesler Longmont, Co.

4 Chester William Rossman Longmont, Co.

5 Funnybutt Skip Jackson Aurora, Co.

6 Sally Zell Brink Ft. Collins, Co.

M-5 Saddle Mule Halter

Sponsored by: POTESTIO BROTHERS EQUIPMENT, Parker, Co.

1 Shenandoah Mimi Weeks Co. Springs, Co.

2 Lucky Three Stardust Meredith Hodges Loveland, Co.

3 Bitteroot Spider Dee Bitteroot Mule Co. Bennett, Co.

4 Prhzutah Tanka Patricia Barnard Littleton, Co.

5 Casper William L. Millard Montrose, Co.

6 Velvet Lilly Hal & Diane Walston Longmont, Co.

M-6 Saddle Mule Halter

Sponsored by: SHERERS AUTO PARTS, Bennett, Co.

1 Lucky 3 Mae Bea C.T. Meredith Hodges Loveland, Co.

2 Rambling Rose Hal & Diane Walston Longmont, Co.

3 Frijoles Dixie Belle Sharon Anthony Co. Springs, Co.

4 Lucky Three Ciji Meredith Hodges Loveland, Co.

5 Dummy Larry Jarrett Franktown, Co.

6 Pepsie Georgia Andrews Northglenn, Co.

M-7 Draft Mules Halter

NO ENTERIES

M-8 Draft Mules Halter

Sponsored by: WATKINS FEED AND SUPPLY, Watkins, Co.

1 Jewel Ray Godfrey Rapid City, SD.

2 Roy Ray Godfrey Rapid City, SD.

3 Merle Half Ass Boat Co. Wallace, KS

4 Maude Vern & Sandy Miller Strasburg, Co.

5 Cocoa Vern & Sandy Miller Strasburg, Co.

NATIONAL WESTERN STOCK SHOW RESULTS CONT’D

M-9 Standard Jack Halter

Sponsored by: HW LEASINGS, HAL WILSTON, Longmont, Co.

1 Blue Zebulon Bitteroot Mule Co. Bennett, Co.

2 Little Jack Horner Meredith Hodges Loveland, Co.

3 Colorado Poncho Co. Poncho Syndicate Bennett, Co.

4 Ed Boykin Larry D. Jackson Commerce City, Co.

M-10 Mammoth Jack Halter

Sponsored by: NORDYKES CIRCLE BAR N MULES, Bennett, Co.

1 Scott’s Gallant Eagle Ann Rankine-Greer Grass Crk. Wy.

2 Beau Bonanza Thomas G. Smidt Montrose, Co.

3 Laramie LeRoy Andrews Northglenn, Co.

CHAMPION MODEL MULE

Sponsored by: BITTEROOT MULE COMPANY, Bennett, Co.

LUCKY THREE MAE BEA C.T. MEREDITH HODGES Loveland, Co.

RESERVE CHAMPION MODEL MULE

CODY Gale W. Fortney Co. Springs, Co.

CHAMPION MODEL JACK

MULE CROSSING: National Western Stock Show 1984 – Mule Show and Pull

Kyle Davidson Mule Crossing Meredith Hodges, Mule Crossing, National Western Stock Show Mule Show and Pull 0

By Meredith Hodges

A record crowd of over 44,000 people attended the National Western Stock Show Mule Show and Pull held over the weekend of January 17-20, 1984 in Denver, Colorado. The versatility of the mule was amply displayed in the performance classes as was their beauty and conformation at halter. The jacks exhibited were a wide range of sizes and colors, giving spectators an unusually good overview of breeding possibilities. Spectators held their breath as the mule teams strained against the harness with incredible strength and heart in the pulling contest, then exploded with cheers and applause after each team had managed to pull their own weight and much more!

Spectators also delighted in mule-associated trivia—conversations went something like this:

“So a mule is the cross between a female horse and a male donkey?”

“That’s right, and the male donkey is called a jack.”

“What is a female donkey called?”

“A jenny, or jennet.”

“If donkeys are jacks and jenneys, or jennets, then what are mules called?”

“Johns and mollys.”

“Aha! Then what do you call the cross between a male horse, a stallion, and a female donkey, or jenny?”

“That is called a hinny.”

“Oh my… then what do they call a mule who came out of a mule, like Blue Moon?”

“Since Blue Moon was by a jack, or donkey, they are calling him a donkule;

however, Mr. Silvester, Blue Moon’s owner, is petitioning to have it changed to jule!”

“What do they call the offspring if the mule out of a mule is by a stallion?”

“Then he is called a hule.”

“Whoo…How totally confusing!”

Yes, there is no doubt that all this mule stuff can be pretty confusing, but everyone seems to have such fun trying to understand it all! The Lucky Three Ranch of Loveland, Colorado, reaffirmed its reputation for the production of high quality saddle mules by placing in every class they entered, and by winning most of them. Lucky Three Sundowner took first place in Halter for mules 56” & over, three years and older, first in Western Pleasure, first in Reining, and then was named Grand Champion Model Mule of the show! In addition, Lucky Three Ciji won the halter class for mules 48” to 56”, three years and older; Lucky Three Mae Bea C.T. took sixth at halter for mules 56” & over, three years and older, then third in the Single Mule Hitch driving class. Little Jack Horner, Sire-Supreme of the Lucky Three Ranch, completed the picture by taking fourth in the Drive & Ride class against seven mules, first in Halter for Large Standard Jacks and finally named Reserve Champion Jack of the show!

Grand Champion Jack of the show was Laramie, owned by Bud and Georgia Andrews of Northglenn, Colorado, and shown by Georgia Andrews. He was also shown under saddle in the Mule Western Pleasure class. Reserve Champion Model Mule was awarded to Jewel, owned and shown by Ray Godfrey of Rapid City, South Dakota. Jewel also took first at Halter for Draft Mules, first in the Single Mule Hitch driving class, and first in the Mule Pull with her teammate Roy in the class for mules 2001 lbs. and over. Taking first in the Mule Pull class for 1200 lbs. and under went to Six and Seven, owned and shown by Bud Stockwell of Loveland, Colorado. First in the Mule Pull class for 2101 lbs. to 2000 lbs went to Eenie and Meenie, owned and shown by Jess Johnson of Ft. Collins, Colorado.

Congratulations to all our winners! Our thanks to all who made this show the success that it turned out to be: to the exhibitors and their wonderful long-eared counterparts, without whom we would have no show; to the sponsors who continually support the efforts of the exhibitors. We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the National Western Stock Show personnel for seeing to it that things ran as smoothly as possible. And most of all, our thanks to our “Longears fans” who continue to support us with their relentless cheering and applause! Special thanks to those from out of state for taking the time and trouble to contribute to the success of this show. And, a very special thanks to Mr. Arthur Silvester for sharing Blue Moon, the mule out of a mule, with this year’s National Western Stock Show. Everyone enjoyed meeting this extra-special celebrity!

As is apparent by the turnout at the National Western Stock Show Mule Show and Pull, mules are growing in popularity and appreciation in this country. October 26, 1985, will mark the bicentennial of the arrival of the first two jacks on American soil. They were sent here by the King of Spain, Charles III, as a gift to George Washington. It was our first president’s interest in mule breeding which helped propel the mule into its important role as the work animal that built the greatest nation on earth. The Lynchburg Mule Traders Association does not intend to let this historic milestone pass unnoticed. They are petitioning the United States congress to officially designate October 26, 1985, as Mule Appreciation Day in the U.S.A. If you wish to lend your support, you may write your congressman, or obtain information on this subject through the exhibitors at the National Western Stock Show Mule Show and Pull 1985!

Covered in TRAINING MULES & DONKEY: A LOGICAL APPROACH TO TRAINING, TRAINING WITHOUT RESISTANCE and EQUUS REVISITED at www.luckythreeranchstore.com.

May 28 2024

MULE CROSSING: Mules and the U.S.E.F. 2007

Kyle Davidson Mule Crossing Mae Bea C.T., Meredith Hodges, Mule Crossing, United States Dressage Federation Convention 0

By Meredith Hodges

1993 was a good year for Lucky Three Mae Bea C.T.That was the year she won the Novice Division at the Abbe Ranch Horse Trials in Larkspur, Colorado. A first place finish in competition with 56 horses is a significant achievement for any equine, but this Combined Training victory was particularly noteworthy, because Mae Bea C.T. is a mule. She’s a rare mule to be sure, but not as unusual as you might think. Well-bred, well-trained saddle mules are becoming increasingly competitive in classes that were once beyond their reach. In 2007, at Bishop Mule Days, the largest mule show in the country, bridle division flat classes each boasted as many as 30 competitors, and jumping events were equally popular. Growing numbers of mule riders are looking to improve their skills through dressage training and competition, and the horse establishment—the United States Equestrian Federation in particular—has embraced the mule community if not with open arms, then at least with open minds.

Mae Bea C.T. and several other champion mules of mine have spent nearly four decades testing the mule’s potential as athlete and performer. I discovered what I believe to be a limitless capacity for competitive achievement, and while I don’t foresee the addition of mules to the Olympic team roster, I do insist that Dressage training is a must for every serious rider. Therefore, those with a preference for mules should have equal opportunity to participate in every aspect of that training.

My interest in longeared equines grew from the time I went to work at my mother’s ranch in Healdsburg, California, in 1973. As proprietor of the 1,000-acre Windy Valley Ranch, Joyce Doty ran a successful business breeding and training high-quality mules. I had always been partial to horses and believed the common lore that mules were stubborn, stupid, and not only mean, but inclined to hold a grudge and seek retribution at their leisure.

Frankly, they frightened me. But I took the plunge and soon came to the revelatory realization that, in truth, mules were not stubborn or dumb or even mean. They were only cautious, with a strong instinct for self-preservation. I quickly discovered that when Itreated them with patience, kindness respect and consideration, the mules recognized I had their best interests at heart and they would not only comply, but go the extra mile to give their very best. I was smitten with my new long-eared friends and soon had a case of “Mule Fever” I’d never kick. By 1980, I moved to Colorado and established her own mule ranch. Lucky Three Ranch grew steadily over the years as I established myself as a breeder and trainer. In 1986 my insatiable quest to take training to higher levels took me to the United States Dressage Federation Convention in Houston, Texas. I knew the key to advancement was Dressage, but before I took the leap, I wanted assurances that I would be allowed to test my skills and measure my progress at schooling shows in my area.

With some reservation, the United States Dressage Federation grantedpermission to participate in non- sanctioned shows at the show organizers’ discretion. Armed with this qualified endorsement, I began training with my local U.S.D.F. instructor Melinda Weatherford. My partner, Lucky Three Sundowner, was a talented mule out of an AQHA-registered mare. As a four-year-old, Sundowner won a World Championship in Reining in 1984. But Dressage was something new to both of us and we had limiting habits to overcome.

For the next several years I diligently trained with both Sundowner and Mae Bea C.T., who turned out to be an enthusiastic jumper. As their training progressed, I urged the folks at Bishop Mule Days to add Dressage classes to their established Western, English, and Jumping classes. By 1989, Sundowner and I were working at Second Level Dressage, and in 1990 we took first place in a newly established Second Level Dressage Class at Bishop Mule Days. In 1992, I asked Bishop Mule Days for a Third Level Dressage Class and they obliged, although only two mules competed. Sunny scored sixes and sevens in the class, placing first against his only competition, Dolly Barton. By 1993 Sundowner and I were working at Fourth Level Dressage. We competed at Bishop Mule Days at Third Level Dressage for a second year and easily won as the only mule in the class. For me and Sundowner, attaining Fourth Level Dressage was a great achievement.

“As a child I had a picture of Col. Alois Podhajsky above my bed, and as an adult I dreamed of dancing with Sunny through Dressage, so you can imagine how thrilled I was when we could passage and piaffe together, whether we were in competition or

just at home alone. And that is at the crux of my push to find a place for mules in the world of English riding. Of course,in the upper levels of competition, we should stick with apples to apples. But thequantity and quality of learning that takes place in the Dressage arena should be available to everyone.

I didn’t stand alone on this issue. Fellow mule advocate Carole Sweet laid claim to one of the proudest moments in longears history when she, with the help of a few allies, persuaded the United States Equestrian Federation to amend its rules to include mules in the organization’s DressageDivision.

One day Carole Sweet’sgood friend Linda Pittman, to whom Carole had sold her own mule, called herdistraught. Linda

had been in Dressage training with her mule for some time, working to qualify for the Annual Championships of the California Dressage Society.The California Dressage Society by-laws had been changed to “specificallyexclude mules from all C.D.S. competitions.” It seemed like it was disguisedintolerance for any breed that didn’t fit the model of a Classical Dressage horse. Carole saw this as a serious injustice.

Carol felt that the C.D.S. was endorsing exclusivity and discrimination in a discipline that was publicized and promoted to be suitable for every one and needed to be fixed. Carole contacted members of the C.D.S. Executive Board but got nowhere. Then she tried the United States Dressage Federation President, who told her that unless it was a rated show, organizers essentially had free rein and could include mules or not. The U.S.E.F.(U.S.A.E. at the time) said there was nothing they could do. Disheartened by the lack of response on the national level, Carole and Linda returned to the C.D.S. to request that mules at least be admitted into schooling shows. They attended the C.D.S. Annual Conference where Linda pled her case. The response was a resounding “No!”

“What bothered Carole most was how they were treated. The board members who did speak were vehemently opposed to letting mules back in. They treated them withcontempt and refused to hear them. All Carole could think was, “where’s your responsibility to your members? When you exclude the mule, you also exclude the rider.’”

The C.D.S. Executive Board questioned her commitment to the issue and asked if she was serious enough about this to go to next week’s annual U.S.A.E. meeting Carole spent the next three days preparing a hefty packet of materials for the meeting. It included endorsements from every major mule organization, facts and figures on the industry, and information from the U.S.A.E. Endurance and Driving disciplines, which already allowed mules in competition.

Carole felt the feeling in the mule community was that mules had been discriminated against for so long and this was a chance to do something about it. She got letters of endorsement from everyone.

Carole received a personal invitation from the Dressage Committee Chair to attend a closed-door meeting to discuss the matter. Although she was unable to attend, the materials she sent and the answers she provided to some tough questions were enough to convince the committee to endorse the rule-change proposal.

That legitimized it. Now it wasn’t just Carole saying this should happen; it was the Dressage Committee. They were incredible to work with.

In January 2004, Carole, her friend Linda Pittman, American Donkey and Mule Society registrar, Leah Patton and I all traveled to Los Angeles to attend the U.S.E.F. Convention.

Carole knew I had already done so much on behalf of mules that I would want to be part of this and Leah as well. Carole said we were a huge help. We attended meetings and lobbied hard in anticipation of a vote by the Board. Carole said it was to their advantage that two of the organization’s goals that year were to build U.S.E.F. membership and reach out to the grass roots of the horse community. What could be more grass roots than mule riders? We’ve got a huge population of mule riders, which could translate into income for the organization. In the end, after three years of persistence, Carole’s and mymoment of triumph arrived. The Board voted to approve the rule change and admit mules into sanctioned competition, with the exception of high-performance qualifying and selection trials. Carole, the others and I were ecstatic. “I’m so thrilled for what we could do for all those people who love mules.” Carole said. “Now they’re in the sand box. There’s still some sand kicking going on, but they’re in!”

Now that it’s done, the U.S.E.F. rule change hasn’t exactly launched a revolution. In fact, it’s been kind of quiet out there, and Carole wondered what effect the rule change hadactually had. She suspected it could take a while for mule riders, low on the totem pole for so long, to acquire the skills, the nerve, and the sense of possibility that will propel them to higher levels of performance, but she’s confident they will and the mules, too, will rise to the challenge.

Carole believes that riding a mule in Dressage is no different the riding a horse. Any animal’s ability is based on temperament, conformation,and heart. My television program Training Mules and Donkeys on RFD-TV reached millions of viewers every week, knowing that with proper training, care and athletic conditioning, mules can excel in any discipline. If you understand the mule’s psychology and his physical needs, you can reach truly amazing levels of performance.

One place where mules can show their stuff in ever growing numbers is Bishop Mule Days. Each Memorial Day weekend 800 mules and several thousand people congregate in Bishop, California for a competition that includes more than 180 events. Bishop Mule Days Executive Director Kim Craft says that more riders compete in the English classes than in the Western events.

Last year there were 25 to 30 competitors in the flat classes. Bishop Mule Days uses U.S.E.F. “R” rated judges and the riders come to compete in World Champion classes and win real champion points. The Mule Days competitors have raised the bar in every event. Mule Days used to be Mom and Pop and a two-horse trailer, but these competitors train much harder and compete more seriously, and these mules are incredible. It’s the knowledge and the people that have brought the mule this far. Most who take their mules into English classes don’t do so with visions of trouncing the competition at an A.Q.H.A. show. They’re simply trying to become better riders through study and practice. It’s more about learning than performing. People are passionate about their animals and want to become the best riders they can be.”

Bishop Mule days is a World Class show. The U.S.E.F. and the entire Dressage community can be proud of the competitors there and how they represent the extraordinary discipline of Dressage.

So don’t be surprised if you happen to come across a mule or two at your next horse show. They’re there now! And I will tell you, “They’ve earned it!” I am so proud of all the people who are now taking advantage of what we made available to them. Audrey Goldsmith and Heart B Porter Creek were the first, followed by Laura Hermanson and Heart B Dyna and in 2016, Behold the Desert.

Covered in TRAINING MULES & DONKEY: A LOGICAL APPROACH TO TRAINING, TRAINING WITHOUT RESISTANCE and EQUUS REVISITED at www.luckythreeranchstore.com.

May 28 2024

MULE CROSSING: Mules and Dressage

Kyle Davidson Mule Crossing dressage, Meredith Hodges, Mule Crossing 0

By Meredith Hodges

It is no secret that the popularity of mules in this country is on the rise and their uses are quite varied. Many people believed that mules were used solely for packing and pulling, but modern-day mule lovers have competed successfully with mules in all areas of equine athletics, exhibiting the mules’ true abilities and versatility. Western style riders were the first to catch on to mules, but English riders soon followed suit. Perhaps the most elite form of English riding, Dressage was avoided for many years. There could have been any number of reasons for this, however, an adventurous lady from Montana chose to train her more than 16 hand mule, Baby Huey, for Dressage and competed successfully in many shows. This opened still another door for mules.

The object of Dressage is “the harmonious development of the physique and ability of the horse. As a result, it makes the horse calm, supple, loose, and flexible, but also confident, attentive and keen, thus achieving perfect understanding with his rider.” In Dressage, one is not concerned with time in training. Rather, it is measured in progress from one step to another. Dressage requires a discipline of the mind and body. This slow and methodical way of training lends itself nicely to mules.

One of the basic differences between training mules and training horses is the essential maintenance of a calm attitude by the trainer. Mules will not respond positively to a bad temper. The calmer and more deliberate the trainer, the more responsive the mule. Training in this manner will reveal the true abilities of the animal. His paces will be free and regular and his movements will be harmonious, light, and easy. Impulsion from the hindquarters is reflected by lightness on the forehand with quiet acceptance of the bridle with no tenseness or resistance. An animal trained in Dressage will appear to be doing of his own accord what is required with an air of confidence and always attentive. The walk is regular and free, and unconstrained. The trot is free, supple, regular, sustained and active. The canter is united, light and cadenced. These all reflect active and animation of the four quarters. He is never sluggish. He will respond to the slightest cue from the rider and thereby, give life and spirit to rest of his body. In all his work, a Dressage animal will be “on the bit” with a light, soft contact and submissiveness throughout. Many good trainers use these basic principles in turning out their best-trained animals. It just doesn’t always get labeled as “Dressage”.

One need only try to bully a mule once to find out that it simply doesn’t work. The mule, with the strength of the jack, can crook his neck so that no amount of pull can cause him to bend and the wide opening of the mouth leaves you pulling on virtual “rubber!” Consequently, you are left doing primarily what he wants. Slow and methodical training in Dressage can unite a mule and rider in a beautiful, flawless picture. Communication between equine and rider is, after all, what Dressage is all about.

O.K., you say. So the mule lends itself well to this type of training, but what of his tendency toward possessing naturally attractive gaits and a smooth way of moving? That’s simple. A mule is always better than the horse out of which he came. Should you desire a particular kind of action, seek a mule out of a mare that possesses that particular trait. The primarily smooth muscling of the mule allows him to be somewhat of a ballet dancer among equines. His gait is generally smoother than most horses anyway, with the strength to control his movements as is exhibited by his unique ability to jump from a standstill. Certainly, he could conceivably perform the more intricate movements of advanced Dressage.

There are those who believe that mules are just not as pretty as horses, and therefore, could not be as beautiful to watch in Dressage. Naturally, there are mules that would not be suitable for this form of training for the show ring, but so there are also unsuitable horses. With selective breeding, there have emerged mules that do possess a certain beauty with their grace and agility. In some cases, it is difficult to distinguish them from fine horses.

The mule, as anything but a packing and pulling animal, has not been tried too much in the past. This is why they have not been seen in many places of equine athletics. Mule lovers today are trying mules in all areas of equine sports and are exhibiting that mules can do it all! With the intense training and showing of more mules, more of the uneducated public is able to see that there is far more to mules than was portrayed in the past. Horsemen are continually surprised and amazed… and in some cases, even converted to mules!

As more is discovered about these marvelous animals, more people become attracted to them. Discovering mules is something like exploring unchartered territory: the possibilities are endless. As in any new venture, it takes a while for the word to get out, but it is clear that in this country the word is out and the popularity of mules is increasing with each new discovery about them. Perhaps, in the future, the public will be able to witness the first mule doing a “Capriole!”

Covered in TRAINING MULES & DONKEY: A LOGICAL APPROACH TO TRAINING, TRAINING WITHOUT RESISTANCE and EQUUS REVISITED at www.luckythreeranchstore.com.

May 28 2024

MULE CROSSING: Lucky Three Ranch – 45th Anniversary

Kyle Davidson LTR Blog, Mule Crossing 45th Anniversary, lucky three ranch, Meredith Hodges, Mule Crossing 0

By Meredith Hodges

It’s hard to believe that I have already spent 45 years in the business with not only mules and donkeys, but a vast array of equine related activities. I have always loved horses and began riding when I was only two years old. I was about as horsey as a girl could be and when not riding, it was still horse books, drawing horses and engaging in anything that remotely resembled a life with equines. At one point, I even designed a 100-stall barn and vowed to rescue every horse in our country that was being abused. Little did I know then, my 100-stall barn would be terribly inadequate.

I actually founded the Lucky Three Ranch in Loveland, Colorado in 1980 although I had many years with horses and six years with mules before then. I moved to Colorado with the intent of going to Colorado State University to get my veterinarian credentials, so I sought out places to live in Fort Collins. It was a fluke that a contract fell through and this tiny little 10-acre sheep ranch became available. I remember standing in the driveway, my vision crystal clear in my head, and told my mother, “This place HAS LOTS of possibilities.” She gave me a condescending nod and said, “It definitely has lots of possibilities.” I don’t think she had any idea of what was to come! But, after all, the vision was MINE!

Since, I began a journey that has led me from equine breeding and training for mules and donkeys, through showing, then judging and giving clinics. I developed the first ever equine training correspondence course with my videos. I revised them for television and was on numerous channels and RFD-TV for 11 years. After going off television, I adapted my award-winning TV Shows for VIDEO ON DEMAND from my website at www.luckythreeranch.com and expanded our presence on Social Media. I have written 3 hardbound books and 3 manuals on equine management and training that all complement each other. They overlap, but are not duplicated. There is a lot to learn and the learning never ends. The addition of the DVDs provided the most comprehensive management and training series ever to hit the equine industry. Since I have always documented EVERYTHING I learned, I produced numerous TELLY AWARD WINNING documentaries that are also in the VOD section of my website. I decided to go this route because of the lack of continuity in the management and training materials that I had to work with while I was growing up. I saw and personally experienced the therapeutic value of equines and became intimately involved with the HEARTS AND HORSES THERAPEUTIC RIDING CENTER (www.heartsandhorses.org) located just a few miles from my Lucky Three Ranch. The interaction with this program inspired me to write my children’s series of books and videos, and even a music CD, Jasper the Mule. I launched this fun and educational children’s series by writing a letter from a baby mule named JASPER to myself stating his concerns about training and his perception of trainers from the mule’s point of view.

The Lucky Three Ranch slowly became even more than the vision that had in my mind 45 years ago! My interest and influence in the equine community grew into something much more expansive than my original 100-stall barn. It grew into the LOVELAND LONGEARS MUSEUM & SCULPTURE PARK at LUCKY THREE RANCH! We opened the ranch to tours and each tour is a personalized clinic for those who attend. I can now reach hundreds of thousands of people worldwide and am now in a position to be able to teach them how to appreciate and enjoy their equines as much as I enjoy mine and share it in a multitude of different ways. It is so incredibly rewarding when I see happy animals with happy owners doing the things that they love together! This is the gift that I have been given in life by my Maker to share with others and their joy is my reward! Thank you to all of my friends and fans for your loyalty and support! I couldn’t have made 45 years without you and the magnificent equines that color my life! The ultimate gift for me is to be able to see all of you enjoying LONGEARS as much as I do, and to see you going forward to accomplish great things and become amazing ambassadors of the breed!

Covered in TRAINING MULES & DONKEY: A LOGICAL APPROACH TO TRAINING, TRAINING WITHOUT RESISTANCE, EQUUS REVISITED and A GUIDE TO RAISING & SHOWING MULES at www.luckythreeranchstore.com.

May 28 2024

MULE CROSSING: Lucky Three Mae Bea C. T.

Kyle Davidson LTR Blog, LTR Blog - Training, Mule Crossing Mae Bea C.T., Meredith Hodges, Mule Crossing 0

By Meredith Hodges

Bea was the epitome of good manners and propriety, and is therefore allowed in the house! She has been known to help with the dusting, but she also enjoys a good game of cards or a hearty round of eight ball.

She has a little trouble with the pool cues, but her nose will sometimes suffice. She is a little leery, however. Chalk on one’s nose can be a little humiliating! Especially to a perfectionist!

Although Bea isn’t particularly fond of football, she does love the Broncos like any true Coloradoan. Nothing was more exciting than when the Broncos won the Super Bowl!

The owner of the Embassy Suites hotel in Fort Collins, Colorado made a bet with one of his employees that the Green Bay Packers would win the Super Bowl that year. If he was right, the employee would have to sit outside the hotel for a whole day on a toilet seat in his boxers. If the Broncos won, the owner would have to paint his face orange and blue and ride a mule all the way around the hotel. Well, guess who won and, guess who the mule was?! Yes, it was our own Lucky Three MaeBea C.T.!

Bea, dressed to the nines in Bronco gear and sporting a Bronco flag, carried the humbled Green Bay Packer fan and hotel owner proudly around the hotel while reporters scrambled asking questions and taking pictures. Later that day, she was on the five o’clock news in all her glory!

Bea was a natural born movie star! The cast always loved to work with her because she was always so willing and cooperative. A day of shooting can be quite exhausting, but Bea never was one that needed more than one or two takes. You told her what to do and she just did it. She put her heart and soul into everything she did and her expressions and actions were always appropriate. She helped me to produce three hardbound books, three manuals, eleven training videos and three documentaries and over fifty half-hour programs for television. Our website is now loaded with Training Tips, Video On Demand and access to our YouTube Channel, Facebook and Twitter posts, all based on the knowledge that I gleaned from this unique and amazing partner.

Although they never finished the movie, DIX Country Pictures chose Beaas Wadi’s understudy from hundreds of applicants.

She did a photo shoot in which she appears on the Colombian Relief poster with Juan Valdez! While we were shooting, it was hard to keep a straight face. Here we were in the middle of a grassy pasture, asking Beato put on her best sad face… without eating the grass! Of course, in true form, she did as we asked, but her facial expressions kept us in stitches!

In 1998, we did a shoot with the Discovery Channel and Bea can be seen as the mule in their production of “The Ultimate Horse.” What a gal!

Bishop Mule Days is always fun and exciting, but one of the things Bealiked the most was to be in the Bishop Mule Days Drill Team. She spent more than 10 years on the team and worked her way into the coveted leader position. Our drill instructor, “Sarge” was tough, but so was Bea!

One year, during drill team practice at the gallop with 30 other mules, we were doing the frightening “Crossfire” when her split-ear bridle came off and fell to her chest. I hollered at “Sarge,” but she wasn’t the least bit sympathetic and said, “Just keep going!” Well, Bea finished the entire drill without her bridle and never missed a lick!

Another time, Diane Hunter was riding her in the drill team when she got into some really deep dirt and tripped and fell right on top of Diane and the flag. I saw what happened and saw Diane pinned underneath Bea’s body. Everybody stopped cold and I hollered at Bea to stay still which she did. “Sarge” and I ran over to assess the situation and once we got to Diane and figured out that it was OK for the mule to get up, we told Bea to get up and she did…very carefully. “Sarge” turned to Diane and said, “You know, you owe your life to that mule. Any other mule would have got right up and probably would have kicked your head in!”

Everyone loves a parade and Bea was no exception! She competed in numerous costume classes and parades, but dressing up for the holidays was her favorite. She placed first in many a parade and had no problem with any theme you might want to try.

She loved to wear her Santa hat at Christmas time and she made a pretty scary wicked witch on Halloween!

Bea participated in the American Donkey & Mule Society entry in the 1988 Tournament of Roses Parade ridden by Gary Hodges in English attire along with her two stable mates, Lucky Three Sundowner ridden Dressage by me (Meredith Hodges) and Lucky Three Ciji ridden by Diane Hunter in Fox Hunting attire.

Bea may be a perfectionist, but she was certainly not a prude. She was always willing to try anything you might ask. At home, Bea worked hard checking fences, moving cattle and much more.

Early in the fall one year, two cowboys asked me if I wanted to help them move some cattle down from the high country and asked if I thought my mule could do it. I nodded confidently and we were off. We drove those cattle up and down the rocky terrain through thickly wooded trees, shrubs and bushes. We were headed up one hill behind the cattle and the two cowboys when we came upon a three foot diameter tree that had fallen across our path. The cattle dove into the underbrush on either side of the tree, the cowboys slid to an abrupt halt and Bea came right up the middle, jumped the tree and stayed on the heels of those cattle the entire way! No one was more surprised than those two cowboys, except maybe their horses!

The Northern Colorado Horse Trials cross-country phase was held at Lory State Park in Fort Collins, Colorado. Each year, our club is responsible for repairing and setting up new jumps on the course. The only hitch is that there are no motorized vehicles allowed in the park. We had dozens of heavy telephone poles to move in order to do our job. Of course, the event horses weren’t up to the job, but Bea certainly was! She pitched in and dragged those poles to their new locations and helped build and repair the jumps. Then, a couple of weeks later, she came back and competed to second place in the competition itself! Talk about versatility!

Bea loved to jump! It took Dressage to get her elevated in front enough to be proficient at jumping, but once we got her there, she cleared fences without batting an eyelash. She always took the jumps right over the center and never expended any more energy than necessary to clear the fence in beautiful form.

She competed in the Bishop Mule Days jumping classes for almost a decade coming in second only to the infamous pair, Lou Moore-Jacobsen and Empress Josephine. One year, she actually took first against Empress Josephine when she was penalized for clipping a rail in the last go round. Lou and Josephine knew from then on, they could not make even the smallest error against Bea or the competition would be lost.

Her shortened frame allowed her to make sharp turns and still clear the fences in timed classes where she would ordinarily be at a disadvantage against taller mules.

Everything Bea did with the bridle, she would do without the bridle and jumping was no exception. She did bridleless courses at home and in exhibition. In one exhibition, she did a Dressage and bridleless jumping exhibition to music performed by the Denver Symphony Orchestra as a tribute to our troops during Desert Storm.

Bea was the eternal perfectionist and only clipped two rails in her entire jumping career. She was horrified when it nicked her freshly polished hooves!

In 1986, Bea and I began lessons with instructor/trainer Melinda Weatherford in Dressage. The same year, I went to the United States Dressage Federation Convention and introduced them to the idea of allowing mules such as Bea to compete in dressage schooling shows and competitions. There were some discrepancies in the rules, but they finally decided to allow mules in lower levels at schooling shows with the discretion of the individual show committees. This was a major breakthrough for mules in equine society!

A few years later, she was instrumental in helping to get dressage classes added to Bishop Mule Days which has in more recent years become quite popular and a wonderful showcase to demonstrate how very well trained these mules can actually be.

She has shown dressage in all sorts of different disciplines: Dressage Shows, Dressage Schooling Shows, Two-Phase Combined Training Shows, Three-Phase Combined Training Shows and in Two-Phase Combined Driving Shows. Her scores were always high and she was always in the ribbons right from the start. The most remarkable thing about the training in Dressage was how it enhanced her driving skills so drastically that she won the first, second and the only two Two-Phase Driving Shows she had ever entered. People were always skeptical to start, and the first to applaud her performances after they saw her! The most prevalent comment during the ribbons ceremonies was, “My God! It’s a mule!”

For a decade, Bea was shown in numerous classes by my daughter, Dena Hodges from the age of six to sixteen. They showed together in Western Pleasure, English Pleasure, Driving, Mule Jumping, and Two-Phase Combined Training shows. They were always in the ribbons and most often first or second in their class.

In later years, she served as a mount for my two stepchildren (six years and ten years) on mountain trail rides, during lessons, and over jumps at the ranch. It was almost comical to see how carefully she would go over the 18” jumps with a child on her back so as not to unseat them!

When we were in Salt Lake City, Utah showing, my nieces and nephews who lived in Alpine came to see her and were thrilled to be able to take a ride around the fairgrounds with their cousin, my daughter, Dena on Bea. As usual, Bea was infinitely careful and protective of the children.

Bea was everyone’s favorite mule to ride. She carried amateur riders into the ribbons in numerous shows as well as being a schooling mule for students during riding lessons for all ages and abilities here at the Lucky Three Ranch.

Her kind and obedient manner made her a truly safe mount. She was always aware of her riders’ abilities and helped them any way she could to stay on board and ride effectively. With her help, as an instructor, I am more easily able to assess the ability of the students and thereby, better able to teach at appropriate levels. She was truly a remarkable individual!

Driving was always one of Bea’s strengths. I remember when I broke her to drive. I didn’t really know what I was doing. She took to the harness well, ground drove along side of the cart and didn’t seemed to be bothered by any of it, so within three days, I hitched her to the cart and proceeded to lead her out to the pasture where we would have more room. We were going around a 90-degree turn as I was leading her, hitched to the cart, when one of the wheels caught on the fence. She did a quick little scoot for a step or two which only caused the cart to flip over. She wound up with on of the shafts over her head and the other between her front legs. She stopped cold and allowed me to right the cart and get her untangled. Then we went out to the pasture and had our first drive with me in the cart with no further incidents. No big deal!

She was a driving star! She loved it and won nearly every driving class she ever entered. She competed in numerous driving related events. In breed shows, she competed in Pleasure Driving, Drive & Ride, Gambler’s Choice and Obstacle Driving. She went on to win at the only 2 Two-Phase Driving shows she’d ever entered, showing in Dressage Driving and the Cones Scurry (accumulated points) against…YES, horses again!

She schooled numerous students in driving and was so good with her verbal commands that if I let a student drive and they went dangerously to the left and I said, “Gee,” she would ignore the student and do what I asked to keep things safe. What a mule!

Bea was always so steady that she was the perfect Side Saddle mount. She competed in Side Saddle at numerous shows and won many of those classes. She competed in Side Saddle at the National Western Stock Show with several different riders, but always placed in the top three regardless of who was riding her.

Bea gave many exhibitions in Side Saddle at various fairs and events, always impressive to the people who were fortunate enough to be there.

In the 1990s, Bea was part of the Bishop Mule Days ladies’ Side Saddle Quadrille that showed in the parade and Grand Entry. She was ridden by a total stranger of limited ability and got her safely through the event. Beahad won herself yet another devoted fan!

In 1993, I rode her Side Saddle in the Inaugural parade in Washington D.C. It was a grueling 24 hours, standing around waiting to go in very cold weather and in the midst of more “mule eaters” than you could count. Bea seemed to take exception to the 50-foot Elvis Presley float, but otherwise handled the whole situation with her usual grace and dignity. Bea must have caught Clinton’s eye as she strolled elegantly past the viewing area because he turned away from the man he was speaking to and gave her a hearty thumbs up! We responded in kind and in her usual style, Bea smiled broadly!

Western Pleasure was fairly easy for Bea because her stride was so short, but when it came time to try her hand at English performance, this was a definite disadvantage. She had a rather short neck which made it difficult for collection, and her downhill build made it hard for her to lengthen her stride. But again, Bea gave her very best and cooperated when we lightly weighted her front legs to encourage some reach. In nine months, she had increased her length of stride by 18 inches!

She was on her way to a career in English events. We began enhancing her English performance with Dressage in 1986. She continued to improve, winning numerous English flat classes and always placing in the top five.

She competed against horses in a few Western classes and did well, but she really began to beat them consistently in the English classes. Mule shows alone could never offer Bea enough of a challenge, so competing against horses offered her the opportunity to push herself farther. And she did, to the disgust of many a horse person!

Bea was always an impeccable trail mule both in the show and on the trail. She did not always show in a lot of Trail classes because she showed so many other classes, but her technique was careful and deliberate. She would always wait for the cues from her rider and respond accordingly.

Trail experience for her was the simple enjoyment of many rides in the treacherous Rocky Mountains. I remember a specific time we went up a trail that was particularly narrow and steep. She was leading four people on horseback, when the trail disappeared into a rock slide. She was trapped on the narrowest part of the trail with four horses behind her. She couldn’t turn around and she couldn’t back up. After assessing the situation, I asked her to do a 180-degree turn on the haunches and swing her front legs over the 100-foot ledge to get turned around. She did as I asked and got us through that compromising situation with the finesse of a ballet dancer! The people on the horses were nothing short of amazed! When we went trail riding, or down the road, everyone wanted to ride Bea!

Bea began her show career as a Driving and Western Pleasure/Trail mule. She showed heavily in numerous Western classes over several years from 1984 to 1989 always placing in the top five.

She competed in numerous Western classes: Western Pleasure, Youth Western Pleasure, Trail, Western Riding, Reining, and a combination Trail/Reining class called Ranch Riding. She had several different riders over the years and was always willing to give her best for anyone who rode her.

Her accomplishments were so extensive that it would be impractical to list them all. In addition to showing Western, she did Western exhibitions at various local events and was the subject of many a newspaper or magazine article throughout her career.

Bea began her show career in Colorado in 1982 showing at halter as a two year old. She then showed successfully at Bishop Mule Days at Halter in 1985 and placed second in one of their largest halter classes for adult mules. The same year, she showed her expertise in Driving by placing first in the Mule Driving class. She continued to be competitive with world class competition in driving at Bishop taking firsts and seconds for numerous consecutive years in Mule Driving and Drive & Ride.

She then went on to show in Western Pleasure, English Pleasure, Hunter hack, Hunter Under Saddle, Jumping, and Side Saddle at Bishop and in other shows across the country, winning firsts and seconds in Mule Jumping and Side Saddle classes. Her smaller stature seemed to keep her out of the ribbons in the English flat classes, but her performance was always impeccable.

She continued to compete for more than a decade in Driving, Drive & Ride, Mule Jumping, always in the top 3 places. Although these were her strongest classes, Bea was always above average in any class in which she competed. Often, she would do 13 classes a day in various shows without complaint. What a trooper! She was inducted into the Bishop Mule Days Hall of Fame in 2006 and passed away at the age of 33 years in 2015. She was one of those truly MAGNIFICENT mules

Covered in TRAINING MULES & DONKEY: A LOGICAL APPROACH TO TRAINING, TRAINING WITHOUT RESISTANCE and EQUUS REVISITED at www.luckythreeranchstore.com.

May 27 2024

MULE CROSSING: Meredith’s Mule/Donkey Poetry — Yesterday’s Mules

Kyle Davidson Mule Crossing Meredith Hodges, Mule Crossing, Poetry, Yesterday's Mules 0

Yesterday’s mules were sturdy and strong

The days in the fields were often quite long.

The men with the whips would even the score

With a jolt to the head by a stout two-by-four

“Understanding,” a word not common for slaves

Caused many good mules to go to their graves

“Stubborn and cranky are mules,” said most men

Who used and abused them when kicked or bitten.

When industry triumphed, the mules quickly faded

But the tales remained and were often quite jaded.

T’was never the man with the stout two-by-four

Who was wrong from the start to push mules too far.

But the ignorant folks knew only what’s said

And since mules couldn’t talk, any good thoughts were dead.

They’re known to be pushy, vengeful and cross

So man abandoned the mule for his exquisite horse.

With more time for leisure the mules of today

Are treated much better and perform just that way!

The love and affection the mules can now give

Makes mule-raising and training a warm way to live.

To meet them and greet them, to own one or not,

The mules of today exhibit just what they’ve got.

We’ve banned the “Old Wives Tales” and made a new rule

If you’re not too stubborn, why not ride a mule!

Covered in TRAINING MULES & DONKEY: A LOGICAL APPROACH TO TRAINING, TRAINING WITHOUT RESISTANCE and EQUUS REVISITED at www.luckythreeranchstore.com.

May 27 2024

MULE CROSSING: Meredith’s Mule/Donkey Poetry — The Difference Between a Whinny and a Bray-Neigh

Kyle Davidson Mule Crossing Meredith Hodges, Mule Crossing, Poetry 0

A horse can be dominated by man
A mule can be dominated by none

A horse succumbs to aggression
A mule succumbs to affection

A horse is indifferent to man
A mule is inquisitive to man

A horse moves, then thinks
A mule thinks, then moves

A horse looks at you
A mule looks into you

A horse is trained by short punishment and small rewards
A mule is trained by long patience and great logic

To ride a horse well, one must be proud
To ride a mule well, one must be humble

The more one understands people, the more one loves animals
The more one understands animals, the more one loves mules!

May 27 2024

MULE CROSSING: Meredith’s Mule/Donkey Poetry — Fara

Kyle Davidson Mule Crossing Fara, Meredith Hodges, Mule Crossing, Poetry 0

Funny, fuzzy Fara finally fanned her floppy ears for family and friends;

Fara flew farther than few fantasies foretold.

Folks followed Fara fondly, forgetting frowns and foes;

Fara focused on the frolic for fun and freedom,

Fortunately foiling foul play!

When Fara folded her floppy ears

And feet fell first in the fields…

Friends’ fantasy faces foretold

Fun, frolic and freedom

While fondling Fara’s fuzzy, fur face;

How fortunate to find frolicking, frivolous Fara!

Covered in TRAINING MULES & DONKEY: A LOGICAL APPROACH TO TRAINING, TRAINING WITHOUT RESISTANCE and EQUUS REVISITED at www.luckythreeranchstore.com.

May 27 2024

MULE CROSSING: Meredith’s Mule/Donkey Poetry — Angel and Cyclone

Kyle Davidson Mule Crossing Angel, Cyclone, Meredith Hodges, Mule Crossing 0

Little Jack Horner stood in the corner

Eating his oats and hay.

Along came a mare, a breed pioneer

Who wanted her baby to bray!

Said the mare a year later

To Little Jack Horner

The baby you gave me is great!

He’s loving and loyal

He’s smart and he’s strong

For another, I just cannot wait!

Covered in TRAINING MULES & DONKEY: A LOGICAL APPROACH TO TRAINING, TRAINING WITHOUT RESISTANCE and EQUUS REVISITED at www.luckythreeranchstore.com.

May 27 2024

MULE CROSSING: Lucky Three Ranch

Kyle Davidson Mule Crossing lucky three ranch, Meredith Hodges, Mule Crossing 0

By Meredith Hodges

It was a cold October morning in 1979 as we hurriedly bathed the last 12 animals to be sold at Windy Valley Ranch’s dispersal sale. After seven years of quality mule production and training, the mainstay of my life was about to come to a close. A hard sell, I had grown to love these longeared animals and could not imagine a life without them. I begged my mother to let me have at least one mule and the 18-year-old Quarter Horse gelding I had used as my ponying horse to take with me when I moved to Colorado to attend Colorado State University vet school and start building my own ranch. But, she told me all the animals had to go through the sale.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I watched my friends being sold one at a time. I could only hope that they would all go to good homes. As the killer bid $450 for my old gelding, my heart stopped. He may have been 18, but I knew there was still a lot of good years left in that old horse! And, he loved the mules! As the monies were tallied, I stood in the office, stunned by the events of the day – Windy Valley Ranch would be no more. Without a change in expression, my mother looked up at me and said, “O.K… I will give you the old gelding, one pregnant mare, and the pony for Dena. They didn’t really bring enough in the sale anyway, but you’ll have to wait to ship them until the foal is born.” I was ecstatic! It was at that moment I decided that the legacy of the Windy Valley Ranch would never die as long as I was alive to carry on and I eagerly relayed this information to my mother.

Mom had come with us for the final real estate check on our newly acquired property in Colorado. A meager ten acres with a few out buildings, it was verging on resembling a large dump with 100 head of sheep roaming about. There was no grass or fences to speak of, but the sheep manure was plentiful! It was three feet deep over the entire two-acre barn area. In fact, it was so deep that the horses couldn’t even get in under the sheds! Yet when Gary, my mother, and I stood in the drive and surveyed the property one last time before returning to California, all I could see was what could be. “It’s got possibilities,” I said enthusiastically. My mother scowled, then grinned and said, “Yeah, it’s got possibilities all right.”

Gary and I decided to marry before moving to Colorado and one of our friends wanted to make us a sign for our ranch as a wedding gift, so we had to come up with a name. We felt so lucky to be moving to colorful and inspiring Colorado to begin a whole new life together: Gary, Dena and I. When we asked my mother for some suggestions, she came up with the Lucky Three Ranch. It couldn’t have been a more appropriate name and so it came to be! We moved in June of 1980 and a week later, Lucky Three Sundowner was born. The week after that all our animals—three horses, one pony, and one mule—were shipped to their new home in Colorado.

Though my trust fund provided enough to cover basic living costs, it could by no means provide us with an excess to spend, so the first two years we spent digging our way out of the sheep manure and garbage with nothing but shovels! We built fences and sheds out of discarded lumber and made do as best we could. Each day I set aside one hour to spend with the first mule that was ever totally mine!

It was Lucky Three Sundowner who inspired the direction our ranch would take. That first year, he won all his halter classes and gave us more pleasure than had any animal in my life. We decided to try to save and buy a jack eventually so we could revive the quality and standards of the Windy Valley mules. It was on my birthday in 1981 that my mother presented me with the papers on the last donkey born at Windy Valley, Little Jack Horner. After showing Sundowner at Bishop Mule Days, we high-tailed it up to Healdsburg to pick up Little Jack Horner and take him back to Colorado with us. We were just outside of Sparks, Nevada, on our way home when we heard frantic honking behind us. We pulled over and were greeted by a rather large, burly, smiling gentleman who asked, “You got a Windy Valley jack in that trailer?” No one can ever say that Ernie Fanning doesn’t know his Longears! We introduced ourselves and sat there along the highway talking mules for about a half an hour. Afterwards, we were again on our way with our trailer full of hopes and dreams.

Eight years later, the dreams were fulfilled several times over with each new direction we took with our mules. Little Jack Horner proved his value by producing some of the finest mules in the world. Every one claimed a place at Halter and the older ones took their respective places in performance. Lucky Three Sundowner won well over twenty titles to his credit, including National Western Grand Champion Model Mule in 1983 and Bishop Mule Days World Champion Bridle Reined Mule in 1984. Later, he was the first mule to make it to Fourth Level Dressage.

Lucky Three Mae Bea C.T., a molly by Colorado Poncho and out of our Appaloosa mare, Sam’s Nickey (bred before Little Jack Horner was old enough to breed), was foaled in 1982 and had over 40 titles to her credit, including National Western Stock Show Drive & Ride Champion in 1986, Single Hitch Champion in 1987 and 1988 and Bishop Mule Days Reserve World Champion Drive & Ride and Single Hitch Mule in 1986 and 1987. Mae Bea C.T. had won numerous titles in Halter, English & Western Pleasure, Trail, Reining, and Dressage in her short career. She is the first mule I ever trained without any interference from anyone. In my opinion, she was the best mule I ever produced of the 30 or better that I had trained before. Still, there were many more Little Jack Horner offspring to come! Bea’s crowing glory was to beat 56 horses in Combined Training in 1993 at the Novice Level. Given the right start in a carefully planned training program, our mules provided us with the additional finances we needed to expand to the breeding and training operation that we had for twenty years, but it is more than just this for which we stand.

We began as a family of three enthusiastic people, loving and living Longears and that part hasn’t changed. Good hired help is next to impossible to find, so we built up our ranch so that it would be relatively easy to care for it ourselves. In 1984, we added 70 more acres and a hay business to our operation—still managed entirely by our small family and a few friends on occasion. Experience and dedication to Longears caused us to cover a wide spectrum of training with our mules, ranging from Western to English and finally to Dressage and Combined Training. Little Jack Horner became the Sire-Supreme of mules that naturally possessed the athletic ability and conformation to accomplish a wide variety of interests. This further exhibited the true versatility of quality mules. In 1984, we bought a 14.2 HH jennet at the Segelke Dispersal sale in Denver in hopes of developing a Mammoth donkey jack with the refined characteristics of the Large Standard and Standard donkeys.

We had two jennets by Little Jack Horner who reflect success in this experiment: Lucky Three Pantera, a 15HH jennet and Lucky Three Serendipity, a 14HH jennet. The future provided us with more quality donkeys, particularly our three refined jacks, two Large Standard jacks and one Mammoth jack.

Our ranch was built out of love, respect and loyalty to Longears. We always enjoyed sharing our stories and experiences with others and encourage this good feeling in the industry. We have learned so much over the years and wish to share this success with others. Out of this desire for sharing grew the Colorado Donkey & Mule Society that operated out of our ranch for more than two years. It wasn’t long ago that we were knocking on the doors of horse shows everywhere, begging for acceptance. When we formed the Colorado Donkey and Mule Society, we had horse people knocking on the doors of our learning clinics! At the same time, we had nearly six times the number of Longears shows in Colorado that we had before!

Acceptance by the United States Dressage Federation in 1986 was the most inspiring influence we encountered in our 15 years with Longears. A tradition in equestrian arts, the United States Dressage Federation literally lives by its motto, “A Circle of Friends.” They aided us in putting our mules to the test and allowed us to test their capabilities at numerous schooling shows. We also discovered that Dressage Training (as tradition already has it) only enhances an animal’s performance. It is for this reason that we always start our young mules this way, though each individual may be suited for something different. It was our U.S.D.F. instructor, Melinda Weatherford, who inspired Gary, Dena, and I to go one step farther into Combined Training. The mule’s natural jumping ability lent itself beautifully to this avenue of training—besides, it’s just a lot of fun for both mules and riders! Our daughter, Dena, worked diligently to try to become a United States Equestrian Team rider. She said if she finally made the Olympic team, she hoped they would allow her to exhibit her three-day event mule, Lucky Three Nuggett at the Olympics. Although they never did have this opportunity, it looks like Longears will continue to prosper through a third generation in this family with my granddaughters as they love Longears, too!

I have been writing “MULE CROSSING,” a column that appeared in numerous mule and horse publications throughout the U.S. and Europe for many years. This has been my way of sharing all our wonderful experiences with Longears with others.

Our Longears have given us many memorable moments in our lives, most of them pleasurable and it is my desire to share this knowledge with others that keeps me going. Lucky Three Ranch only produced three to four mules per year because that is all we could handle for training. Our mules proved their quality and value many times over in the show ring.

We had wonderful news from some of our L.T.R. mule owners: Lucky Three Desiree, 1988 Florida State Fair Grand Champion Model Mule at 2 1/2 years old; Lucky Three Stardust, 4th at Halter and 2nd in Green Pleasure at the 1988 Virginia State Fair, then two 1sts and a 2nd in performance and a 4th at Halter at the North Carolina State Fair at four years old! It did my heart good to hear all our clients raving about their fine offspring by Little Jack Horner and the ultimate is when they come and beat us in a show as did Donna Groh’s “L.J.’s Hanna!” Lucky Three Ranch was born of love and friendship, grew with quality and ability, and will continue to prosper with the sharing of all these good things combined!

Covered in TRAINING MULES & DONKEY: A LOGICAL APPROACH TO TRAINING, TRAINING WITHOUT RESISTANCE and EQUUS REVISITED at www.luckythreeranchstore.com.

May 27 2024

MULE CROSSING: Press Release: The 20-Mule Team Comes to the Lucky Three Ranch

Kyle Davidson Mule Crossing 20 Mule Team, lucky three ranch, Meredith Hodges, Mule Crossing 0

Lucky Three Ranch sponsored the replication of the old 20-Mule Team Borax Wagons just in time for the New Year’s Day Rose Parade where they made their first debut. Owner of the 20-Mule Team, Bobby Tanner has been exhibiting the 20-Mule Team at Bishop Mule Days for many years with re-makes of the old Borax wagons, but these current wagons are an actual replication done by Dave Engel, Wheelwright, Blacksmith and Carriage Restorer from Montana with help from multiple sponsors like Garon and Donna Stutzman of Maryland, including myself in partnership with the Death Valley Conservancy. Their second appearance was in the National Independence Day Parade in Washington D.C. on the Fourth of July. On the way home back to Bishop, California we had the honor and privilege of their company for two nights and a day here at the Lucky Three Ranch. We all had a wonderful time together and several people from the community were able to come here to view the 20-Mule Team and the new wagons! What fun!

May 27 2024

MULE CROSSING: Queen City Horse Show 1987

Kyle Davidson Mule Crossing Meredith Hodges, Mule Crossing, Queen City Donkey & Mule Show 0

By Meredith Hodges

Only six years ago, mule and donkey shows were nearly non-existent in the state of Colorado. Enthusiastic members of the Rocky Mountain Longears Association saw a need for the promotion of Longears and the education of the public about them, and began sponsoring small shows throughout the state. As the numbers of R.M.L.E.A. members increased, so increased the demands made upon the club. We began to recognize a need for a specialized club, one that could meet the needs of those who wished to pursue the challenges of the equine performance world. Thus, the Colorado Donkey & Mule Society was born. C..D.M.S. has sponsored four shows and several clinics since January of 1987, enabling the Longears equestrians to challenge themselves and their mounts, set goals, and bask in the limelight of their accomplishments. We see what needs to be done to open the doors for mules and donkeys, evaluate our options, and then proceed with the most desirable plan of action.

Until now, mules in Colorado have been showing primarily with the draft horses or on their own, but this year we were cordially invited to put on a show with American Saddlebreds, Morgans and Tennessee Walkers. How would the mules stack up against these impressive show horses? We weren’t really sure, but C.D.M.S. met the challenge with their usual good nature and enthusiasm and put together the Queen City Donkey & Mule Show held in Denver, July 30-August 2, 1987.

Months of preparation went into the show and like any show there were numerous things to be considered and changes to be made. Every time a change was made, people had to be notified and the mailing list for Longears was more than 400 names. We had hoped to pull in quite a few mules and donkeys, but one major glitch nearly cost us the show. Horse shows, because of their stability and increasing popularity, are able to charge much more for entries, not to mention breed and club fees. When the premium book was released, we found that the mules were charged the same fees as the horses. Two weeks before the show, management conceded to drop a lot of the superfluous fees, however by that time, it was too late to repair the damage. It is my contention that we might have had a lot more animals show up had the fees been initially reasonable, but this too, is speculation.

We are experiencing an economic slump in this country, and people just don’t have the extra money to spend on other than their own basic needs. Still, I would like to say that this show did not bomb out. Nineteen people and 23 mules put on a show that was well received by our American Show Horse co-exhibitors and spectators. We are also especially proud to say that every mule in the show, and donkey too, was well-conditioned, well-groomed and well-trained, making for one extraordinarily impressive show. Twenty-three mules and donkeys filled22 classes, once again reaffirming the true versatility of these incredible animals! Champion Model Donkey went to Blue Zebulon, shown by Fran Howe of the Bitterroot Mule Company in Bennett, Colorado, with Lucky Three’s Little Jack Horner taking Reserve Champion. Champion Model Mule was Lucky Three Nuggett, a two-year-old molly mule shown by the Lucky Three Ranch in Loveland, Colorado. Reserve Champion went to Mountain Shadow Mules’ Rambling Rose, shown by Diane Walston of Longmont, Colorado. Detailed results can be obtained through the Lucky Three Ranch.

CDMS members and their friends are to be congratulated for all the hard work and dedication it took to make this show as impressive as it was. It was obvious that the several months of preparation were worthwhile. The monthly clinics sponsored by C.D.M.S. and attended with enthusiasm had indeed paid off in the show ring. It had made much better riders of us all and quiet, obedient companions of our mounts. We can be especially proud of our youth for their outstanding performances throughout the show. They have probably progressed faster than the adults! Their classes reflected an aura of concentration and determination. These “kids” are serious riders with a serious case of Mule Fever, and dreams of a bright future for Longears. They will carry mules and donkeys into new challenges and greater recognition. Keep up the good work: Justin GrandPre, Amy Wilfong, Leslie Busque, and Kim Nordyke (Youth Showmanship & Pleasure 14-17); Dena Hodges, Donnie Jo Neal, Cindy Brink, and Crystal Nordyke (Youth Showmanship & Pleasure 13 and under). A special congratulations to Leslie Busque for her first place win in the adult English Pleasure class, and to Kim Nordyke for her beautiful ride to second place in the Ladies Sidesaddle. We are very proud of all of you!

C.D.M.S. would like to express their thanks and appreciation to all those directors, managers, exhibitors, and spectators of the Queen City Horse Show committee for extending the invitation to show and for their continued friendly support throughout the show. Special thanks to Tommie Nykanon and Judy McNeish for all their hard work and dedication that resulted in a show filled with classy animals, good sportsmanship and mutual admiration among exhibitors. This show proved that it doesn’t necessarily take members to put on a good show, just dedicated, hard-working individuals and well-kept, well-trained animals. We hope the future will make the Queen City Donkey & Mule Show the crowned jewel of Colorado!

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, Pinterest, Instagram, MeWe and Twitter.

Covered in TRAINING MULES & DONKEY: A LOGICAL APPROACH TO TRAINING, TRAINING WITHOUT RESISTANCE and EQUUS REVISITED at www.luckythreeranchstore.com.

May 27 2024

MULE CROSSING: Recognizing Mules as Viable Athletes

Kyle Davidson Mule Crossing Athletes, Meredith Hodges, Mule Crossing 0

By Meredith Hodges

The successful accomplishments of mule and donkey owners over the past 40 years have been phenomenal in this country. They have taken what used to be a predominantly work animal and challenged him to become much more. Mules are currently competing successfully in all areas of equine athletics and are also having an inevitable impact on the scientific community. Their effect on the entire equine world is felt everywhere. Let’s just review some facts.

The mule is the result of a successful mating between a male donkey (called a jack) and a female horse (a mare). The mule inherits the best characteristics from each parent with the jack making his major contribution in strength, thickness of bone and intelligence, and the mare in disposition and athletic ability. One can really only speculate about the potential of the offspring of this cross, but as their numbers increase, we see more mules emerging as top performance and sport animals. The facts concur that a mule is tougher and more durable than his dam, and more resistant to parasites and disease. He is more surefooted due to the shape and size of his foot, and he has an innate sensibility that prevents him from overeating or causing himself harm. With all this being relative, it stands to reason that his athletic performance should at least be able to parallel that of the horse (his dam) and in some cases with the addition of strength and intelligence, he should excel.

Americans, by nature, love a challenge with a good cause. They love to explore new frontiers and mules have given them every opportunity to do just that. Over the past 40 years, mules have been used in both English and Western activities, as well as in harness. In 1986, they were again challenged as an acceptable sport animal and their owners have met this challenge with much enthusiasm. In November of 1986, the United States Dressage Federation recognized mules as a viable competitor in the world of Dressage. Since then, many mule owners have elected to pursue this challenge. One must appreciate the determination of such people. Although the U.S.D.F. was quite receptive, the American Horse Show Association was not. So, we were faced with the task of gaining yet more approval from the governing branches of the horse industry if we were to realize our full potential in Dressage and Combined Training. Actually, since A.H.S.A. does sponsor all major horse shows, their sanction of mules was all-encompassing and all-important. There may have been a time when mule people were “those who couldn’t make the grade on a horse,” but this is quite to the contrary these days.

Being the intelligent animal that they are, they pose very different and very difficult training problems compared to horses. It takes a person with “a very special something” to help a mule realize his potential. The mule not only needs to learn the “moves,” but the discipline of performance as well. Being the personable character that he is, the mule sometimes forgets how important a show may be to his rider. Only through consistent and patient discipline can a mule be expected to perform in a consistent and quality way. This is also true with horses, but after training both, I am convinced that the mule can meet you with much more resistance than can a horse and must be dealt with very carefully. Consequently, the end result in a mule has demanded a lot more work on the part of the trainer, or rider, than it would in the case of a horse. The successful mule trainer has justly earned a pat on the back and the opportunity to exhibit his talents.

Mules are getting their chance to perform in their own shows and as subsidiaries of major horse shows, which works out just fine for now in Western, English and harness, but there was still a problem where Dressage and Combined Training were concerned. The A.H.S.A. approves nearly all shows except schooling shows and they have said that the mules may not compete in A.H.S.A. approved shows.

In 1987, I called the A.H.S.A.’s home office to find out why. “A.H.S.A. does not recognize mules,” is the answer I received. They are simply not provided for in the rule book. Until now, there was really no need to make provisions for mules. I can surely understand that. The A.H.S.A. was very cordial and recommended that any mule people interested in making provisions for mules in Dressage should contact A.H.S.A. Dressage Committee Chairman, Mr. McDevitt, and express their thoughts on the matter. Since Dressage is a carefully aligned training for both equine and rider, and the shows are a means to gauge progress, it is imperative that they be allowed to compete in the shows, even if it is only to gauge their own progress. They must be allowed to be scored!

When we approached the U.S.D.F. for approval, we were met with skeptical eyes, but heard with intelligent ears. I was appalled at how few people had ever been exposed to mules at all. Many knew only the old rumors about these man-made equines, but as they listened, their curiosity was sparked and their interest grew. I suspect that there are many more people out there who just don’t have all of the facts yet. If they did, I could see no reason for their objecting to mules participating in equine events of all kinds with A.H.S.A. approval.

Mules have, in 40 years, proven to be quite competent equines and have been bred to possess a similar beauty to horses. Not only that, scientifically they have been successfully utilizing molly mules (females) as embryo transplant recipients. It has been theorized that they make the best recipients since they are virtually “untouched.” With these kinds of contributions to the equine industry, how can anyone with a conscience ban them from the major challenges of the industry?

I have heard many arguments both for and against mules, but never an argument that couldn’t be compromised in their favor. Those who can appreciate the years and dedication of successful horses and riders should also be able to recognize the same in mules and their riders. There is really no difference, except for the fact that the mule rider has had to work twice as hard to get to the same place as a Horseman. True Horsemanship is an art form, be it astride a horse or a mule. The intrinsic value of the art form itself is the same. Perhaps, we have even added just a little more depth. What seemed to be ridiculous and laughable in the beginning has turned an otherwise unobtrusive animal into a graceful and magnificent creature with many redeeming qualities.

The mule may not perpetuate his own kind, but he can perpetuate the production of superior equines through embryo transplant. This alone makes him a realistic asset to the equine industry from an economic standpoint, not to mention the minimal costs of maintaining him. It seems only right that he be welcomed to test his true potential among the ranks of The Masters. He had already won the right to be a contender through his continued outstanding performances in various shows throughout the country. Usually, those who try this hard are encouraged and rewarded for their efforts. Why should a mule be any different?

At the Lucky Three Ranch in Loveland, Colorado, mules were being raised for the expressed purpose of Dressage and Combined Training. We realize that it may take 10 or 20 years to reach the pinnacle of our dreams, but anything worth having is worth the wait and the work in the interim. In the meantime, we appreciate the small rewards along the way. In 1987, our own Mae Bea C.T., ridden by youth Leslie Busque, took her first Training Level test at a schooling show scoring a 61.76 percent, winning the class and High Point Beginner Horse (Mule?!). She is not the first mule to do well in Dressage, nor will she be the last. High hopes and a lot of determination will see to it that we attain our dreams for the future!

Covered in TRAINING MULES & DONKEY: A LOGICAL APPROACH TO TRAINING, TRAINING WITHOUT RESISTANCE and EQUUS REVISITED at www.luckythreeranchstore.com.

May 27 2024

MULE CROSSING: So Much to Learn, So Little Time!

Kyle Davidson LTR Blog, Mule Crossing Meredith Hodges, Mule Crossing 0

By Meredith Hodges

When I was growing up, equine trainers were considered special people whose special talents were a mystery to common folk like me. Witnessing the cowboys riding the broncs in the rodeos and seeing the upper-level riders at the Olympics made me doubt my ability to ever accomplish what they could do! After all, this was their profession and I was just a young girl with a passionate love for equines. Since I thought I would never be able to train equines, I dreamed of rescuing abused horses and building a 100-stall barn for them somewhere in the Northwest, in Cowboy Country.

Even if all I was going to do was rescue equines, I knew I would have to have at least some experience in equine management and training, so I read numerous training books and attended many clinics and seminars. The more I learned, the more overwhelmed I became. There were so many vastly different ideas about how to do things with equines. Different authors wrote about different stages of training and they all had a different approach. There was no one author who produced anything with continuity from foal all the way to advanced levels of training. To make matters worse, in the early 1970s when I got involved with Longears, I found that there was virtually nothing available about training them for recreational purposes. That is when I decided to begin documenting everything I learned that worked well (and forgot about what didn’t).

Trying to decide what to feed my equines was a nightmare! The advertising for so many different kinds and brands of feeds and supplements was confusing and I had no idea where to begin, so I just did what the majority of people were suggesting and fed a grass/alfalfa hay mix. It wasn’t until nine years later and the loss of several horses that I decided that maybe the alfalfa wasn’t such a good idea, so I eliminated the use of alfalfa and other products that were exceptionally high in protein. Then, after the death of one of my donkey jacks, I also revisited my use of different types of grains and oils. I discovered that oats were always the healthiest grain and Mazola corn oil was the only oil needed for healthy coats, hooves and digestive tract regularity. The Sho Glo brand of minimal daily vitamins, along with a trace mineral salt block, provided adequate nutritional needs for all my equines, regardless of their types and tasks (from pleasure riding to Combined Training). This revised feeding program, combined with regular worming and bi-annual vaccinations, eliminated the incidence of severe colic and my equines became much healthier, performed better and have exhibited increased longevity.

Like most people, I started off thinking that leaving equines to just be equines without human interference was the ideal. Oh, how they would just love to exist in a large plot of pasture to live out their days in leisure! I soon found out how deadly that could be to an equine. Equines in the wild will travel for miles, exercising and grazing sporadically, balancing their diet and exercising themselves. Since the majority of the world’s equines are not wild and can no longer run free (no more wide-open spaces available), leaving them alone in a pasture to eat freely only results in obesity and all the ailments that go with it. In reality, allowing this “free grazing” is a passive form of neglect, and is usually the result of just plain human laziness. Equine owners may often feel like they “do not have the time” to do everything correctly, when, in actuality, it takes less time (and is less costly) to correctly feed, manage and train equines. That is how I can successfully be the sole trainer of 30 equines at this late date in my life.

When I began taking Dressage lessons in 1986, it gave me a whole new way to look at the equine, with more concern for his physical, mental and emotional well-being. Doing Dressage with horses was relatively easy, but I wanted to challenge myself to train the first mule in Dressage and see how far he could go. My first mule, Lucky Three Sundowner, must have run off with me over a hundred times in our first five years of Dressage training, which was a very humbling experience. I began to analyze everything in a more critical and logical way to determine what I was doing to make him run off. I no longer just took it for granted that the popular equine training techniques were the only way to train because they obviously didn’t always work with Sundowner. I began to ask myself, “Why?” and, “Is there a better way?” After addressing the elements of Dressage under saddle, I finally realized that not much was mentioned in the training materials about preparing the equine in good posture and balance WITHOUT a rider on board. I came to realize that the runaway incidents were the result of Sundowner and I both being out of good posture and balance. Unknowingly, we were fighting against each other’s balance to try to perform together. This is when I discovered the importance of adequately preparing the equine’s core muscles in good posture to carry a rider BEFORE attempting to ride or drive. No one is born in good posture. It is something that must be taught—to us and to equines. Just letting them run free when they are young does not address good equine posture or core muscle development.

Many equine trainers talk about disengaging the hindquarters. While practicing Dressage, I learned that, in reality, the hindquarters must be engaged and active (much like a motor) for the animal to move correctly and do what is asked of him, and why would anyone want to shut down the motor? When I employed popular equine training techniques with the halter, lead and whip and tried to keep the mule at a distance (not allowing him to come close to me), he would give a quick jerk of his head and neck, bump me with his rear end and take me “skiing” across the arena…if I was dumb enough to hang onto the rope! I thought, “Why not just let go of the rope and when he comes back, reward him for coming back with a handful of oats from my fanny pack? And, why not let him come in close and then continue the imprinting process through his adulthood, so he will get used to me touching his body?” He could then learn to move away from the pressure of my hands and negotiate groundwork obstacles more easily. When you are constantly pushing your equine away from you, you don’t have the opportunity to do much touching, and there is a crucial security and trust that your equine develops from being touched by you. Equines that are used to being touched all over their bodies on a regular basis are less likely to become spooked about things. And the equines that get practice taking those tiny little oats out of your hand are less likely to bite your fingers than those that do not get this kind of practice.

Trainers in general advise owners to set things up so it is hard for the equine to do the wrong thing. Why not just concentrate on setting him up to be able to easily do the right thing? Wouldn’t you get a better reaction from your equine if he received rewards for a job well done rather than focusing on the punishments and intimidation if he didn’t comply?

For instance, if you want him to jump a barrel, set up three barrels end-to-end and perpendicular to the fence. Now send him over the obstacle on a long lead with nowhere to go but between you and the fence. And when he succeeds, reward him for it. Once he is compliant over the three end-to-end barrels, take one barrel away and do the same thing. When he accomplishes that, then take the next barrel away and make him do the last one against the fence. Don’t forget to reward him each time he succeeds. Once he successfully completes these steps with no problem, place the barrel in the open and send him over it. He should do this confidently because he now knows it is easy and that he will get rewarded for his effort. When you break things down into small, doable steps within your equine’s capabilities that will always be rewarded, you’ll attract his full attention and training will become easy and fun! Just make sure the reward is always the same healthy oats that he loves.

Bosals, side-pulls and bitless bridles can never replace the communication that can be developed through correct practice between your hands and the corners of your equine’s mouth with the direct rein action of a snaffle bit. Bitless bridles have a completely different action that can result in “kinks” in your equine’s neck. To feel this discomfort, try standing completely still and facing straight ahead. Now, without moving, just turn your head to the side. Can you feel the pull on the muscles just below your ear? This is the same action that your equine experiences when the pull comes from the higher point on his nose where the halter noseband (or bitless bridle) would sit. When a mild snaffle bit is placed in the mouth and used with a flash noseband on the bridle, the equine can be prevented from flipping his tongue over the bit and will take an easy contact with the bit, promoting a solid means of communication.

When you take contact with the reins (or, in the case of driving, the lines), the equine’s natural instinct is to initially create some resistance against your hands. He will stretch his nose out to take contact with the intent of pulling on the bit, but will eventually learn to “hold” the bit. When he does this, he elongates his neck and increases the space between his vertebrae, so when he receives the connection to your hands and is asked to stop or turn, it happens easily because it does not create soreness in his neck. Your hands need to be flexible and “giving” to avoid resistance to the bit. You can feel this difference in your own neck when you vertically round it up and out and THEN turn your head to the side…no more pulling on the muscle below the ear. This “comfortable connection” encourages a working connection from his lips to your hands.

Restraints should only be used to suggest compliance to the equine and not for complete control over any resistance. Patience, calmness and purposeful action during the use of restraints are all paramount in teaching the equine how to cope with things that are difficult for him. In the use of restraints, one runs the risk of being more severe than intended, which will have a negative impact on the equine’s response to the restraint used. I have discovered some very simple restraints that work well.

Working with your equine’s natural movements and paying attention to proper body conditioning produces comfort and ease of performance. For instance, asking your equine to turn toward you when he is being lunged causes confusion, which adversely affects his hindquarters and puts stress on his hocks and stifles. This is why lunging in a round pen or lunging in drive lines is vitally important. Your equine must be allowed to turn away from you when lunging so he can instantaneously set up his hind legs for the correct diagonal at trot and the correct canter lead, thereby avoiding potential injury to his hindquarters.

Desensitization techniques create disengagement in activities. The equine learns to “give up.” They are fearful of the consequences if they do not obey. Training with fear tactics can produce obedience, but not a viable partnership. My psychiatric nursing degree and my studies in Behavior Modification with human beings proved to be useful in understanding the use of Behavior Modification in equines. It also provided me with the basis for my resistance-free, reward-based training program. I prefer to teach my equines good manners in a polite way so that they are fully engaged, respectful, confident and eager to go with me every time I see them—in other words, resistance-free! The rewards from this kind of training are beyond any joy I could have imagined! My journey has proven to me that anyone with the will to listen, learn and question “WHY?” can become his or her own trainer—with amazing results.

Covered in TRAINING MULES & DONKEY: A LOGICAL APPROACH TO TRAINING, TRAINING WITHOUT RESISTANCE, EQUUS REVISITED and A GUIDE TO RAISING & SHOWING MULES at www.luckythreeranchstore.com.

May 27 2024

MULE CROSSING: The Equine Industry

Kyle Davidson Mule Crossing Equine Industry, Meredith Hodges, Mule Crossing 0

By Meredith Hodges

The highest recognition available for equestrians in this country is to be chosen for the U.S. Olympic Equestrian Team. Obviously, this honor is reserved for a select few, but this doesn’t mean that the rest of us can’t reach this stage of Horsemanship in our lives and reap other kinds of rewards for our performance. These rewards can be found in many places: winning placements in equine shows, inspiring other riders to continue to learn and maintaining an industry in which our children can grow. Sometimes in our own exuberant competitive spirit, we lose sight of the things that are really important in our industry, like learning together with a spirit of camaraderie, and presenting what we’ve learned in such a way that everyone can share in our success, including those who may never have seen an equine.

To most of us, the idea of promoting a whole breed can be quite overwhelming, so instead, we try to promote our own animals in hopes of complimenting the entire breed with our personal successes. In theory, this works well, however, over the years it has proven to be the source of a lot of conflict in the industry itself. Unethical training methods began to arise in an effort to assimilate the performance of show champions. Amateurs had to compete against professionals and a shortage of judges for shows allowed non-licensed individuals to begin setting the standards on the basis of their own personal opinions rather than making educated selections in their show placements.

All of this opened our shows to the political arena, devaluing quality training and hard work, while emphasizing gimmicks and popularity of individuals for the sake of monetary gain. The original intent of promoting the breed began to take a backseat to economics and personal gain. The result of this was a decrease in the number of people willing to compete in the shows, a lot of artificially trained animals produced and a decreased number of spectators attending the shows. Seeing the same individuals win over and over again, from one show to another, deserving or not, became boring and uninteresting to the general public. Thus, a lot of spectator support and amateur competitors were lost.

Since 1967, Longears have once again begun to gain popularity in this country. Those who felt they had been treated unfairly in the horse circles turned to Longears for fun and fair treatment. In developing our industry, we have attempted to learn from the mistakes of the horse industry and have tried to devise our shows and promotional events with the integrity of our equine history kept in mind. Personal achievements are honored, but positive promotion of the entire Longears industry is foremost in our hearts.

To continue to grow and prosper, our industry must keep several things in mind. We need to appreciate what our shows can do for Longears, as well as what they cannot. Large shows do bring in a lot of spectators, but those who attend shows usually already have a certain interest in equines. They will spread the word throughout the equine set in our society, but if we wish to promote new interest, we need to be more creative in our promotional thinking and target those who are unfamiliar with equines.

Taking into account some basic human characteristics, this doesn’t need to be difficult. It is the nature of human beings to like to be entertained by the unique or unusual. After a while, spectators become bored watching the same animals compete in the same classes show after show. To spice up the shows, individual exhibitions and demonstrations, done with a “Hollywood” flair could do the trick. Decorations and props to help the audience transgress reality and enter the fantasy of the moment can make a tremendous difference in their reaction to a performance. Variety from act to act will hold their interest and that momentary release from the everyday pressures of society will guarantee their return, if it is done effectively! Spectators do not derive the same kind of pleasure that we exhibitors do from our own progress. This is a very personal thing to each of us and our animals, and among all of us as competitors, but it does not effectively recruit spectator support. We need to realize the limitations of shows as a vehicle for promotion and cater to the needs and desires of those who would know nothing except for our efforts.

The Longears equine division, inspired by the United States Dressage Federation, has begun a movement toward better learning in their development of fun learning clinics over the past three years. This has spurred the horse industry to increase their clinics ten-fold. The Colorado Donkey & Mule Society, in an effort to facilitate fun and goodwill, as well as learning, has one-day clinics, with one-hour classes of three to four students each. The classes are video-taped, everyone brings potluck, then after the clinic, we watch the videos, discuss what we’ve learned, and enjoy some great food! In this relaxed atmosphere, we have found that people get more personal attention, learn more quickly and develop a true attitude of good sportsmanship. Different clubs all support and attend the Longears shows, but maintain their individuality through specialized events and exhibitions that we can all appreciate.

The entire equine industry seems to understand the value in considering our potential spectators when developing promotional events. We are seeing more and more exhibition shows where different breeds and disciplines exhibit their specialties. This absence of judges allows the spectator to observe and be the judge himself, allowing him to become an active part of our industry, giving him not only entertainment, but involvement, increasing his personal feeling of commitment to the industry. As we investigate this avenue of promotion, we find many more new and interesting ways of promoting our equines. In Kansas City, riders have been asked to join the symphony orchestra in an evening of classical entertainment with a fantasy of visual equine aids. This surely targets people who would otherwise, not necessarily see equines perform and may gain future support from their interest.

In an effort to gain such support, the Colorado Classic Equine Show, held at the National Western Stock Show Complex in Denver the last weekend in April, is going to try this same approach. Riders will pay to exhibit with the Denver Symphony orchestra in an effort to expand support and interest in the equine sports; the performance would take place on the first evening of the show. The Colorado Donkey & Mule Society will be sure to see to it that mules are duly represented in a Dressage and Combined Training Exhibition to music. Developing and implementing creative ideas such as these can only increase the appeal of our industry to the public and bring our members together in a mutual effort of goodwill and sportsmanship. We need our shows to measure our progress and to honor our exceptional individuals, but we also need to balance it with creative, positive promotional ideas that will entertain and capture the hearts and support of the general public. By utilizing our individual talents, we can ensure an equine future for our children that will be fun, exciting and educational!

Covered in TRAINING MULES & DONKEY: A LOGICAL APPROACH TO TRAINING, TRAINING WITHOUT RESISTANCE and EQUUS REVISITED at www.luckythreeranchstore.com.

May 27 2024

MULE CROSSING: Much Ado About Mules

Kyle Davidson LTR Blog, Mule Crossing Bishop Mule Days, lucky three ranch, Meredith Hodges, Mule Crossing 0

By Meredith Hodges

In the early sixties, mules were among those animals quickly becoming extinct in this country. Thanks to the formation of clubs such as The American Donkey and Mule Society, founded in 1967, and the British Donkey Breed Society, founded in 1966, the trend was reversed and the animals began to get the recognition they justly deserved.

With renewed interest in mules and donkeys, clubs and events are springing up all over the country and Colorado is no exception. Those of us in Colorado who have become mule lovers are invited to join the Rocky Mountain Longears Association. The meetings are held in Littleton, Colorado and a newsletter is sent out monthly to keep members informed of the club’s activities and to unite members of the club who cannot attend those meetings. The purpose and goals for this organization are as follows: to promote Longears and publicize the activities of our club, to promote well-mannered, usable, working Longeared animals, to provide entertainment and pleasurable activities for Longears, and to provide the opportunity for the members to help and learn from each other.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the breeding of a mule, he is the cross between a male donkey, called a jack, and a female horse, a mare. The reverse of that–a cross between a male horse, a stallion, and a female donkey, a jenny on jennet–is called a hinny, although many still refer to them as mules. Years ago people used low quality mares to breed to jacks to obtain mules, but today we are improving the breed by crossing better quality animals to obtain better and stronger mules.

The Lucky Three Ranch has come a long way since its beginning in 1980. The once 10-acre sheep ranch was successfully converted to a comfortable mule-breeding facility complete with a 14-stall barn, pens, indoor arena, and eight acres left in pasture in its earlier years. We began a breeding program with six broodmares, primarily Quarter Horses, at the ranch, four of which were in foal to Little Jack Horner almost immediately. The Lucky Three Ranch offered the option of obtaining a mule from the ranch, or if you preferred, you were invited to bring in your own mare to be bred to Little Jack Horner. L.J. became a proven sire. Breeding season at the Lucky Three Ranch was from March to August, at which time mares could be booked and brought to the ranch to be bred. Plans for breeding could also be made in advance of the breeding season although no mares were accepted until March. High health standards were maintained for the safety and well-being of the animals. Careful records were kept and a custom made breeding chute insured the safety of mares being bred. Visitors were encouraged to come and tour the facility provided that they called for an appointment first.

Many have asked about the training of mules. Training mules is much like training horses, but sophisticated trainers would probably agree that they are more like teaching young children. A mule is more likely to perform to the best of his ability if he is allowed to build trust in his trainer. This is where mules and horses differ. Horses have a forgiving nature and are able to forget a loss of temper by the trainer; mules do not forget. When a mule is nervous about a trainer, his ability to perform for the trainer is impaired. Pat Parelli, a California mule trainer, put it quite nicely: “Mules separate crude trainers from artistic trainers.” The mule handled by a crude trainer will generally epitomize the traditional belief that mules are stubborn and ornery. The mule handled by an artistic trainer will not. A technique widely used among mule trainers with great success is the psychological science of Behavior Modification, whereby the animal’s natural behaviors are modified to achieve the desired response through the use of positive reinforcement. Negative reinforcement is also used sparingly. When using negative reinforcement, one must remain calm, patient, and just to ensure the success of the temporary discipline. One must remember that negative reinforcement does not build desirable behavior. It is only used to stop a bad behavior long enough to substitute a desirable behavior. A mule trained in this manner will become a more trustworthy, willing, and predictable friend and companion. Let’s dispel the old saying that mules are “stubborn” and “ornery” and say that there are really no bad mules, only bad trainers.

The success of this method of training was reflected in the accomplishments of Lucky Three Sundowner, the first mule I brought to Colorado. He was sired by Windy Valley Adam and out of Candy Etta, a registered Quarter Horse mare. Sundowner stood 16 hands tall as a three year old. He won first place in the halter class for saddle mules, 56” and over at the National Western Stock Show in January of 1983, then went on to take first place in the Mule Reining competition at the Colorado State Fair in August of 1983. He was shown again at the National Western Stock Show January 14, 1984, in Halter, Western Pleasure, and Reining. Then it was on to the Bishop Mule Days World Show over Memorial Day Weekend 1984.

The Mule Days celebration in Bishop, California is the largest mule show in the world. Mule lovers, their friends and family enjoy four days of mule-related fun and entertainment. At this particular show there is a little something for everyone: Western cuisine, games, dancing, and conversation in addition to the mule show itself. In 1984, there were over 70 different classes and events for the competitors such as Pleasure classes, Reining classes, Trail, Musical Tires, Barrel Racing and Pole Bending. Also Jumping, Cattle Penning, Steer Stopping, Team Roping, and a Balloon Bust. For the packers: Pack Train classes, Packing contests, Box Hitch and Diamond Hitch packing contests (pro and non-pro), Team Packing and the Team Packing Scramble which you have to see to believe! There are Halter classes, Pulling, Driving classes, and for you race fans: Chariot races, Flat Track races, and yes, even a Backwards race! To highlight the events, there are featured performances by special people and mules. Almost every year, the 20-mule team makes an appearance and in 1981 Slim Pickens, Grand Marshall of the Mule Days Parade, drove his team to victory in a chariot race! In 1984, Colorado’s own Al Kaly Shrine Temple Mule Train World Champion Drill Team out of Colorado Springs gave a memorable performance on their beautifully matched, black army mules. This mule show brings together so many people with different backgrounds and interests for a perfectly glorious weekend. Each year leaves you looking forward to the next.

Even those who do not ride can enjoy the fun and frolic sponsored by “Longears” clubs. The mules of today have truly given new meaning to the word “mule”. The days of the ornery, stubborn, work mule are gone, and in its place, is a wonderfully entertaining new breed capable of competing in any area of equine athletics, performing for charity benefits, and more. Before dismissing him too hastily, see for yourself what he can do at any of Colorado’s mule events. Event schedules can be obtained from any Rocky Mountain Longears Association member. So ask. Join the millions of people who are discovering mules. He’s an intelligent, surefooted, sensible, and entertaining animal, so why not give him a try?

Covered in TRAINING MULES & DONKEY: A LOGICAL APPROACH TO TRAINING, TRAINING WITHOUT RESISTANCE and EQUUS REVISITED at www.luckythreeranchstore.com.

May 27 2024

MULE CROSSING: Meredith Hodges – An Historical Lady Muleskinner 2017

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By Meredith Hodges

Mules have led me on the journey of a lifetime! My first introduction to mules and donkeys was in 1973 at my mother’s Windy Valley Mule Ranch in Healdsburg, California, where we raised and trained hundreds of mules and donkeys for a variety of uses across America. Many of them we sold to George Chamberlain and they subsequently went to work in the Grand Canyon. At first, I was truly afraid of these animals after hearing all the old myths, but as soon as I met my first mule, I was certain they had to be wrong. Apart from being stronger, tougher and more durable animals, they were also personable, affectionate and quite humorous! Although, at that time they were primarily used for packing and driving, their incredible intelligence and conformation led me to believe that they could be trained to become amazing equine athletes! After all, with the addition of the jack’s strength and intelligence, they are always better overall than the horse out of which they were bred.

In 1979, I witnessed my first Bishop Mule Days Sierra Nevada packer’s rendezvous. That was where my career in training mules and donkeys in every recreational equine event began. I was “ass-tonished” at the impeccable way these knowledgeable men and women handled their mules, wagons, packs and equipment with such grace and dignity…and not without a proper measure of good humor! I caught a very bad case of “Mule Fever” and began my own pursuit with Longears in ALL forms of equine athletics. Bishop Mule Days grew from the weekend packer’s rendezvous into the weeklong show over Memorial Day weekend that it is today and they continue to add new classes each year to accommodate the accomplishments of a lot of Longears-lovers like myself along the way. Little did I know, the friendships I started then were to last a lifetime!

In 1980, I founded the Lucky Three Ranch in Loveland, Colorado and embarked on a breeding and training program of my own with Lucky Three Sundowner, the last mule and Little Jack Horner, the last donkey jack born at Windy Valley Ranch in 1980. Sundowner was shipped to the ranch right away, but Little Jack Horner had to wait and be picked up a year later. Just outside of Sparks, Nevada in 1981, we were hailed to pull over by a jolly and quite charming man, Ernie Fanning who ran up to my truck and blurted through the driver’s side window, “I just KNOW you have a Windy Valley jack in the back of that trailer!” To this day, I don’t know how he could tell it was a Windy Valley jack only by the head and ears that showed above the stock trailer back door. All I can say is that man certainly knew his mules and donkeys, and I made yet another friend for life that day!

Years passed, Bishop Mule Days grew as did my love for Longears and the people that came with them. I bred and showed Longears for many years, then judged and began a promotional career in support of Longears everywhere. Bishop Mule Days was where I met Bonnie Shields, the leading half-ass Tennessee Mule Artist and illustrator for my children’s series of books and DVDs, Jasper the Mule. Even though I no longer showed, I was still a welcome part of the Bishop Mule Days rendezvous family year after year as a respected dignitary and sponsor. One of our greatest thrills was when Bonnie, Jasper and I were invited by Bobby Tanner to ride in the old Borax Wagons pulled by the 20-Mule Team in the Bishop Mule Days parade three years in a row (2012-2014). What an incredible honor that was!

When Bobby Tanner, primary owner and trainer of the 20-Mule Team and Henry Golas from the Death Valley Conservancy approached me with the idea of building new Borax Wagons as exact replicas of the old Borax Wagons used so many years ago, I thought it would undoubtedly be a worthwhile project! The original Borax Wagons sat on their pedestal in Death Valley unprotected from the elements, nearly completely destroyed and certainly not salvageable. I jumped at the opportunity to help sponsor the original building of the Borax wagons and the project was born!

On January 1, 2017, the new Borax Wagons and the 20-Mule Team made their debut in the Tournament of Roses parade in Pasadena, California. They held a practice in the desert near Bishop before they left for the parade and the mules all did great! On the parade route, they would be asked to make a tight turn onto Colorado Avenue in the midst of a lively crowd and would be asked to “jump the chain” to make that turn. What a spectacular feat to behold and they did it beautifully on parade day.

I was unable to make it for the Tournament of Roses Parade, but a few weeks afterwards I received an amazing surprise from Bobby Tanner! In honor of my contribution to this overwhelming project, I was presented with the official jacket, shirts, vest, scarf and hat that they all wore in the parade! I am humbled and thrilled to be able to be a part of making history the way that we did with these new Borax Wagons and the 20-Mule team. There is discussion about putting these mules and the teamsters “on the road” with their unmatched demonstration of skill and expertise for the public to view as a reminder of our undaunted history. Mules signify and share the strength, tenacity and endurance of the American spirit of those they have served. And although they have always been perceived as an “underdog” and blight on society, mules have risen to the pinnacles of history, as has this LADY MULESKINNERwith her pioneer spirit, right along with them! Only in America!

Covered in TRAINING MULES & DONKEY: A LOGICAL APPROACH TO TRAINING, TRAINING WITHOUT RESISTANCE and EQUUS REVISITED at www.luckythreeranchstore.com.

May 27 2024

MULE CROSSING: What Are Mules Good For

Kyle Davidson Mule Crossing lucky three ranch, Meredith Hodges, Mule Crossing, mules 0

By Meredith Hodges

Welcome to Mule Xing; this is a column designed to take care of some of those unanswered questions about mules. Mules have made contributions to the building of this country since its beginning: they brought the pioneers across rough and rugged country to their new homes in the West, carried arms and equipment for the army, and worked long days in the fields. With industrialization came a gross decline in the mule population; there no longer seemed to be any use for the mule.

This brings us to our first Mule Xing question: What are mules good for outside of packing and farming?

The modern contemporary mule of the late 1970s has emerged as a fine saddle, driving and pack animal. No longer does he come from exclusively low grade mares. With the upgrading of mule breeding, the mule is a new, gentle and versatile animal capable of performing well in all forms of equine athletics. He can do cow work, work and pleasure driving, packing, jumping and is better suited for long trails, yet he still possesses all the traits that have made mules popular throughout the centuries: a willingness to work, an easy keeper, more resistance to parasites and disease, extremely surefooted and his indubitable intelligence that is often confused with stubbornness.

Mules are capable of being used for as many different things as are all breeds of horses put together. Since a mule gets most of his ability from the mare, one need only scout a mule out of a particular kind of horse to match the desired ability. For example, the cattle person might went to seek a mule bred out of a stockier breed of horse, such as the Quarter Horse to get a mule bred for this type of work, while the Saddle Seat Equitation rider might want to look to a mule bred from a gaited horse, such as a Saddlebred or Tennessee Walker. A mule out of any breed of horse will be stronger and more durable than the horse out of which he came.

What of the person who is curious about mules, but shies away because of the stigma attached to them? I can only say that there was a time when people would laugh, but in this new age a new breed of mule is causing mockers to choke on their laughter. He is better bred than his ancestors and his ability turns laughter to awe. The modern contemporary saddle mule has been banned from competing with horses in such events as Cutting and Jumping because he has proven to be consistently and considerably better than the horses in those events. In keeping with the evolution of the mule, more and more all-mule shows are springing up all over the country sponsored by concerned mule enthusiasts. The shows cover a wide spectrum of mule activities, from judged events to just plain fun and games. The growth of such shows has more than tripled since the late 1970s and is ever growing. The modern contemporary mule is now taking the credit he so richly deserves; he sees what the horse can do and thinks, “Anything he can do, I can do better!”

Covered in TRAINING MULES & DONKEY: A LOGICAL APPROACH TO TRAINING, TRAINING WITHOUT RESISTANCE and EQUUS REVISITED at www.luckythreeranchstore.com.

May 27 2024

MULE CROSSING: Introducing Under-Saddle Training

Kyle Davidson Mule Crossing lucky three ranch, Meredith Hodges, Mule Crossing, Under Saddle 0

By Meredith Hodges

Whether training an equine for harness or saddle, the groundwork is the same. His lessons in groundwork will allow him to learn restraint, submission and balance, while retaining the stature and mental stability of a confident and reliable animal. Physical development through specific exercises will help him to handle the added weight of a rider, or vehicle, and will make the next steps in his training go smoothly. Once your equine is responding obediently in the drive lines, through patterns and around obstacles, it is time to introduce him to the additional weight of the rider. This must be done slowly and methodically. There are also exercises that he should learn during lunging and more ground driving in the Round Pen before actual riding takes place.

At this point in training, your animal has become acquainted with your directions coming from both sides of his body, from the front and from behind. You have been walking in sync with first his front legs and then with the back legs to teach your own body to follow his rhythm and cadence, prepping your body for his motion when you finally mount and ride him. Your equine must now become accustomed to direction coming from his bac (over his head), but first he must learn to adjust his balance to your additional weight.

After reviewing all of your groundwork lessons, detach the drive lines, use your bridle reins and ask the equine to stand quietly and give him some oats reward when he does. While he is chewing, grasp the saddle horn and cantle, and boost yourself into a hanging position from his left side. If he spooks and tries to bolt away, just let go of the saddle, maintain your hold on the left rein and let him circle around you so as not to completely lose him. Quietly give the command to “Whoa” and wait for him to stop, then reward him again and try again. When he finally stands still for this, reward him again and put him away. Better to have short lessons that end on a good note!

The next time out, review your lessons again, including hanging of the side of the saddle on the near side (left mounting side), then go to the off side (right side) and do the same thing. When he stands quietly for this on both sides, then put him away again. It is always important to work your equine on both sides and review what he has already learned in order to maintain his confidence and to lessen his fear. Take as long as you need for each step before moving on to the next step to be sure that he is truly comfortable with what he has learned.

It is advisable to have an assistant for the next step of saddle training. Have your assistant stand at the equine’s head and hold him while you review your “saddle hanging.” If he is calm and compliant, put your foot in the stirrup and slowly hoist yourself aboard, dragging your right leg against his body gently, but firmly, up his hip, over his rump, and down the other side to the stirrup on the off side. If this does not disturb your equine, while verbally reassuring him, rock your weight from side to side and let him feel how the saddle over his back. Touch him gently and reassuringly all over the parts of his body that you can reach easily from your position. The more movement that he can tolerate while standing still, the better he will do later. Do only as much of this in any one lesson that he is able to calmly tolerate. Always try to end your lessons on a positive note! Do not get in too much of a hurry…that’s when the trouble starts!

It is easy to get excited when your equine responds well. It is tempting to allow him to walk off with you aboard, but years of experience have taught me to be patient and wait until the next lesson. The animal is not always completely aware of where you went the first few times aboard and can easily become startled when he is looking for you and finally does see you. Thus, it is important to make him fully aware of what has actually happened by taking you time, encouraging him to turn his head to the side, taking oats from your hand and by doing this on BOTH sides before going any further.

During upcoming lessons, begin with asking him verbally to “Back” with an alternate squeeze/release on each rein before going forward. He has already learned during previous lessons on the drive lines what verbal command and the alternate pressure on the bit mean. Have your assistant lead him only a few steps forward from a halter rope attached to a halter over your bridle (not with the reins!), ask him to “Whoa” and end the lesson there. The next time, you can ask him to take a few steps forward after backing and use the reins to turn him gradually (no sharp and abrupt turns) in each direction, ask him to “Whoa” and end these. Each time, just ask for a little bit more and be generous with the oats rewards and a lot of verbal praise!

The next step is to have your assistant attach a lunge line to the halter (instead of the lead rope) and begin to walk at your equine’s head as before, but this time, have your assistant walk him around the perimeter of the Round Pen. As your assistant circles, have him slowly let out the slack on the lunge line such that the animal walks more on his own. As your assistant slowly works his way to the center of the circle, you will begin to guide your equine around the circle, using your reins if he starts to follow the assistant.

The first time or two ask only for the walk and back it up with soothing verbal commands to “Walk on.” When he is calm and quiet during the walk, you can then give him the command to “Trot” and gently squeeze/release with your legs to send him forward. You should always have a gentle, but firm, contact with his barrel so your leg cues to not “come out of nowhere” and startle him. Be sure to work evenly in both directions. Keep your assistant on hand throughout this stage of training until your equine works reliably at walk, trot, canter and back with no resistance or bolting. He WILL need to go faster at those gaits until he builds up his strength enough to support your additional weight, so don’t get too excited about…just ride it! he will slow down as he gains strength and confidence. If you begin to fight with him through the reins, he will only become more excited and anxious and resist. We want to set things up so he can SUCCEED in his tasks! This will prevent you both from becoming unnecessarily hurt, or seriously injured.

Equines will usually get through this stage of training fairly rapidly, and most don’t buck until they are asked to canter. If they do, realize they are only trying to adjust YOUR weight further backwards on their back, so make sure you have your saddle placed in the middle of their barrel, over the center of gravity and ride your BALANCED seat! When the rider is positioned too far forward, or if they are asked to canter before they are ready, They will crow-hop or buck if they feel out of balance. If he does, just stop, reset your body position (and re-adjust the saddle position if necessary) and start again. It is important to have your saddle adjusted properly because it is easy for a saddle to slip forward and over their head with you aboard if it isn’t! If everything is in order, and he is just being energetic, you can usually get him to smooth out by calling his name and by firmly verbalizing the command, “NO!”

When a horse bucks, one can usually just urge him on to a smooth canter. Mules often have flatter withers that allow the saddle to slip forward onto the shoulder blades. This is why it is so important to employ a crupper to hold the saddle over the center of gravity. They become use to the crupper during lunging, so it should not pose any problems and it will stop flat withers from becoming an issue. Do not use the back girth to hold the saddle in position. It is only there to hold the back of the saddle down, so it should be adjusted snugly, but never tight. Your mule will appreciate the correct fitting of his tack and equipment.

When he learns to move off smoothly and confidently, be generous with your praise. You do not have to stop often to give him the food reward, but it is still important to lavish him with verbal praise, followed by the food reward after he does his first backing and then at the end of his lessons. If you patiently take your time to practice these training methods, first in the Round Pan, and then later in the Open Arena, he will become much more attentive and obedient. You will soon be able to confidently and safely ride off solo with your equine knowing he is completely reliable!

Covered in TRAINING MULES & DONKEY: A LOGICAL APPROACH TO TRAINING, TRAINING WITHOUT RESISTANCE and EQUUS REVISITED at www.luckythreeranchstore.com.