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“The passion that Meredith Hodges feels for the equines that she has fought for all her adult life is still as fresh, inspiring and infectious as it was when she first discovered the world of horses, donkeys and mules. She has never wavered in her devotion to them and in her mission to carve a lasting and honored place for them in our world. They are lucky to have her as their champion, but Meredith actually sees it a bit differently. She feels honored and privileged to be a part of their world.”

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Ground Breaking - Raising the Barn

Hearts and Horses broke ground on a new arena where they will continue to change lives through therapeutic riding. The new arena will be called Lucky Hearts, as much of the funding for the arena was given by Lucky Three Ranch.

Hearts & Horses Virtual Tour

Haven’t made it out to the Hearts & Horses ranch yet? Here’s your chance, thanks to our brand new virtual tour! Discover all of the state-of-the-art facilities designed to heal minds, bodies, and spirits at our 23-acre ranch in Loveland, Colorado.

Latest Podcast

MULE TALK! PODCAST: Donkeys As Livestock Guardians

Meredith Hodges – Lucky Three Ranch talks about: Donkeys As Livestock Guardians – Learn:
  • How to Manage Jacks
  • How to Work With Your Donkeys and Mules to Establish Boundaries
  • Donkeys Don’t Necessarily Make Good Pets
  • How to Protect Yourself from Aggressive Donkey Behavior
  • Never Turn Your Back on Your Jack or Jenny Donks with Babies
  • Using Herd Dogs to Protect Your Herd and more!!!

LISTEN NOW

Learn more about the mule being exceptional and his diversity on Mule Talk podcast.

MULE CROSSING: Choosing the Right Jack

By Meredith Hodges When choosing a jack to breed to your mares and jennets, there are many important factors to consider. Conformation is the most obvious, but size, type, disposition and genetics are equally significant. As a direct result of the donkey’s evolution our choices in jacks are considerably limited these days. In the days when donkeys were widely used as beasts of burden, conformational soundness was an important consideration in their ability to do physical work. Today, the donkey is not as widely used in this manner, becoming more of ...

MULE CROSSING: Donkey Jacks

By Meredith Hodges A donkey jack can be your best friend or your worst enemy! Because he is a donkey, he possesses all the wonderful characteristics particular to donkeys—intelligence, strength, easy maintenance, suitability for many equine sports and, probably most important, an innate affectionate attitude. You must, however, realize that he is still an intact male, often governed by the hormones in his body. When nature takes over, the jack’s conscious thought is greatly diminished and he can become quite hazardous to your health. The jack’s aggressiveness is often masked ...

MULE CROSSING: Understanding the Use of Cruppers and Breeching

By Meredith Hodges
  1. The purpose of tack and equipment has always been to give man comfort and leverage against the equine’s resistance during training, but I believe that the equine is “talking” with his resistance, and this is a cue to find another alternative to achieve harmony when something isn’t working.
  2. Trail Riding and Jumping are two activities where it is positively essential to do core postural training with your equine to solidify his symmetrical balance when in motion, or even standing still.
  3. The animal with deliberate foot placement ...

WRANGLER’S DONKEY DIARY: First Turnout with Chasity: 6-10-20

We tore down the quarantine panels and made one big area for Wrangler’s and Chasity’s turnout. Today would be their first time together in an open area by themselves. Chasity spent two months in quarantine with a double fence between them, then two weeks with a single fence between them. For those two weeks, they were introduced to the round pen and lunged together with no problems. Wrangler has finally found his “LADY LOVE!” But, for the time being, Wrangler is more interested in this GREAT BIG NEW PEN! Chasity watches him with interest while he ...

MULE CROSSING: Owning an Equine Is Serious Business, Part 4

By Meredith Hodges In the final part of this article, the ins and outs of riding precautions and safety will be pinpointed, along with many other crucial details and tips that will help you become not only a better rider, but a better, more understanding equine owner. As previously discussed, it is human nature to want to just get in the saddle and ride and do all of the glamorous, exciting things with a newly purchased equine that we see others do. The good riders make riding look so easy, ...

MULE CROSSING: Donkeys As Livestock Guardians

By Meredith Hodges There has been a lot of discussion since the early nineties around using donkeys for small livestock protection and predator control. Donkeys can certainly be a formidable opponent for cats and dogs and other smaller animals. One needs to be careful about who the donkey is pastured with since it is in their nature to pursue and sometimes kill animals that are smaller and weaker than them. This is true in all donkeys, although some individual females tend to be more maternal and are not apt to ...

MULE CROSSING: Owning an Equine Is Serious Business, Part 3

By Meredith Hodges As discussed in Parts 1 and 2 of this article, there are many more things to think about before purchasing an equine than you could have ever imagined—from the actual purchase of the equine to the management considerations you need to be aware of on a daily basis. It is so important to always keep in mind that an equine is not an inanimate object like a car that you can tune up, drive (or, in this case, ride) at will, and then put back in the ...

WRANGLER’S DONKEY DIARY: Wrangler’s New Love!

3-30-20 Wrangler came to us in 2017 and has had to be in turnout by himself because he was so rambunctious that he didn’t really fit into any of our turnout groups. He was always turned out next to “friend” like Sir Guy but never with anyone else. Mr. Moon was his stable buddy, but still, there was always a run fence between them. Mr. Moon recently turned 32 years old and developed a condition that required that he be put down. Wrangler’s “stable buddy” was now gone. With the empty stall and run ...

MULE CROSSING: Owning an Equine Is Serious Business, Part 2

By Meredith Hodges As discussed in Part 1 of this article, there are many realistic and very important steps to choosing, housing and caring for an equine. Let’s begin at the beginning … BEFORE you make a purchase. TIP: Before you buy your equine, take the time to educate yourself with books and DVDs. Knowledge is your most powerful tool. Here is a checklist of things to consider BEFORE you buy:
  • Consult with knowledgeable professionals who can help you get started on the right foot.
  • Pick your equine for not ...

MULE TALK! PODCAST: Hauling Mules Long Distances

Hauling Mules Long Distances with Meredith Hodges - Lucky Three Ranch - Loveland, CO, shares with us how to prepare to haul your mules and donkeys on a long trip to a show or event, and how to travel safely out of state. Learn about: • Requirements for hauling out-of-state • Truck and trailer checklist • Avoiding stops in the city • Having planned stops • Hay, water, and feed preparation • How to position your stock inside the trailer • Wrapping legs for protection and more! LISTEN NOW Learn ...

MULE CROSSING: Hauling Long Distances

By Meredith Hodges Hauling long distances needn’t be a problem with your Longears, if you use a little common sense and consideration. Their natural durability and good sense make them basically easier to haul than horses. When hauling for more than four or five hours, there are a few things to consider. Be sure to have your Health Papers and recent Coggins tests done for the trip. You will need them to cross state lines. If you need to carry firearms with you, be sure to look into the state ...

MULE CROSSING: Owning an Equine Is Serious Business, Part 1

By Meredith Hodges While many of us were growing up, we were barraged with a deluge of ideas and attitudes about equines that were conveyed to us via multiple forms of media and educational sources. The role models of yesteryear were movies like, My Friend Flicka, books like The Black Stallion or Black Beauty, and TV shows like The Lone Ranger and Hopalong Cassidy. The most commonly known mules were “Francis,” who appeared in the Francis the Talking Mule series, and another mule known as “Ruth,” who appeared in the ...

WRANGLER’S DONKEY DIARY: After the Winter Break: 3-29-21

Wrangler is such a goof ball! Because Wrangler would lock up in front of the Tack Barn and not want to walk over the grate, I got smart and learned to take Chasity to the Tack Barn first. Then, he didn’t even notice the grate and walked right in! However, he gets pretty rambunctious about waiting his turn. I could lead them both at once, but he needs to learn to be by himself with me sometimes...and BEHAVE! When I first got Wrangler, he would get excited like this and ...

MULE CROSSING: Donkey Training, Part 10

By Meredith Hodges It is important that your donkey be in the best posture he can be in while he is performing at this stage of training. The way that he is moving with his body is the way his muscles and tendons will be strengthened and toned, and the way his bones will become permanently aligned. It is difficult for a rider to maintain this impeccable balance through every step and every stride. For this reason, you will use your “elbow pull” training aid to encourage your donkey’s good ...