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!
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!
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.
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!
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.
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, EQUUS REVISITED and A GUIDE TO RAISING & SHOWING MULES at www.luckythreeranchstore.com.
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!
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?
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!
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!”
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!
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.
Mules and donkeys once again made their appearance in a prestigious fashion at the Inaugural Parade held in Washington, D. C., on January 20, 1993. Being invited to participate was indeed an honor, and the American Donkey & Mule Society was respectfully represented thanks to the long hours and hard work contributed by A.D.M.S. representative and parade coordinator Janet Luke, from Alta Loma, California. Prospective parade entrants had to be contacted and advised as to the strict requirements of such a parade. Arrangements had to be made for animal transport and stabling, signing of applications and release forms, and general organization of the group. Just trying to arrange for transport of my own mule and airline tickets for myself was complicated enough, not to mention expensive. Thank you, Janet Luke, for a superb job of organizing and coordinating our parade group entry!
Taking a full week to drive back East to Washington, D.C., was out of the question. I could not leave the ranch for that long, so Lucky Three Bea C.T. was shipped via Nation-Wide Horse Transportation, Inc. to Hunter Mountain Farm in West Augusta, Virginia. My friends and fellow parade participants Barbara Hunter, Cindy Powell, Crystal Wilfong and Wynn DiGrassie graciously cared for “Bea” for two weeks before the parade. Then, on January 18, my friend – and newcomer to the mule industry – Jack Skendzel and I flew to Washington, D.C., to meet with the rest of the A.D.M.S. parade participants at the Prince George Equestrian Center in Alexandria, Virginia the following day.
Everyone was in high spirits and excited about the impending parade, and the best efforts were made to organize as much as possible before the next morning. Our group consisted of Janet Luke, our group leader; Susan Lowery, her assistant; Crystal Wilfong, youth mule rider from Hunter Mountain Farm; and Dean Hudson, who all rode in a three-seat surrey pulled by two lovely Percheron Draft mules owned and driven by Ronald Hudson of Asheboro, North Carolina. Escorting the group in the surrey was Cindy Powell, riding Western mule Lucky Three Stardust, and Wynn DiGrassie, riding Western Side Saddle mule Adkins Banjo, both from Hunter Mountain Farm in West Augusta, Virginia. Loyd Hawley rode Western mule My Darlin Clementine, from Hawleywoods Mule Farm in Prairie Grove, Arkansas; Christie McNerney from Prince George, Virginia rode her Appaloosa mule “Old John”Western, as did Skip Neese from Liberty, North Carolina. Garon Stutzman of Clifton, Virginia was our Hunt Master on a tall, sorrel mule that he had recently named Hillary, while Judy Young from Marrietta, South Carolina, represented the Dressage discipline on her tall, bay mule, Laser. Allan Valk, our rather outspoken mountain man from Cornelius, North Carolina, rode his donkey jack, Tricky Dick and was nearly captured by an all-girls’ trick riding unit!
Ronald Banks of Charlotte, North Carolina, Cindy Langley, and Cindy Robinson of Liberty, North Carolina added to our colorful donkey entries and Chuck Robinson from Liberty, North Carolina provided yet another Western mule entry. Lucky Three Mae Bea C.T. and I represented the English Side Saddle entry from Loveland, Colorado. Our group was led by the official Democratic donkey, Irene and we were accompanied by another spotted donkey that had been designated the official “Donkey for a Change.” All together we had 17 donkeys and mules, and twenty-five people in our Inaugural Parade entry.
Although we had lined up our trucks and trailers the night before according to our parade position, we were required by the military to report to the Equestrian Center at 5:30 A.M. the morning of the parade for meetings and a briefing. Typically, it was a “hurry-up and wait” situation, as there turned out to be no meetings or briefing.
Our parade unit was not allowed to depart for the makeup area and parade route until 10:00 A.M., four and a half hours later! As we pulled into Washington, D. C. proper, I think we were all quite overwhelmed by the millions of people in attendance and by the history that surrounded us! It took awhile for our military escort to find us a place to park the trailers in preparation for the parade, but we did receive a wonderful tour of Washington, D.C.’s historical monuments, including the Capitol building, the White House, the Washington Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the Vietnam Vet’s Wall Memorial and all of the buildings housing the Departments of “this and that!”
This turned out to be somewhat of a thrill for my friend Jack, and some of the others who would be driving the rigs and unable to view the parade route. Our drivers deserve a hearty thank you for their part in keeping us on time and well organized! After we unloaded the mules and donkeys, our drivers were escorted to parking at the end of the parade route where they patiently waited until the end of our part in the parade. After being lost in Arlington Cemetery and at the Pentagon the day before, Jack and I felt that being lost with the trailer in D.C. proper was simply the completion of an adventurous tour!
Although we arrived at our makeup area at about 10:30 A.M., we were not fed into the parade until around 5:30 P.M.! Horses in the other equestrian units were becoming somewhat tired and anxious, but our donkeys and mules, patient and durable animals that they are, waited in anticipation with dignity and purpose while group members exchanged humorous stories and experiences.
When the parade finally did get underway, the sounds were deafening! Our unit was preceded and followed by bands, and as we moved down Pennsylvania Avenue, the noise reverberated off the high-rise buildings that were on each side of us. The donkeys and mules, however, all behaved remarkably well and went about their business like the troopers we all know them to be. Spectators waved and encouraged us along the route, which was lined on both sides of the street by the Secret Service, who somewhat resembled the guards at Buckingham Palace with their stern and stoic faces! Occasionally, the Longears caused a few of them to abandon their reserve and crack a smile as we passed! We passed the reviewing stand shortly after dark where President Clinton looked up briefly from a conversation with one of his aides to smile, wave and give us the high sign. At the end of the parade, we were routed down about 10 blocks of dimly lighted streets, lined with buses and high-rise buildings on both sides.
It was a bit eerie riding down these streets to where the trailers were parked and we were all happy to arrive safely. It was truly an exciting and stimulating experience and once again, our beloved Longears proved that MULES CAN DO… AND DONKEYS, TOO!
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.
You can tell a horse what to do, but you have to ask a mule. Mules and donkeys are smart, sensitive and affectionate animals. Long stereotyped as stubborn and difficult to control, these members of the equine family are actually responsive and compliant when they’re handled properly. Their strength and natural athleticism make them well suited for virtually any equine activity or sport. And with proper training and care, they bond closely with humans and make wonderful companions.
The trick to working with these bright, inquisitive animals is to understand the ways in which they differ from horses. Mules, in particular, derive physical and psychological traits from both the horse and the donkey. Once you understand both the donkey half and the horse half, you’ll be well on your way to a successful relationship with your long-eared friend.
Mule and Donkey Basics
The modern donkey is descended from the Nubian Wild Ass of North Africa.
Domesticated around 3,000 B.C., he has served man well ever since. Donkeys are surefooted, hardy and extremely strong for their size. Like horses, they’re social animals and enjoy the company of their own kind, people and other animals. Unlike horses, in the face of perceived danger, they are inclined to freeze or hide rather than flee.
Mules inherit this powerful instinct for self-preservation from the donkey, along with their innate intelligence and a number of physical traits. Mules may be either male or female, but, with an odd number of chromosomes, they are—in all but the rarest of circumstances—unable to reproduce. Typically, a mule foal will grow to the size of its dam, although he may be up to two inches taller or two inches shorter. Both mules and horses are very strong, but the mule has smoother muscles and more endurance and strength for its size. Mules also eat less, are less susceptible to disease and typically live longer than horses. “Hybrid vigor” gives mules some advantages over their equine cousins, but only proper handling and care will enable them to reach their full potential.
Building the Foundation
Mules and donkeys will bond most closely with the person who trains them. Work with your animal one-on-one to build that critical bond of trust between the two of you, and remember that patience, kindness and consideration are all important. Mules and donkeys can be obedient and extremely reliable when they feel you have their best interests at heart. But treat them harshly, and you’ll encounter resistance at every turn. Mules and donkeys will not do anything that they perceive is dangerous to their health.
Ideally, you’ll have the opportunity to work with your mule or donkey from the time he is born. However, regardless of your animal’s age or ability, it is critical that you begin your training as if you were working with a young animal. Work with a knowledgeable trainer or use a comprehensive training program, begin with the basics and don’t skip any steps. The training information included here pertains to both mules and donkeys. Generally speaking, it’s best to add an extra dose of patience, creativity and good humor when you work with a donkey.
Like all children, a mule foal will take after his parents to some extent. If you have a say in the matter, be careful when you select a mare for breeding. A nice, calm mare sets the example for a nice, calm baby. From the time of his birth, touch your foal and his mother often to make them both comfortable with your presence. A good time to do this is feeding time. Pick up the foal’s feet while he is unrestrained and touch, scratch and stroke him all over to discover what he does and doesn’t like. Give him time to relax and get comfortable with you. Let him choose to be with you, and you’ll find that he wants to be.
This is also a good time to introduce the concept of “reward.” Offer the dam a treat of crimped oats, and your foal will see his mother accept it from your hand and learn to do the same. A consistent system of appropriate and prompt reward is a crucial part of your foal’s life-long resistance-free training program. Mules and donkeys will work for a pleasurable payoff, and a handful of crimped oats serves the purpose well.
At the beginning of training, you should offer rewards often, although only when your animal complies with your direction. This will strengthen the bond between you and encourage good behavior. If your equine pulls away, don’t chase. Simply let go of the ropes, reins, drivelines, etc., and offer him oats until he returns. Your task is to correct and redirect. When your animal understands which behaviors result in a reward, he will want to repeat those behaviors. This is called “behavior modification.”
Mule foals are not much different than human babies when it comes to their need for attention, love, guidance and praise. Giving your foal plenty of time to be a “kid” will help him as he grows, and playtime can do double duty if you play games that give him a sense of security and build the bond between you.
Once your foal is comfortable being handled, you should be able to halter him with little trouble. Feeding time is a good time to start. Teach your foal about the halter and leading while he is still young. You’ll be using halters and lead ropes with him all his life, so the more experience he has with these, the better for both of you.
Tying your foal comes next and takes a series of brief, methodical lessons. First, halter the foal with the mare nearby. Attach a thick cotton lead rope and tie him to a stout hitching post using the safety knot. Approach him every 10 minutes and wait for him to slacken the rope before you release him. Keep lessons to no more than 30 minutes and repeat for as many days as necessary until he doesn’t pull back. Once he’s standing quietly, you can brush him with a soft brush and pick up his feet. He may struggle a bit at first, but as long as he isn’t hurting himself, he’ll be learning how to “stay cool.”
When you can easily halter and tie your foal, untie him and ask him to follow. If he refuses, just tie him up again, wait 10 minutes, untie him and ask him again. When he follows for a few steps, praise him, so he knows he’s doing well. There’s no need to jerk or pull him or hit his rump. Keep your voice calm and use simple commands. Be patient, work with him and reward him when he does what you ask.
When he walks when you say, “walk” and stops when you say, “whoa,” you’re ready to do more. Always hold the lead in your left hand while standing on his left side (the “near side”), and use your right hand to keep him in proper position with his head even with your shoulder or just slightly in front and not too close to or far from you. Your foal should stop when you verbally say “Whoa” and he feels the resistance of a slight drag on the lead rope—not a pulling backwards once he has already passed you When he stops he should stand straight and still on a loose lead and receive his reward.
Until now, you’ve kept your foal in a confined area such as a corral or paddock. Now you can move to a larger area, keeping in mind that this might affect his behavior. Use a calm reassuring voice to let him know that everything’s okay as you introduce him to simple obstacles. Use a lead line to guide him through the course. If he gets frightened, put yourself between the obstacle and your mule. Give him plenty of time to investigate each new object, encouraging him to move forward and praising him with a reward when he touches the obstacle with his nose. This is a time for positive interaction between the two of you. Take your foal with you often to discover new things together. Teach him to trust your judgment now and he’ll trust you always.
Once your mule or donkey will stand calmly when tied and willingly follows you over and around different obstacles, you can introduce him to the trailer. If you’ve built a trusting relationship with him, he should load with little resistance. Never rush. It will only take longer. If he refuses to cooperate with a reward as an inducement, you may need to make gentle use of a lunge line or whip in conjunction with a reward.
Mules are typically a year or more behind horses in their overall development. Even at two years of age, your mule is still a rambunctious youngster, not inclined to be easily restrained. He’s more susceptible to physical and psychological injury at this stage, so proceed with caution—only the simplest lessons are appropriate at this point.
Fundamentals of Resistance-Free Training
During these early lessons, some discipline may be required. If your youngster gets a little bold and jumps or nips at you or kicks, you must correct the behavior so it doesn’t become a bad habit. With the flat of your hand, give him a brisk slap on the side of mouth if he bites or on the rump if he kicks, and in a strong voice say, “No.” Then continue to play with him so he knows that everything is okay. When an older animal bites, slap him on the side of the mouth, say, “No!” very loudly then raise and turn your hand around like a stop sign. He will raise his head, begin to turn to the side and be ready to leave or simply will back up. Immediately take a step toward him, tell him, “Good boy,” and reward him for giving you your space. Be consistent and use only the word “no” to correct him. Correcting kicking through training is covered in DVD number two of my resistance-free training series, Training Mules and Donkeys.
It’s very important to understand that negative behaviors on your part, such as yelling and hitting, when used in isolation, don’t work with mules and donkeys. Abusive behavior will shut the animal down, pushing him into a freeze response and severing the connection between you. If there is any opportunity to do so, he will simply leave you standing alone.
In rare cases when negative reinforcement is required, always immediately follow the negative correction with verbal praise and a reward when the animal responds to the correction. He may test you again, but a raised hand and verbal, “No!” should curb the behavior. He should back off and wait for the reward.
Set the stage for success to encourage good behavior. Just as you’ve established a feeding schedule, also design a training routine. Set up a workstation where you start each lesson. Each day you train, bring your animal here first. Tie him, then groom him and tack up. At the end of each lesson, return to the workstation to un-tack and groom.
Ideally, you’ll have a round pen, arena and obstacle course to work in, but whatever facilities you have, be sure that the training and grooming areas are clean and safe. The familiarity will keep him calm and receptive.
Also get in the habit of covering everything your mule or donkey has previously learned before going on to something new. A quick review will boost his confidence and prepare him to go on to the next level.
Athletic Conditioning Makes the Mule
Training begins by building a positive relationship with your animal, establishing a consistent reward system, and maintaining a safe, comfortable environment. Another often-overlooked but critical component is the need to physically condition your mule or donkey, so he can safely do whatever you ask of him. This is probably the toughest part of training. Our inclination is to rush through the basics to get to the “fun stuff,” but without thorough athletic conditioning, your animal simply won’t have the physical capacity to properly do what you ask. On the contrary, he’ll be more prone to injury and more likely to develop behavioral problems.
The work to develop muscles, tendons and ligaments over a good frame (proper equine posture) doesn’t start in the round pen—it begins on the lead line. Showmanship work on the lead line helps develop strength and balance on the flat ground, in a controlled situation. Leading over obstacles adds coordination to strength and balance. Take your time at this stage of training before moving your animal to the round pen to learn balance at all three gaits on the circle.
Physical loss of balance is the biggest problem in underdeveloped animals and the most common cause of bad behavior. When you pace your training to fully develop muscles, tendons and ligaments over an aligned frame, your mule or donkey will feel good all over and be more willing to comply. Stretching is also important for the conditioned athlete—young or old. Make sure you incorporate appropriate stretches throughout your training program to protect your animal from injury. It takes years for an equine to grow and develop properly. Give him the benefit of patience, kindness, and proper care, and you’ll both reap the rewards.
Taking Training to the Next Level
When you think of mules and donkeys, activities such as driving, packing and trail riding probably come to mind. But these days, mules, in particular, perform in an amazing variety of events including reining, roping, pleasure classes, endurance events, hunter classes, jumping and even dressage and combined training. In fact, in 2004, the United States Equestrian Federation voted to allow mules into sanctioned dressage competition.
Better breeding, better training and renewed interest have boosted the popularity of long-eared equines as pets and performance animals. By selecting your mare carefully, you can help determine your mule’s athletic potential. By choosing and adhering to a comprehensive, sequential training program, you can help him reach that potential in a way that keeps him healthy and happy.
Regardless of how you plan to use your mule, basic showmanship training lays the foundation for all future training. For showmanship, your mule or donkey must learn to follow your shoulder at a walk and a trot, stand squarely and quietly, and do a turn-on-the-haunches. Each time you lead your mule, do it as if you were in a showmanship class. The walk from the barn or pasture is a good place to start.
After you and your mule master showmanship, you can begin to vary your training routine. For example, you might practice showmanship one day, rest the next, look at obstacles the next day, rest for a day, go for a trail walk, rest and then add lunging and so on. Your mule needs time to think, so keep it fun for both of you. Keep your expectations reasonable and remember that short, frequent lessons (20-40 minutes) with a day’s rest in between are better than long, repetitive drills. Also, understand that disobedience is an honest response to YOU and what you’re asking. If you’re not getting the response you want, ask a different way.
Training for Saddle
Keeping in mind the simple principle that you must persuade rather than force your mule or donkey to comply, we move to the round pen and to lunging. This is where he learns more voice commands and continues to develop his muscles, balance and rhythm through walk, trot and canter on the circle.
Begin by lunging your mule first in the bridle and then in the bridle and saddle for ten-minute intervals. Then add the elbow pull to put him in proper frame and correctly develop his muscles. Follow your trainer’s instructions as you practice at all three gaits and through the reverse. When you and your mule have perfected your lunging technique, you’re ready for ground driving in the round pen.
Ground driving builds your mule’s confidence and teaches him the fundamentals of riding without the stress of a rider. Here, the animal learns verbal and rein cues that set the stage for more advanced resistance-free training. If your goal is to ride your mule or donkey, keep in mind that these animals mature more slowly than horses. A mule might not be physically or mentally ready to carry a rider until he’s four years old. When your mule is physically prepared, comfortable with the saddle and bridle, and proficient in ground driving, then you’re ready to ride.
Again, think like a mule and give your animal plenty of time to adjust to new sensations and directions. Always wear a helmet and work with an assistant until you’re confident your mule can calmly walk, trot and lope with you on board, first in the round pen and then in the open arena. As your mule advances, remember to work on your own “horsemanship” and the accuracy of your movements.
Training for Driving
Driving your mule or donkey can be great fun, but driving is very different from riding and the details are paramount. Driving can be hazardous for you and your animal, not to mention whatever or whomever is in your path. Choose a good mule candidate—one who will stay fairly calm in the face of new situations. If you’re inexperienced, be sure to work with a trainer before setting off on your own.
Of course, before you tack up, you’ll need to desensitize your animal to the sound and feel of the harness, blinders and other equipment. Take your time here and follow your trainer’s instructions carefully. In general, too much desensitization can make your mule bored and disinterested. Instead, use the introductory techniques you used in leading training and play to his natural curiosity and sense of adventure to bolster his confidence.
Once he’s comfortable with the equipment, practice lunging and ground driving your mule in harness. Eventually, you can add a PVC pole to mimic the shaft, then a drag (such as an old tire) for weight, then a travois of two poles and a crosspiece. Clear verbal commands are essential here. Used in combination with the lines and a suitable driving whip, they will be your primary means of communication. Take your time and remember that every animal is different. Safety should always be your primary concern. The rest will come in time.
Making friends
This is only an overview of resistance-free training fundamentals for mules and donkeys. If you’re serious about working with one of these smart, strong animals, you’ll need to invest in a complete training program. Any equine training program worth its salt will address not only the exercises required for performance, but also the physical, mental and emotional well-being of the animal.
Even abused or neglected animals can be rehabilitated using resistance-free training methods that include methodical conditioning. With love and patience, mistreated mules and donkeys can learn to trust again and injured animals can recover and thrive. Training a mule or donkey is like making a friend—it’s something no one else can do for you, and the experience teaches you as much about yourself as it does about your mule. Remember to keep it fun and enjoy the journey.
Our Training Mules and Donkeys DVD training series, was developed to help you to train your own animal with resistance-free techniques. This is important, especially in the case of mules and donkeys that actually bond to the person who trains them. In order for our program to work, it is important to use it correctly. Regardless of the age or experience of the animal, you need to begin with DVD #1 and take the training in sequence. Each DVD poses different tasks to help facilitate a good working relationship with the trainer and helps to strengthen the muscles at each stage to prepare the animal for things to come. We are preparing the animal physically, mentally, and emotionally. This is why it is important not to proceed too quickly and to do things in their natural order.
Each DVD should take six months to a year to complete, depending upon the individuals involved. Though you can buy the DVDs one at a time, there are benefits to purchasing the entire series. In addition to substantial discounts, you are able to look ahead and understand the purpose in what you are doing at the time.
Our program is like grade school for equines, and lays a good solid foundation for versatility and optimum performance. We begin with simple tasks that build on each other. This not only teaches the animal to do what we ask, but it also teaches us to become more prompt and appropriate in rewarding positive behaviors to get the best results. We do not use the reward system (crimped oats) to bribe or coerce. The oats are given only after a positive task has been completed. When you do this correctly, there are little to no resistive behaviors. When we do this correctly, the animal learns to want to please, enjoys his time with you, and actually looks forward to each training session. The result is an obedient, submissive, dependable companion and athlete, capable of performing English, Western, Gymkhana, Driving, or any other equine activity that you would prefer.
We developed this program to encourage people to form their own relationships with their animals, so they can get the best from their animals. The DVDs give you a lot of detail about what to do from day to day in your training sessions, which is virtually impossible to do with clinics or from sending your animal to a trainer. I am available by phone or mail should you have difficulties along the way, and I am prompt in getting back to you, so problems can be dealt with when they arise. Imagine! Your trainer is only a phone call or e-mail away! The cost is also considerably less than sending your animal to a trainer.
Mules and donkeys bond to the people who train them, so we encourage owners to do the training with the help of our resistance free training series that provides a solid base for all equine activities. This series will help you get the best from any equine whether large or small, donkey, mule or horse. It is designed like grade school is for children. You and your equine will learn together in a natural and logical order.
Whether your equine is a foal, has had partial training or a new animal, begin with DVD #1 (and with DVD #8). In this DVD, you will not only teach simple things like haltering, tying and leading, but you will learn to employ a reward system of training called Behavior Modification. You will learn to recognize and reward good behaviors in your animal and set up situations that can be rewarded. Your equine’s athletic conditioning begins with appropriate exercises that develop all internal structures that support the body. Your equine will grow and develop properly, and will consequently perform better.
Training Mules and Donkeys: A Logical Approach to Longears is the first book to be published, has a more abbreviated view of the overall training process and general information about the psychology of mules and donkeys.
The book, Donkey Training is basically the same as DVD’s #9 and #10 without the benefit of the moving pictures (and has bonus information that the DVDs do not have) and illustrates the things that are different about training donkeys as opposed to horses and mules. Donkeys often do things in a different order and sometimes, they don’t need to learn to lunge at all until much later in their training…after they are already going well under saddle, or in harness. This DVD is designed to be used in conjunction with DVD #1 through DVD #8 when training donkeys.
Our book, A Guide to Raising & Showing Mules has a lot of valuable general information that complements the resistance free DVD training series with more about breeding, mare and foal care, and general Mulemanship and maintenance issues. It is the perfect complement to the video series and a must-have for beginners and 4-H projects.
In DVD #1: Foal Training, you will not only be imprinting your animal and training for the simple tasks such as tying and leading, but you will also learn how to be prompt and appropriate with your rewards. The exercises will start your equine on a program that will begin to strengthen his muscles and promote coordination. Imprinting is not just something you do with a foal and then it’s done. Imprinting is the way you touch and handle your animal every time you are with him throughout his entire life. As you learn how he likes to be touched, you can use this to help him to stay calm and accepting. How you touch him will determine whether, or not, he develops confidence and trust in you! When your equine is approached with patience and kindness, and is rewarded for standing quietly, it will be easier to handle him for such things as deworming and doctoring and he will be more willing to stand still to be mounted. The leading exercises in this DVD will start your equine on a program that will begin to strengthen his muscles and promote balance and coordination.
In DVD #2: Preparing for Performance: Groundwork, you will begin your lunging and ground driving lessons. The exercises will increase in their demand and begin to develop more bulk muscle in preparation for work in harness and riding. Equines will be introduced to the snaffle bit and other tack in this DVD. We use English bridles with a noseband and drop noseband over a mild snaffle bit right from the beginning, so they never even try to get their tongue over the bit. This teaches them to accept the bit easily and to form the good habit of taking contact with the bit instead of avoiding it and allowing bad habits to start. It is easier to prevent a bad habit than it is to try to break it later. You will see how putting the animal in the correct frame (or posture) from the beginning in the round pen with what we call the “elbow pull” enables him to build his muscles correctly and symmetrically throughout his body You will learn how your body language affects his movement in the round pen and on the drivelines. Your equine may begin to be aggressive for his reward and you will learn how to set limits to these aggressive behaviors to set the stage for a polite and well-mannered equine. If biting, or kicking, has been a problem in DVD #1, you will learn how to correct these behaviors in DVD #2.
DVD #3: Preparing for Performance: Driving, provides all the information you need to safely train your equine to drive. It covers carts and carriages, hitching training, Reinsmanship, Pleasure Driving, Obstacle Driving, working in harness, lateral exercises, obstacles, driven dressage and driving rules. You can begin this DVD after you have completed the foundation work in DVD’s #1 and #2.
DVD #4: Basic Foundation for Saddle. If you don’t wish to drive, you can go straight to DVD #4 and begin your equine’s riding training in a natural and non-stressful manner that eliminates adverse behaviors such as bucking or running off. We address both the needs of the rider and the equine as a team focusing on the right approach, good balance and coordination of both equine and rider. You can begin this DVD after you have completed DVD’s #1 and #2.
When you finally mount your equine and start riding, the only thing left for him to do is to get used to your shifting weight on his back and the new leg cues he will feel on his sides. Because he has learned to carry his own body in good, strong equine posture and has already learned what rein cues mean through ground driving, he will be better able to do all the different moves that you ask of him under saddle without being generally overwhelmed by too many things happening all at once. As you progress under saddle, you will be better able to perfect your own riding skills and your equine will become lighter in the bridle and more responsive to your cues. You both will not have to deal with the weakness, awkwardness, confusion and disobedience that originate from a lack of preparation for the tasks.
In DVD #5: Intermediate Saddle Training, we help the rider fine tune his own skills and begin to cultivate a harmonious rapport between equine and owner with fun, safe and simple exercises that will enhance your riding experience whether it is for show, or pleasure. You can begin this DVD after you have completed DVD’s #1 and #2 and #4.
DVD #6: Advanced Saddle Training will begin to prepare the rider for specific disciplines and help them to make choices about what they might enjoy more. It demonstrates how the simple elements of dressage are the basis for all equine disciplines including gymkhana, reining, cutting, English and Western pleasure, trail, or even simply weekend trail riding. This kind of training is not just for show, but to keep both of you safe and happy during your time together. You can begin this DVD after you have completed DVD’s #1 and #2, #4 and #5.
DVD #7: Jumping gives the owner the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of jumping and condition their equine in a safe and methodical manner and… how to ride, build and evaluate jump courses. It covers exercises to prepare your equine to carry him safely over any obstacle, multi-level terrain or jumps. You can begin this DVD after you have completed DVD’s #1 and #2, #4, #5 and #6.
DVD #8: Management, Fitting & Grooming. Of course, your equine needs to be fed and maintained properly to get the best response from him during training and this is done in DVD #8. We also offer grooming tips and more advanced lessons in showmanship at the end of this video.
DVD’s #9 and #10 cover techniques that are specific to donkeys and these two DVDs are designed to be used in conjunction with the other video tapes.
DVD #9:Keys to Training the Donkey: Introduction and Basic Training covers groundwork technique that is specific to donkeys, how to train jacks to breed mares for mule production and how to measure your animal for athletic potential and should be used in conjunction with DVDs #1 and #2.
DVD #10: Keys to Training the Donkey: Saddle Training & Jumping covers saddle training and jumping and should be used in conjunction with DVD’s #4 through #7. You can also purchase our book, Donkey Training which is the same as DVD’s #9 and #10, but sometimes having the moving pictures can be more helpful than still shots. Also, if you want to teach your donkey to drive, you would also need DVD’s #1, #2, and #3.
Training Without Resistance (DVD’s #1 – #7) and Equine Management & Donkey Training (DVD’s #8 – #10) are exactly the same as the electronic workbooks that accompany the DVDs. These two manuals are also helpful to those who cannot afford the DVD series or for those who would like a professionally published workbook. They are both translated into French, German and Spanish, so our non-English speaking friends can read along with the DVD series in their own language.
Equus Revisited: A Complete Approach to Athletic Conditioning. This comprehensive 4-part DVD and companion manual explains WHY it is so important to spend plenty of time on groundwork and development of the core strength of your equine. It covers multiple aspects of your equine’s care in great detail with a team of experts. It has a lot of special features about various subjects and in-depth explanations about the anatomy and physiology of the equine.
Why So Many Different Books and Videos?
I do offer “Packages” because each of the materials covers the elements of management and training from a different perspective with a different focus:
Training Mules and Donkeys: A Logical Approach to Longears book is an overview or summary of the entire training program
Donkey Training book is mostly about what things are done differently with donkeys than with horses and mules during the training process at each stage
A Guide to Raising & Showing Mules book includes management (housing, fences, disease, teeth, hooves, etc.) , breeding and showing information with some regard to training
10-DVD Training Mules and Donkeys DVD series is a collection of the exercises that you DO in what order with each DVD representing roughly 1 year of training (except for 8, 9 and 10…see explanations in detail in what I sent before)
Training Without Resistance manual is a collection of DVD’s #1 through #7 with extra detailed information in print and available in French, German and Spanish translations.
Equine Management & Donkey Training manual is a collection of DVD’s #8 through #10 with extra detailed information in print and available in French, German and Spanish translations.
Equus Revisited manual/DVD combo addresses WHY you are doing all the things that you do in the books and videos. If you had to pick just one book, I would suggest the “Equus Revisited” manual AND the companion DVD.
However, buying the Horse/Mule Complete Package (at a discount rather than buying products individually) would give you all you need because basically the Donkey Training book (that is left out) is exactly the same as DVD #9 and #10 and the Equine Management and Donkey Training manual has extra information that the book does not have.
Our online school, TMD-Equine University offers the ultimate equine experience including a course in equine business. It was founded in order to provide extensive education in the care, maintenance and training for horses, ponies, donkeys, mules and other equine hybrids. We think it is important to understand and embrace the differences between the breeds. This course of study will teach the student in-depth management practices that assure that graduating students fully understand and can implement these practices in a healthy and safe manner for both the equine and the owner. Students who complete the program successfully will receive full Certification from the State of Colorado. Visit www.TMDequineuniversity.com.
For more information and purchase of our products, you can call 1-800-816-7566 or visit our website at www.LuckyThreeRanch.com. Our website is also translated into French and Spanish for foreign convenience. Under Training, be sure to read archived articles posted in the Mule Crossing section, peruse commonly asked questions in Ask Meredith, get more details in our Training Tips and watch our new television shows and past RFD-TV shows with Video on Demand. If you don’t have a computer, you can go to a library and use their computer, or ask a friend to help you out. Take time to peruse our Classified Ads section (this is a free service and an open forum, so we caution buyers to beware and check carefully). Under Resources, we post contact information for mule and donkey clubs and rescue organizations, keep you up to date about Equine Welfare in the news and heavily support Therapeutic Riding. Click our Homepage links for You Tube, Facebook and Twitter. And, don’t forget to check out our children’s website at www.JasperTheMule.com. Join the American Donkey & Mule Society (www.lovelongears.com,adms@lovelongears.com) to receive their bimonthly magazine with even more valuable information for a mere $27/yr. Learn together, enjoy the time with your equine and excel together!
Thank you for your email. It was good of you to take the time to contact me. Although we begin our DVD series with “Foal Training,” no matter how old, you should always begin training with imprinting and move forward from there with attention to feed as well. This will insure a positive introduction and will help to build a good relationship with your equine.
Our methods are meant to be done in a sequence and taking shortcuts or changing our method in some way will not yield the same results. After many years of training for other people, I have found that equines, especially mules and donkeys, bond to the person who trains them. When they go away to other people, they do not get the benefit of this bonding and can become resistant over time when they return home. After all, you wouldn’t ask someone else to go out and make a friend for you, would you? This is the primary reason I put my entire training program in books and videos, in a natural order like grade school is for children, for people to use as a resistance free correspondence training course instead of doing clinics and seminars. People are encouraged to use the series and to contact me via mail, email or telephone for answers to any questions.
No matter how old or how well trained the equine, they still need time doing the simplest of things to get to know you before they will learn to trust and have confidence in you. The exercises that you do should build the body slowly, sequentially and in good equine posture. No human or equine is born in good posture. It is something that needs to be taught and practiced repetitively if it is to become a natural way of moving the body. When the body is in good posture, all internal organs can function properly and the skeletal frame will be supported correctly. Just as our children need routine, ongoing learning and the right kind of exercise while they are growing up, so do equines. They need boundaries for their behavior clearly outlined to minimize anxious behaviors and inappropriate behavior, and the exercises that you do together need to build their strength and coordination in good equine posture. The time spent together during leading training and going forward builds a good solid relationship with your equine and fosters his confidence and trust in you because you actually help him to feel physically better. A carefully planned routine and an appropriate feeding program is critical to healthy development.
Most equines never experience core muscle strength and this becomes even more important as they age. We do leading training for a full year to not only get them to learn to lead and to develop a good relationship with them, but also to develop good posture and core muscle strength in preparation to carry a rider. Leading lessons for postural strength and balance need only be done for 15-20 minutes once a week to be certain that they aren’t fighting balance problems later when you mount and ride. Even an older equine with previous training would still need this for optimum performance and longevity. During the time you do the leading training strengthening exercises, you should NOT ride the animal as this will inhibit the success of the preliminary exercises.
If you ride while you do these exercises, it will not result in the same proper muscle conditioning, habitual behavior and new way of moving. The lessons need to be routine and done in good posture to acquire the correct results. Hold the lead rope in your LEFT hand, keep his head at your shoulder, match your steps with his front legs, point in the direction of travel with your right hand and look where you are going doing straight lines, gradual arcs and square him up with equal weight over all four feet EVERY TIME you stop. We are building NEW habits in their way of moving and the only way that can change is through routine, consistency in the routine and correctness in the execution of the exercises. Since this also requires that you be in good posture as well, you will also reap the benefits from this regimen. Along with feeding correctly (as described below), these exercises will help equines to drop fat rolls and to begin to take on a more correct shape and become strong in good posture.
Today’s general horse training techniques do not generally work well with mules and donkeys. Most horse training techniques used today speed up the training process so people can ride or drive sooner and it makes the trainers’ techniques more attractive, but most of these techniques do not adequately prepare the equine physically in good posture for the added stress of a rider on his back. Mules and donkeys have a very strong sense of self preservation and need work that builds their bodies properly so they will feel good in their new and correct posture, or you won’t get the kind of results you might expect. Forming a good relationship with your equine begins with a consistent maintenance routine and appropriate groundwork. Most equines don’t usually get the well-structured and extended groundwork training on the lead rope that paves the way to good balance, core muscle conditioning and a willing attitude. This is essential if he is truly expected to be physically and mentally prepared for future equine activities. With donkeys and mules, this is critically important.
The equine should be at least four years of age when the rider is finally introduced to insure that there is no undue stress on his body at the earlier stages of development. Equines generally run through the bit and exhibit other bad behaviors because they become anxious, lose their balance and don’t really have complete physical control of their bodies. They are unable to physically comply with your wishes without losing their balance, which makes them nervous and causes resistance. Changing bits or rushing through groundwork training so you can ride or drive sooner NEVER really works. Training is more than just teaching the equine to do “movements.” You should be creating an environment for success and conditioning his muscles to do movements easily and with minimal stress. This produces an equine with a happy and healthy working attitude. In order to get your mule to be soft and submissive in the snaffle bit, you need to be prepared to spend six months on flatwork leading training (also known as showmanship training for strength in good posture) and another six months leading through obstacles (turning fear into curiosity and then adding coordination to his strength and balance) before moving to the round pen work in DVD #2. Longears and horses do much better in a number of ways when you are patient enough to do this: a calmer attitude because they know what to expect, development of symmetrical muscle strength in good equine posture, a better response to verbal commands, better balance, better coordination and the ability to perform correctly.
Feeding & Weight Maintenance
What your animal is eating can have a direct impact on his response to training. Many feeds can cause hypertension in Longears (and horses, too!) and an inability to focus for any length of time. Mules and donkeys require a lot less feed than horses because they are half donkey and donkeys are desert animals. Too much feed or the wrong kind of feed and you run the risk of colic, or founder. The formula for our oats mix is very simple. Depending on the individual, feed the average sized equines (13 hands to 17 hands) 1-1/2 to 2 cups of oats mixed with 1 oz. of Sho Glo and 1 oz. of Mazola corn oil. Drafts (over 17 hands) get twice as much and the minis get 1/4 (small minis under 36 inches) to 1/2 (36 to 48 inches) as much. Of course, if they seem to need a little more oats, just increase it a half cup at a time and watch how they add weight or not. Most of their weight gain and loss we monitor by increasing and decreasing the hay intake because a maximum of 4 cups of oats (usually during the winter) is all they need, especially when you are also giving them oats as rewards during exercise lessons when they actually need the added energy. The oats must be broken open in some way (crimped, steamed, rolled, etc.) as equines cannot digest whole oats. We feed this once a day in the evenings, grass hay twice a day and we monitor weight gain with the hay and pasture intake. Young mules like human teenagers can eat a lot when growing and can have as much grass hay at each feeding as they will clean up. Do not alter or modify this with other products in any way for the best results. Also, make sure they have access to a trace mineral salt block for their salt and mineral needs. We worm our equines with Ivermectin paste wormer in January, March, May, July and September and then break the cycle with Strongid in November. We vaccinate in the spring and fall. Consult your veterinarian for the types of vaccines you will need for your area. You should never feed Longears (donkeys, or mules) any pre-mixed sweet feeds, or products high in alfalfa. Equines in general should never be turned out in a pasture with Fescue grass. Our pastures are seeded with brome and orchard grass and they seem to do best on that mix.
For those animals who are older and haven’t the teeth to chew their feed, we add grass hay cubes or Timothy hay pellets to their crimped oats mix. We mix the oats, vitamin concentrate and corn oil in a blender and add this to a bucket of grass hay cubes (amount will vary from animal to animal) that have been soaked in water. For minis, they would get roughly 3-4 cups of hay cubes in the mix. This produces a mix that is not too soupy nor too dry, so they have no problems eating it. They can have this mixture two, or three times a day in the morning, sometimes midday, and evening, depending on the needs of the individual animal.
Your equine should be kept in a smaller area for evening feedings, overnight and for morning feedings. This has several benefits: 1) Each animal can be checked every day for any injuries or anomalies, 2) He will not have to fight for his food, he can sleep uninterrupted and be more calm and fresh each day, 3) You will then be able to turn him out at specific times for grazing during the day and bring him back in each night. This way you can monitor his grazing intake so he will not be able to overgraze and colic, or founder, 4) the smaller area affords you a confined space for beginning training so there is no need to chase him, or be interrupted by other animals, and 5) having this definite routine lets your animal know what to expect and lessens adverse behaviors. You should always begin with DVD #1 and #8 (feeding, maintenance and advanced showmanship training) and take the training in sequence. When you feed the oats mix in the evenings, it makes it easier to call them back from shortened pasture time in the spring (they have to work into extended pasture time slowly and over several weeks) and they will be more apt to come to you easily after their morning feeding of grass hay for their lessons only when they know you have fanny pack full of oats for them. If you do things out of order, the results will not be the same.
The other thing we do for older equines with limited teeth is give them grass hay to chew on during the day to prevent nervous behaviors that can arise from a lack of grazing time as long as it does not negatively affect their weight gain, or loss. With compromised teeth, they will generally chew it into a cigar and spit it out. Also, pregnant mares and jennets can have the oats mix until they are six weeks out from foaling. Then they should only have grass hay until six weeks after foaling, after which you can then resume the oats mix.
Reason for our Feeding Program and Exercise
I know you must be VERY confused by now with all the “great advice” that people freely give out there to each other. Grazing alone does not provide all the daily nutritional requirements. The Sho Glo by Manna Pro is a One-A-Day Vitamin supplement that provides them with all their daily requirements when coupled with a trace mineral salt block to lick at will as they need it. The Mazola corn oil is the ONLY oil that really does promote a healthy hair coat, healthy hooves and digestive tract regularity. Equines should only be fed grass hays (orchard, brome, timothy, Bermuda, etc.) except for Fescue grass (it has been known to cause spontaneous abortions in pregnant mares among other things). Legume hays (leafy hays like alfalfa and clover) are fine for cows and animals that have multiple “stomachs,” but not for equines.
Rock and Roll Feeding
My rescue draft mules, Rock and Roll were on very expensive products and were in terrible shape when I first got them in December 2010. Their digestive tracts were compromised and they were supplemented with probiotics. I immediately dumped it all and put them on my feed program. I began to see a marked difference in FOUR days! You can read about their story in the article Rock and Roll: The Story of a Rescue in the “Mule Crossing” section on my website at www.luckythreeranch.com. I have not yet had a client who changed their feed program to this (no modifications) that did not have success almost immediately.
LTR Training Philosophy
Like human athletes, all equine athletes need to be prepared properly with feed and exercise over a long period of time for the activities they will be doing. Jumping and other FUN activities are often an advanced activity and should not be done until much later in the training program. In addition to the information given here, I would suggest that you read my series about miniature donkey training titled “Getting Down with Minis” found in the “Mule Crossing” section under “Training” on my website at www.luckythreeranch.com. Our training program is designed with healthy and appropriate exercise with safety in mind that is easily executed by anyone if you start at the beginning and work your way through slowly and sequentially. The end result is an equine that is truly bonded to you, confident in their job and able to do what you ask without unexpected bolting, bucking, running, off, etc. It is also healthy exercise for you that will also prepare you to be a better rider. The walking exercises for good posture, for example, begin to allow your hips to open up and move more freely, so when you finally do get on, you are better able to follow and not block the motion of the equine. Our methods will make it much safer and enjoyable for you and your equine whether horse, mule donkey, or any other hybrid cross.
I have spent over 50 years training all equines and the past 43 with a concentration on Longears. I have found that my training techniques can to date be used with ALL equines. After successfully showing from 1981 to 2000, I decided that it was important to document all I have learned in my books, videos, TV shows.
If I had continued to show, train, judge and give clinics, I would never have had the time to document and compile all this information for my fans. After being on RFD-TV for ten years, I opted to put all my TV shows on my website for people to see promptly upon request with Video on Demand. The in-person training I do now is with my students from my school and maintaining my own equines. I am still available to all those who use my products as a coach that they can contact at any time via email, mail, Facebook, phone calls, etc. I answer all questions personally which is also something I could not do if I were traveling a lot. There is a lot to consider when learning with your equine and that is why so many books and DVDs. They contain a wide variety of comprehensive information that is different in each product, but they complement each other so you get the WHOLE picture and not just bits and pieces.
I firmly believe that when you give both you and your equine ample time to learn together doing very simply things that you can actually do together over a longer period of time (like grade school is for children), and then let things progress at your own pace, you can begin to truly enjoy your time together. You learn to appreciate the “little” victories along the way that keep you happy in the learning process. As you “practice” these simple things, you will get better and will be able to move forward easily. It’s just like learning anything. It will be unfamiliar and awkward at first, but as you practice adequately with groundwork first, it gets easier and you will then be prepared to move on to the next steps. If the steps are hurried and too overwhelming, you find yourself defeated before you even get started and the fun is eliminated altogether. That’s when resistance begins. It is better to minimize any resistance by doing the preparatory work before riding. Then when you finally do ride, you and your equine will really be ready for that next stage of training. When you are both fighting imbalanced bodies, it is hard to find stable ground to work from in order to actually enjoy mutual cooperation.
Benefits of Training in a Logical Sequence
If you do the exercises as described in our products, they will prepare you for each stage of training that is to come and you will be more “in shape” to ride properly when you finally do get on. Any resistive behaviors will be minimized. The materials are done in a logical and sequential order that you can follow easily by starting at the beginning with imprinting and leading training…first on flat ground (for core strength and good postural balance) and later over obstacles (to add coordination to the strength and balance), then lunging for postural balance while in a faster motion (to teach the equine to stay erect and bend through his rib cage on the arc of the round pen), then ground driving to teach him rein cues and to teach you more coordination with both your legs and now the reins.
Once you are mounted, you will put all you have learned together and will be able to communicate effectively with your equine. He will then be calm and solid when you finally do mount and ride. There should be no problems with biting, kicking or bolting (kicking training covered in DVD #2). He will be more willing to stand still when you mount, carry you while staying attentive to your cues and will not run off or buck. And he will be less likely to become herd bound and always want to go back to the barn. You have made a good friend because you have made him feel good by not asking him to do anything that he is not physically prepared to do. After mounting training in the round pen in DVD #4, in DVD #5 you will have exercises that are designed specifically for the rider to improve rider balance and effectiveness with the cues. This program is done in a logical and sequential manner. To modify or change it would affect the end results.
The Reward
When we train, we use the same crimped oats as a reward since it gives them the extra energy they will need during training. Crimped oats are also a treat that they will never tire of and will continue to work for. Carrots and other treats do not work the same way and will not yield the same results. I began using this program more than 30 years ago and all of my equines have remained in remarkably good shape. We have had the broodmares on the same program and colic has ceased to be a problem.
We carry the crimped oats in a fanny pack and when the animal knows you have them, and that they will be rewarded for compliance, they don’t run off and are willing to follow you anywhere. Animals need to be rewarded for the good things they do with more than just a pat on the neck in order to insure that good behaviors will be repeated. People get pay and other rewards for their jobs and that is why they continue to do them. Food is the animal’s payment for doing a good job. You just need to learn what food is best to use and how to dispense it appropriately for the best results. For equines, it is crimped (rolled, cracked, or steamed) oats. Contrary to popular belief, the equine that is rewarded with crimped oats is less likely to bite than one that does not get the practice of taking them out of your hand.
Learning the Reward System
The most important thing when training your equine is to learn to dispense the crimped oats reward promptly and generously in the beginning, and only when your equine is complying. This will solidify the connection between you, insure that the positive behaviors will be repeated and will begin to facilitate a strong and mutually satisfying relationship. If your equine tries to pull away, just let go of the rope, call his name, reach in your fanny pack and offer the oats to coax him to return to you. Do not chase him! Do not try to progress through lessons too quickly as this is usually what causes disobedience.
Before you begin leading lessons, your equine should be rewarded frequently during the tying lessons when he is not pulling against the rope. This way, he will know that he will be rewarded when the rope is loose. It is the same for each new task. When he complies easily, he should be rewarded and you can move on to a new lesson, but be sure to take the process in small enough steps to assure his success at every step. Be generous with the rewards for new behaviors being learned! Then, reward less often on things already learned and reward new lessons lavishly. Again, the equine that learns to take the oats reward politely from your hand is less likely to bite you than the one that has never had the practice! If he does get aggressive, there is a definite way to react to your equine.
Correcting Aggressive Behavior
If your equine gets too close or pushy as an adult, you should slap him with an open hand on the side of the mouth, say “No” very loudly and put your hand up like a stop sign. He will then step back, or fling his head back quickly, at which point you should say, “Good, Boy (or Girl),” take a step toward him and give him a reward for giving you your space. In the future, you should only have to put your hand up like a stop sign and say, “No!” If you have done this correctly, the equine should then be conditioned to take a step backwards and wait for his reward when you put up your hand like a stop sign. Be very consistent about when and how the rewards are given, and assess carefully whether a negative correction is truly needed. “No” is the only negative verbal command and will be used as the only word that denotes your displeasure, so there is never any confusion for the equine (do not use any other words or noises!).
Foal Kicking and Biting
Equine foals need to be allowed to play: running, kicking and rolling. This is how they exercise so they will grow to be healthy adults. You should not expect a foal to have perfect manners. You will need to keep lessons short and use good judgment when you are with him to avoid being kicked or bitten. If he does kick or bite while you are doing things with him, use the flat of your hand and give him a quick thump on the rump for kicking or on the side of his mouth for biting…and be sure to say, “No!” loudly when you do. He will probably run off, but should be able to be coaxed back easily at which point you reward him with a nice pat on the neck and then leave him to play. You just want to let him know he should not kick at you, or bite, but it is okay to play. You can resume more serious lessons later. You cannot expect to teach a baby not to kick and bite all the time; it is just part of being an equine baby!
Important Reward System Guidelines
Many horse feeds are much too rich for most longears and can actually cause detachment and hypertension. Feed only as I describe. This diet is fine for all equines if you have multiple equines.
Keep the oats reward in a fanny pack around your waist at all times, reward promptly and concentrate only on the lessons at hand (leading straight lines, , backing straight lines, leading in gradual arcs…turns on the haunches come later during obstacle leading training… and no abrupt turns and square him up EVERY TIME you stop).
Feed can be a huge part of a mule or donkey’s attention problem, but another important consideration is the need for you to be very consistent and calm through each step of the process. All the things outlined in my books and DVDs fit together like a jigsaw puzzle, so it really is important to have all the pieces for the big picture to turn out correctly. For instance, you will see how the feeding of oats and using them as the reward fits together like a glove…how feeding the oats at night makes it easier to bring them in off limited pasture time in the spring and how getting no oats for breakfast makes them more interested in you and your fanny pack during training sessions! I think you are going to find this training program has a lot of “Whoo Hoo!” moments to it to keep you both safe and happy at the same time!
It isn’t so much how much TIME you spend in training as much as it is the QUALITY of the time spent! Fifteen minutes, once a week DOES build core muscle strength quite adequately! Bulk muscle comes later. If you do your part, he will do his and you BOTH will be great ambassadors for the breed! And, I am always here to help you through any snags along the way. Just FYI, the problems that arise will probably be your own fault and not that of your equine! I learned early on that equine’s always have an honest response to what we are doing. So, when things go awry, just ask yourself, how can I approach this differently for a positive result and the solution should come to you.
In the beginning, always do your flatwork leading lessons in an enclosed arena, so that if he does get away, he has nowhere to go but back to you to get out.
Only spend fifteen minutes a week on these leading lessons and only twice a week at the most. In the beginning, they will have a very short attention span and will bolt away when they are bored! If he does bolt, just let go, let him run off (he should be fenced in) and then just stay where you are and ask him, “Do you want more oats?” And shake the fanny pack, then stand and wait for him to come. If he just won’t come to you, just head for the gate and threaten to leave him by himself…just wait by the gate and call him once more. Keeping the lessons short ensures that he won’t get bored and bolt anyway. Leading lessons will take 3-6 months on the flat ground and then another 3-6 months over obstacles. You know when you are finished and can move to the next stage when you can throw the lead over his neck and he will do everything for you that he has learned with verbal and hand signals alone.
Keep all lessons inside of a fenced in area (it can be very large to accommodate obstacles). Obstacles should first be done just to get through them and change his fear into curiosity…Stage One. Reward him with the oats for every attempt he makes even if he cannot complete an obstacle. If he comes forward towards it, that’s rewardable. Be sure to hold the lead in your LEFT hand, point where you are going with your right hand and match your steps with his front legs and be sure to stop with your feet together! When he balks at an obstacle, don’t just keep pulling on him. Keep a little tension on the line and walk to the end of the rope toward the obstacle and stop. Then shake the fanny pack and say, “Well, are you coming?” Then wait until he comes and reward. When you get to the obstacle, put some oats on it and encourage him to touch it and eat the oats reward on the obstacle. Keep this up to, over and through the obstacles rewarding at every interval of compliance. The approach can be remembered as OATS! Observe (the obstacle), Approach (the obstacle), Touch (the obstacle) and Sigh (a release of tension that he will do upon eating the oats). You stand absolutely still throughout this process only moving forward when needed.
Study my “Mule Crossing” articles about employing this reward-system training called “Behavior Modification,” that can be found on my website under “Training.”
Halter Training Details
Never leave a halter on an unsupervised equine. Leaving a halter on an equine is very dangerous. He could get it snagged and injure himself severely, or even break his neck! Mules and donkeys learn like children do. During training, use a fanny pack filled with oats and do NOT offer a bucket. It does not produce the same results! You should not even have a halter and lead on your equine until he lets you touch him ALL OVER first! Then you can approach with the halter. If you want to have good results, you need to be working in a natural and logical order that makes sense to the equine to avoid confusion and resistance.
For instance, before you even halter him, ask him to come to you and then reward him with crimped oats when he does come. When he is consistently coming to you, the next step would be to carry the halter with you but not put it on. Reward his approach and acceptance of the halter being present. Once the presence of the halter doesn’t bother him, you can put on the halter. When doing so, be polite. Reward your equine for the approach and acceptance of the halter, then try to loop your arm over his neck while feeding the crown strap of the halter from your left hand to your right hand that is looped over his neck. This way, if he starts to move away slowly, you can pull him back towards you with the loop you’ve created around his neck. Finish by putting his nose through the noseband of the halter. If he jerks away quickly, just let go and encourage him to return and try again by showing him the oats, but do not give them to him until he comes back to your hand. Anytime he moves away, just ask him to return, but do not chase him! Make him come to you for the rewards.
Leading Training
If you have difficulty during leading training, you will simply need to break things down into smaller, doable steps. First make sure you are standing erect in good posture, hold the lead rope in your left hand and give the verbal command to “Walk on.” Walk a straight line for just a few steps, point where you are going with your right hand and keep the left hand securely at your left hip. Then stop with your feet together, face him and reward him for stopping. Make sure he is standing squarely with equal weight over all four feet and reward him for squaring up. Then just stand still for a few minutes. Reward your equine for standing quietly for a few minutes.
Next, turn and face the direction you will be going, point in the direction of travel with your right hand, give the command to “walk on,” and repeat the exercise with a few more steps forward than you did before and stop again. Keep your lines of travel straight with only gradual arcs through turns and with no abrupt movements. Performing the tasks in increments like this will keep him attentive and he will be less likely to forge ahead or drop behind you. This also gives you the opportunity to do things slowly enough to get it exactly right and through repetition, learned behaviors will become habitual behaviors. Don’t try to hold a move too long or do things too quickly or the equine can become confused and not have time to comply properly. When confused, he will begin to lose interest and will engage in avoidance behaviors. Keep lessons short (about 15-20 minutes every other day at the most) and in small enough steps so he can be rewarded. This is called setting up for success.
The task at the leading stage (with showmanship in mind) is not only to teach them to follow, but to have your equine follow with his head at your shoulder as you define straight lines and gradual arcs that will condition his body symmetrically on both sides. This planned course of action begins to develop a secure bond between you. Mirror the steps of his front legs as you go through the showmanship movements keeping your body erect and in good posture. Always look in the direction of travel and ask him to square up with equal weight over all four feet every time he stops. This kind of leading training develops strength and balance in the equine body at the deepest level so strengthened muscles will hold the bones, tendons and ligaments in correct alignment. Equines that are not in correct equine posture will have issues involving organs, joints, hooves and soft tissue trauma. This is why it is so important to spend plenty of time perfecting your showmanship techniques during leading every time you lead your equine. Showmanship is not just a class in a show! It has purpose for the health of your equine!
Importance of Gate Training
Going through a gate seems simple enough, but you can really get into trouble if it is not done correctly. Ask your mule to follow your shoulder to the gate and halt squarely and then reward him (crimped oats) for standing quietly while you unlatch the gate. When going through the gate, you should always push the gate away from you and your mule to walk through when possible. Transfer your lead line from your left hand (showmanship position) to your right hand and open the gate with your left hand if the gate is hinged on the left (switch positions if the gate is hinged on the right, but be sure to keep your body closest to the gate). Ask your mule to walk through at your shoulder, to turn and face you on the other side of the gate and to follow you as you close it. Then reward him again and latch the gate.
After latching the gate, turn back to your mule and reward him yet again for being patient and standing still while you latched the gate. This repetitive behavior through gates will teach him to stay with you and wait patiently instead of charging through, or pulling away from you. This is especially helpful when you are leading several animals at once. This way, you can get through a gate safely with as many as you choose to lead through together. Even if the gate is only two-mules wide, you could lead as many as four through by simply lengthening the lead lines of the back pair, asking the first pair to come through first and turn, then encouraging the second pair to come through. When trained this way, they will all line up like little soldiers on the other side of the gait and receive their rewards. They will stand quietly while you latch the gate and will only proceed from the gate when you ask.
When you return your mule to a pen with other animals, wave the others away from the gate and return to the pen the same way we described. Lead your mule or mules through the gate, reward them and then reward the others for staying back! If you have any problems with kicking, carry a whip with you to keep the problem children at bay while you reward the others first. Do not vary this routine. The repetition will build good habits! Once the others have learned that they cannot approach when you wave them away and each mule knows the routine of going through the gate properly, when you want to take one animal from the herd, you can call his name, wave the others away with your hand, open the gate and allow him to come through and turn (receiving his reward, of course!) to put on the halter. You never have to get in the middle of their sometimes dangerous playfulness again and your animals will all be easy to catch!
As you may have already discovered, the things that I suggest really do build slowly over time into fantastic behaviors and conditioning. This is very much like raising children (instead of just TRAINING them!). All of my training materials cover different aspects of the training process and should be used in their sequential order for the best results. For instance:
Leading training when done correctly on flat ground teaches your equine to follow at your shoulder, match your steps with his front legs, stay attentive to your cues and stop correctly with equal weight over all four feet and stay that way until you give the verbal command to “Walk ON” (to proceed.” This transfers to standing quietly in every other situation going forward like mounting (or standing still in harness)! You learn to allow him to be responsible for his own balance by leading with the lead rope in your left hand so you do not interfere with his balance as he walks beside you. When you hold the lead in your right hand, you move his head and neck with every step and this throws him off balance and makes for asymmetrical, instead of symmetrical conditioning.
Leading training over obstacles adds coordination for both of you and enhances the communication between you. Both flatwork leading and obstacle leading strengthens his core musculature, that which encircles the vital organs. When conditioned symmetrically, it allows these organs to work in a healthy way and not compromised by irregular pressure inside their bodies. He begins to discover that the exercises you do together make him feel good, so he will be more willing to leave his friends and go with you! This also cultivates his own proprioception (body awareness) so the incidence of stepping on your feet, or any other balancing problems become minimal in preparation to balance on the circle in the round pen.
Lunging in the round pen begins to develop bulk muscle over the body in preparation to carry the rider. Doing this correctly makes sure his body is set up correctly for all athletic movements. You learn that it is important to have your equine turn AWAY from you and NOT toward you until he is fully conditioned and able to easily balance his body. When you turn them away from you in the round pen, you can see that they are automatically set up to take the correct lead at canter. When you pull them toward you, it creates an awkward switching of the feet to get into the correct position which puts undue pressure on the stifle muscles. Use of the “Elbow Pull” at this stage of training will help him to stay in good equine posture and balance on the circle at the faster gaits when you are in the middle and cannot influence his balance directly like you can on the lead rope and drive lines.
Ground driving in the round pen first gives you both a chance to get in sync with rein cues. During leading training, you walked in sync with his front legs and with ground driving you learn to walk in sync with the back legs. When you finally get on board, you will be loosened up through your hips, already introduced to the alternate leg motions that will be necessary to move easily forward through your hips with your equine while on board. Then you are better able to give clear and concise leg cues.
Then you build on these foundation exercises going forward. My DVD series #1 through #10 give you the exercises to do and covers 7-8 years of training, roughly one DVD per year depending on the animal. The Equus Revisited manual and DVD combo explains WHY you are doing these exercises so you understand the purpose of them all.
Training schedule:
If you do age-appropriate training, it should proceed as follows:
From birth to 6 months: (DVD #1 and #8) Imprinting, grooming, simple tying and leading lessons, introduction to food reward system (and feeding correctly), solid bonding for working relationship
From six months to 2 years: (DVD #1 and #8) advanced leading training (see below) first flatwork training (6-9 months), then over obstacles (6-9 months), learn to communicate effectively and to build core muscle strength and good posture
From 2 years to 3 years: (DVD #2)Lunging (6 months) and ground driving (6 months), further enhance body language communication and strengthen active hard muscle to prepare for a rider
From 3 to 4 years: (DVD #3) Preparation and training for Driving or if you don’t want to drive…(DVD #4) Mounting, walk, trot, back, reverse, halt in the round pen (6-9 months); simple hourglass pattern in open arena (6-9 months), strengthen equine with rider on board
From 4 to 5 years: More complicated patterns in open arena, simple trail riding, fine-tune connection between equine and rider and strengthen both rider and equine
Five years…now ready for specialized activities
Older animals beginning this kind of training will need a minimum of 15-20 minute lessons once a week and a maximum of 15-20 minute lessons every other day for the best results. The time it takes an older animal to get in shape will be less than it would be for a foal just starting out. The older equine will still need to spend:
– 3-6 months on flatwork leading training for strength and balance in good equine posture
– 3-6 months over obstacles to add coordination to their good posture
– 3-6 months on lunging for balancing on the circle and learning to bend through their rib cage while staying erect in their posture (using our self-correcting restraint called the elbow pull to help them hold their own balance until they can sustain it by themselves)
– 3-6 months on ground driving to learn how to communicate effectively through the lines (reins) such that the mule remains balanced and submissive before adding the rider (also done in the elbow pull).
-Doing all these steps before riding your equine gives you the opportunity to fine tune your own skills and for both of you to get in good enough shape to engage activities in a safer and more harmonious fashion.
Reason for a Disconnect
The reason for a disconnection between you and your equine is more than likely due to a lack of the right kind of ground work and time spent with that specific ground work to establish a good working relationship where the animal can learn to trust your judgement. I firmly believe that when you give both you and your equine ample time to learn together by doing very simply things that you CAN do over a longer period of time (like grade school is for children) and then let things progress at your own pace, you can begin to truly enjoy your time together. You learn to appreciate the “little” victories along the way that keep you happy in your learning process. It will be awkward at first, but as you “practice” these simple things, you will get better and will be able to move forward easily. It’s just like learning anything. If the steps are hurried and too overwhelming, you can find yourself defeated before you even get started and the fun is eliminated altogether. That’s where resistance begins. It is better to minimize any resistance by doing the right kind of preparatory work before riding.
When you make yourself as much fun to be with as their pasture mates, they actually love to be with you and they don’t mind leaving their pasture mates. The ground work that we describe in our Training Tips, books and DVDs is very specific during leading training for a reason. Our groundwork practices address the core muscle strength in the animal that supports the skeletal frame. In a few words, when you pay attention to developing their bodies properly from the inside out with these types of leading exercises, it makes them feel better and they recognize that you are the one that is giving them this pleasure. From that will come trust and their primary desire to spend their time with you.
Many equines have learned how to do a lot of “things,” but is probably not doing these “things” with a strong core. Thus, the animal is bound to become sore in muscle groups that are not regularly used and carrying a rider on his back is not pleasant, so he would rather stay with his pasture mates. If you take the time to do these types of leading exercises and quit riding for a while (and follow our reward system of training), you will see a 180 degree turnabout in the behavior of not only one animal, but in the others as well if you employ this routine and logical method of management and training with all of them. Core muscle strength and coordination only takes about fifteen minutes a week with these types of leading exercises.
Separating an animal from their pasture mates is actually punishment for no reason and can cause increased anxiety. You would not only be riding the equine when he is not in the best physical shape, but you would also be responsible for separating him from his friends. Thus, you now become the enemy instead of a “friend.”
I recommend that you keep ALL equines in a dry lot or stalls and runs overnight (during feeding times) and then monitor their collective time on pasture. Treat them all the exact same way. This way, if the oats mix is given in the evenings, they will come off the grass easily in the spring when they should only be on pasture for limited time because they know the oats are waiting. They will be more willing to come to you and your fanny pack of oats in the daytime because they don’t get the oats with breakfast and this is a way for them to get more of their favorite food.
The hardest task is to train oneself to be consistent, respectful of their needs and predictable so they don’t need to become anxious about anything that you do. I learned this the hard way! We all want to RIDE, but sometimes it is to our advantage to spend a little extra time with training on the ground before we actually do get on and ride. It makes all the difference in yours and your animal’s happiness and safety.
The information about equine management and training materials that we offer are listed below.
Training Mules and Donkeys: A Logical Approach to Longears is the first book to be published, has a more abbreviated view of the overall training process and general information about the psychology of mules and donkeys.
The book, Donkey Training is basically the same as DVD’s #9 and #10 without the benefit of the moving pictures (and has bonus information that the DVDs do not have) and illustrates the things that are different about training donkeys as opposed to horses and mules. Donkeys often do things in a different order and sometimes, they don’t need to learn to lunge at all until much later in their training…after they are already going well under saddle, or in harness. This DVD is designed to be used in conjunction with DVD #1 through DVD #8 when training donkeys.
Our book, A Guide to Raising & Showing Mules has a lot of valuable general information that complements the resistance free DVD training series with more about breeding, mare and foal care, and general mulemanship and maintenance issues. It is the perfect complement to the video series and a must-have for beginners and 4-H projects.
In DVD #1: Foal Training, you will not only be imprinting your animal and training for the simple tasks such as tying and leading, but you will also learn how to be prompt and appropriate with your rewards. The exercises will start your equine on a program that will begin to strengthen his muscles and promote coordination.
Imprinting is not just something you do with a foal and then it’s done. Imprinting is the way you touch and handle your animal every time you are with him throughout his entire life. As you learn how he likes to be touched, you can use this to help him to stay calm and accepting. How you touch him will determine whether, or not, he develops confidence and trust in you! When your equine is approached with patience and kindness, and is rewarded for standing quietly, it will be easier to handle him for such things as deworming and doctoring and he will be more willing to stand still to be mounted. The leading exercises in this DVD will start your equine on a program that will begin to strengthen his muscles and promote balance and coordination.
Leading Through Obstacles
Once you have established a good rapport with your equine on the flat ground during showmanship practice, the next step would be leading over obstacles to add coordination to his new strength and balance in good posture. You can tell when your equine is ready to move to the obstacle stage when you can throw your lead over his neck and he will remain at your shoulder and do everything you have practiced during flatwork leading training without you touching him. The first thing you would do over obstacles such as bridges, tires, tarps, etc. would be to teach confidence by encouraging your equine to negotiate these obstacles without fear. This means, you go ahead of them and reward them for their willingness to “attempt” and then eventually negotiate these obstacles. Again, when the equine will perform all these obstacles at your shoulder and do exactly as you ask with the lead over the neck, you can then go to the next stage of lunging in the round pen and learning to balance at the faster gaits on a circle.
Obstacle Groundwork Stages
The object of “Stage One” through obstacles is to turn fear into curiosity, instill trust and confidence and just get them through the obstacle. Never make them “live” with an obstacle as this will instill insensitivity and in some cases, a worse fear. Their stable area should always be their resting place just as our bedrooms function for us, a place of rest and relaxation.
If your mule is not approaching the obstacle easily, do not withhold the reward until they actually negotiate the obstacle such as a bridge, tarp, ground poles, or whatever. Lower your expectations and walk to the end of your lead line, hold it taut and wait for the mule to step towards you. When he steps forward, give him a reward of crimped oats and praise him. Let him settle, then walk to the end of the lead line again getting even closer to the obstacle and repeat the same way. When you reach the obstacle, step up onto the bridge, or over the first ground rail and ask again. Stop him if he tries to run through, or over the obstacle, and reward him for standing with the front feet into the obstacle. You might even want to back him up and reward for that before proceeding forward. Then go away from the obstacle and come back, putting all four feet into the obstacle. Repeat this procedure yet again and ask him to negotiate the entire obstacle slowly and in control. Breaking the obstacle down into small steps like this will facilitate control and keep your mule’s attention on you.
In “Stage Two” through the obstacles, when your equine is more willing to come through easily, you can regain your showmanship position with your left hand carrying the lead line and your right arm extended in front of you pointing to the direction you are going. When the equine is finally listening and will follow your shoulder over or through the obstacle, stop him frequently at critical intervals during the negotiation of each obstacle. Turn your attention to whether he is actually traveling forward and backing in straight lines and stopping squarely. How he negotiates the obstacle will have a direct bearing on how his muscles are being conditioned and how his balance and coordination are being developed, so don’t be afraid to ask for more perfection at this stage!
Stage Two Approach to Obstacles
4 Ground Rails/Cavaletti: 4 Ground rails and 4 cavaletti are good straight forward exercises to promote stretching of the body in true forward motion, developing rhythm, balance, cadence and suspension to the gaits on the lead line, ground driving and under saddle. They are great to enhance your ability to stay in stride with your animal on the lead line with transitions from the flat ground to a more active gait over the poles or cavaletti. You should first do the exercises over the ground rails and then graduate to the 6” cavaletti setting, then the 12” cavaletti setting and finally the 18” cavaletti setting (under saddle only). Your equine will learn to suspend and place his feet in a balanced and deliberate fashion while you learn to do the same. Getting in rhythm with your animal’s stride will enhance the riding and driving experience later and will make things a lot easier and safer for you and your equine. Alternate between stopping and trotting on after the obstacle to maintain your equine’s attention on you and to make sure he stays balanced and ready to do anything you might ask.
The Bridge: The Bridge will help develop the eye/hoof coordination. When he is confident about going over the bridge, he is ready for Stage Two leading for good balance and coordination. Those first steps onto a bridge will determine how the rest of the body will follow. Since balance is very sketchy in the beginning at best, you should break these obstacles down into small steps. Approach the bridge then stop at the base and stand for a few seconds. Then ask him to put his front feet on the bridge and again, stand for a few seconds (squarely, I might add), then all four feet and stand again on the middle of the bridge, then two front feet off the bridge with the back feet on (still square). Most equines can do the first few positions pretty easily, but when the front feet go off the bridge, their balance is often thrown forward and they find it very difficult to stop in this position. This will determine whether you are done with your bridge work or not! If your animal is having problems in the showmanship position, you can use the technique we use with donkeys (Video #9) and stand directly in front of him to stop him from falling forward in this last position over the bridge. If he has been properly trained to this point, he should not run over you, but will use your arms to help steady him in the correct position. Then walk off the bridge and ask him to square up again and reward.
The Tarp: The tarp will affect your equine’s balance and coordination dramatically. The uneven surface and noise that it makes will cause the equine to veer off balance from side to side as he crosses the tarp. Again, break this down into small steps as you did with the bridge, stopping at the edge of the tarp, stopping with the front feet on the tarp, then all fours, then fronts off and hinds on, and then finally walking of the tarp to a perfect halt. When he can negotiate the tarp with no visible signs of a loss of balance or disobedience to the halt, he is ready to negotiate this obstacle backwards. He will then be placing his feet such that the balance is evenly distributed over all four feet and his foot placement is coordinated and deliberate. The obstacle becomes an effortless task.
The Tractor Tire: The tractor tire is a wonderful exercise in coordination! The first task is to ask him to adjust his stride to walk through the middle of the tractor tire, but again, break it down into small steps: stop before the tire, one foot in the tire, then two front feet in the tire, then allow the front feet out and the back feet in, then exit. When he is calm with this, you can add to this exercise by stopping him with his front feet in the middle of the tire and ask him to do a turn on the forehand. Watch his legs carefully to make sure he is executing it properly by crossing the near hind in front of the far hind as he turns without stepping the front feet out of the center of the tire. Allow him to adjust the front feet back to center if they get too close to the edge of the tire. Just stop moving the hind, halt, adjust the front, halt and begin moving the hindquarters again. Only ask him for one step at a time to make sure he stays attentive and ready to stop and stand at any point in the exercise.
When he can do this easily, you can then put his hind feet in the middle of the tire and do the turn on the haunches, crossing over in front of the hind pivot foot and the inside front foot as he makes the turn. Again, if the hind feet need to be adjusted back to center, stop, correct the hind feet, stop again and then continue. The tractor tire is a great coordination exercise because it not only addresses forward motion, but simple lateral motion as well. These exercises will begin to strengthen those hard to condition inside forearm, gaskin and stifle muscles.
Back Through “L”: The back through “L” will fine tune your equine’s response to “Whoa” and he will learn to allow you to adjust the different quarters of his body and move them independently from one another. First walk forward through the obstacle, stop, and then back through slowly and steadily. Once he is doing this well, you can then go back and stop at the beginning, then back one step (ONLY ONE!). Then proceed forward to the middle of the first straightaway and stop, then back two steps. Go forward again to the outside rail at the turn, halt, then move his front feet one or two steps to the middle of the second straightaway and halt. Then ask for one or two steps forward into the straightaway and halt. His back feet will be cutting the corner into the 90 degree turn, so after he halts, move the hindquarters one or two steps to straighten him and halt, then walk to the end of the straightaway and halt. Do the same series of steps in reverse. This exercise teaches him to be balanced throughout the obstacle and to learn to wait for you to move his front and rear quarters into any position and only as many steps as you would like. These exercises will begin to strengthen those hard to condition inside forearm, gaskin and stifle muscles.
Six tires on the Ground (3×3): This is an interesting obstacle for coordination as they have so many different places to put their feet when walking through the tires. They will want to waiver and step out the sides, but you still want them to maintain deliberate foot placement, so stop and plan each step carefully such that it keeps your animal in a straight line over these tires. You can stagger the tires in a number of different ways: so they would need to step between tires to maintain straightness, so they must step in all tires to maintain straightness, or such that they have a mixture of stepping in the middle of the tires and between the tires to maintain straightness. This keeps them alert and careful about foot placement and fine tunes their balance capabilities. Only ask him for one step at a time to make sure he stays attentive and ready to stop and stand at any point in the exercise.
Side Passing the “T”: It is important that your equine has executed the straight forward obstacles and lateral tractor tire obstacles before attempting to do the “T.” The “T” is a great way to fine tune true sideways lateral motion where both front and back feet are crossing over simultaneously, in a balanced fashion, moving the equine laterally to the right and left within the same obstacle. In the beginning, break the simultaneous motion into a turn on the forehand and then a turn on the haunches to get him to side pass along the first rail. After side passing the first rail, ask him to do a turn on the haunches onto the base of the “:T” and then side pass to the end and back to the top of the “T” again. Then ask him for a turn on the forehand to move his haunches one quarter turn into position to side pass the last rail at the top of the “T.” This obstacle uses all the elements we have taught him in previous lessons and lays the groundwork toward perfect communication between you and your equine. He must listen at every step to execute this obstacle correctly.
In the beginning, you will need to teach him to side pass by moving first the front quarters, then the hind quarters at each step to maintain straightness in the body throughout the obstacle, but as he gains better balance and coordination, he will be able to move the feet, front and back, simultaneously along the side pass rails. This is when the inside forearm, gaskin and stifle muscles will really begin to develop properly. Only ask him for one step at a time to make sure he stays attentive and ready to stop and stand at any point in the exercise.
Jumps: Jumps are a good exercise on the lead line, but you must be careful not to over-jump your animal at the beginning. Though equines are large animals, they still need to have great strength in the hindquarters to boost their heavy body over a jump and if they are not strong, it is an easy way to pull a muscle! Jumping should only be done after the other obstacles are mastered. Mules are very good jumpers and have the ability to jump from a standstill, so still use the stop, jump, stop procedure to maintain control when on the ground with the lead line or drivelines. You can change the exercise to the hunter style under saddle quite easily later.
If you want your equine to jump on the lead line, you MUST go over the jump yourself for the first few sessions, or he will not really understand what you want and may start dodging the jump. You can teach him to go ahead of you once he takes the jumps with no problem. Keep the jumps very small to start with and understand that he will over jump any jump the first few times. When he is finally tucking his knees and just barely clearing the top, he is then ready for the jump to be raised. Only raise your jumps in 3-inch increments and repeat the exercise until he is clearing it properly and not over-jumping before raising it yet again. The lead line stop and jump procedure will help strengthen and develop his hindquarters and will begin to teach him to lengthen and compress his body as needed to control his stride. Alternate between stopping and trotting on after the obstacle to maintain your equine’s attention on you and to make sure he stays balanced and ready to do anything you might ask.
The Trailer is just another obstacle. Mules and donkeys are no-nonsense kind of guys and will become suspicious of techniques such as feeding them in the trailer. It isn’t really the trailer itself that they distrust, but rather the approach that is used to get them in. We teach our mules and donkeys to be trustful and willing by developing confidence in the handler. When we begin leading training, they are introduced to all kinds of obstacles. We approach the obstacle first and encourage them to investigate everything this way and they are rewarded with crimped oats when they comply. By the time they have learned about trail obstacles and many other things around the farm that could be scary, the trailer is not a threat to them. They will most often just follow you right in knowing there is a crimped oats reward waiting for them and that they have never been trapped into complying! After your equine has learned to get in and out of the trailer easily, ask him for one step at a time while loading to make sure he stays attentive and ready to stop and stand at any point in the exercise. We cover loading the difficult equine in our books and DVDs.
In DVD #2: Preparing for Performance: Groundwork, you will begin your lunging and ground driving lessons. The exercises will increase in their demand and begin to develop more bulk muscle in preparation for work in harness and riding. Equines will be introduced to the snaffle bit and other tack in this DVD. We use English bridles with a noseband and drop noseband over a mild snaffle bit right from the beginning, so they never even try to get their tongue over the bit. This teaches them to accept the bit easily and to form the good habit of taking contact with the bit instead of avoiding it and allowing bad habits to start. It is easier to prevent a bad habit than it is to try to break it later.
You will see how putting the animal in the correct frame (or posture) from the beginning in the round pen with what we call the “elbow pull” enables him to build his muscles correctly and symmetrically throughout his body You will learn how your body language affects his movement in the round pen and on the drivelines. Your equine may begin to be aggressive for his reward and you will learn how to set limits to these aggressive behaviors to set the stage for a polite and well-mannered equine. If biting, or kicking, has been a problem in DVD #1, you will learn how to correct these behaviors in DVD #2.
Round Pen Training
You should not do the work in the round pen until he has completed his lead line training, both on flat patterns and then through obstacles (each DVD is designed to take from 6 months to a year to complete depending on the individual animal, so take your time at each step). During the lead line training, you will be not only teaching him to follow your shoulder correctly, but you will be asking him to do this in the correct equine posture. When he is walking or trotting, he should do so in a straight line, stop squarely, make smooth turns with the correct pivot foot and not fall out of balance while doing all these moves. These simple exercises will help him build muscle correctly throughout his body so that when you do finally begin your work in the round pen, he has already begun to develop muscle strength in good balance with the coordination to hold this posture for longer periods of time. Then he is truly ready to begin work balancing on the circle in the round pen.
In DVD #2: Preparing for Performance: Groundwork, you will begin your lunging and ground driving lessons. The exercises will increase in their demand and begin to develop more bulk muscle in preparation for work in harness and riding. Equines will be introduced to the snaffle bit and other tack in this DVD. We use English bridles with a noseband and drop noseband over a mild snaffle bit right from the beginning, so they never even try to get their tongue over the bit. This teaches them to accept the bit easily and to form the good habit of taking contact with the bit instead of avoiding it and allowing bad habits to start. It is easier to prevent a bad habit than it is to try to break it later. You will see how putting the animal in the correct frame (or posture) from the beginning in the round pen with what we call the “elbow pull” enables him to build his muscles correctly and symmetrically throughout his body You will learn how your body language affects his movement in the round pen and on the drivelines. Your equine may begin to be aggressive for his reward and you will learn how to set limits to these aggressive behaviors to set the stage for a polite and well-mannered equine. If biting, or kicking, has been a problem in DVD #1, you will learn how to correct these behaviors in DVD #2.
During lunging, your equine will learn verbal commands and will gain strength and balance on the circle at all three gaits and through reverses. He will learn how to hold his body erect and in good posture and will not “lean” like a motorcycle around corners. Rather, he will remain upright and bend through his rib cage on the arc of a circles and turns. Reverses should always be done towards the fence of the round pen (and not toward you), so your equine will be set up correctly for diagonals at the trot and correct canter leads. If you let him reverse toward you, it will set him up incorrectly and he will have difficulty taking the correct leads in the open arena later under saddle.
Once he is responding promptly to commands and shows balance at all three gaits and the reverses and halts (halts should always be done with equal balance over all four feet, 4-square, as in showmanship), they are ready for ground driving that will further their balanced response coming from your hands. This is the beginning of your rein communication. This gives you both ample time to perfect your technique and your equine’s response to rein cues before riding. Again, it is very important that all tasks are done with straightness, balance and correct bending through the rib cage. These exercises will add still more strength, balance and coordination to your equine’s body and make it easier for him to respond to your wishes.
Lunging
When you want him to go forward, you need to focus your eyes on his haunches, give the verbal command and don’t look at his head at all. Let your whip following behind the haunches. If you want to stop him, say “whoa” and shift your eyes to his eyes. If you want him to do a reverse, give the command to reverse and move your body sideways such that you are now slightly in front of him and looking at his head again. It is the movement of your body that will make the difference between the halt and the turn. Notice how these subtle differences in your body affect what he does. It will just take practicing these things correctly and you will begin to do better. It doesn’t matter what anyone else does, or says; you go ahead and take the time you need to work this out with your mule!
Lunging is a lot more than just running them around in a circle. It is a tremendous opportunity to see how your body language affects the reactions your equine will have, and how you can fine tune the communication between you and develop balanced, cadenced and rhythmic gaits in your animal. So, start slow and don’t let things go beyond what you can control easily.
With the use of the elbow pull (How to make this is in the Equus Revisited DVD), your equine will begin building muscle over a correct frame. This is better than letting them develop out of frame and then have to go back later and breakdown established muscle that is out of frame and causing problems later. The elbow pull just “suggests” that they stay in frame and is not abusive at all. In fact, it is self-correcting for the equine. If they stay in frame, they feel nothing, but if they get out of frame, it can put pressure on the poll, bit, forearms and back. This is not unlike the grandmother who insists that you walk with a book on your head for good posture. It may sound silly at first, but you will be happy you did as you get older!
The equine also needs to build muscle so he can sustain his balance on the circle without the rider before he will be able to balance with a rider. This is also true when you want your animal to lunge on a lunge line. An equine that has not had time in the round pen to establish strength, coordination and balance on the circle will have difficulty on the line as he will be pulled off balance with even the slightest pressure on the line. Loss of balance will cause stress, and even panic that can result in him pulling the line right out of your hands and running off. This is not disobedience, just fear from a loss of balance and it should not be punished. The animal who has had strength built on the circle before lunging and riding will not exhibit these seemingly disobedient behaviors.
Lunging will begin to develop hard muscle over the base muscles and tendons you have spent so many months strengthening. It will further enhance their ability to perform and stay balanced in action, and play patterns will really begin to change dramatically as this becomes their true way of going. Be sure to be consistent with verbal commands during these beginning stages as they set the stage for better communication later.
Ground Driving
After he has learned these commands while lunging, then you should get him equally as responsive to verbal commands with the drivelines. This is done first in the round pen and then in an open arena to introduce him to a larger space where he will need to become even more responsive to your rein cues.
First, I have learned to realize the different general personality types associated with different equines. It does seem that the larger the animal, the more docile the personality may be as a general rule. Also, I learned that when a donkey or mule has a tendency to bolt and run, it’s because they don’t necessarily agree with what you are trying to do, nor how you are trying to do it. It is ALWAYS the handler’s fault!
If the equine wants to bolt when you ground drive from behind, walk beside him and gradually lengthen the distance one inch at a time until he has accepted the drivelines correctly…no matter how long it takes. I work them no more than 20-40 minutes every other day. I will make sure they get their treats for “Whoa” and “Back.” I do a lot of “Back” while still close in and repeat “Back” frequently at every increased or decreased distance behind. Keep things at a very slow walk until you feel relaxation through the drivelines (not a trace of pull). I am always calm and slow, willing to take all the time in the world if necessary. Constantly review the lessons in showmanship in DVD #1, DVD #8 and DVD #9, going to and from the work areas, and during any ground interaction to help her to really, truly bond to me on a very personal level. I treat every equine as my very favorite.
Certain personality types do take longer to come around, but with great patience, kindness, trust and respect, they eventually do come around. I just wouldn’t necessarily use them for driving, but they can be very good under saddle. In fact, once they do bond more strongly with you and look to you as their “Protector,” they are the ones who will have more “Go” and thus, more athletic tendencies and ability. Figuring out what kinds of things they like to do naturally does help a lot as well.
I have dealt with many animals that were high strung and I know it takes tremendous patience, but I also know they can come around. You might just need to back up and do things even more slowly and more meticulously than you ever thought you needed to, but you should get positive results if you do. Lower your expectations of for a while and try to have more fun with the basics.
If the equine does bolt, never hang on to the reins, lead, or drivelines. Just let go if you are on the ground and let the reins loose if under saddle. Just make sure you work in areas that are adequately and safely fenced, so you can easily catch the equine again. Whether on the lead line, in the drivelines or under saddle, once they realizes that you aren’t going to play “tug-o-war,” they will get a reward for staying and it is a waste of their energy to keep running, they will bolt less and less until the behavior is extinguished.
When ground driving, you should not worry about the whip while in the round pen as the walls will help guide the mule in the correct position. What you really need to do is keep even contact on both reins when going in a straight line (or on the circle in the round pen). To get them to begin stepping laterally, tighten the outside rein slightly and maintain contact on the inside rein, so they cannot complete the turn. Stay directly behind their haunches and urge them forward and they will begin to step sideways with their face to the wall. Only do a couple of steps, then straighten again quickly. You can build in more lateral steps as they begin to understand what you want.
When ground driving in the open, you can then begin to carry the whip in your right hand (always). Set the bend for the leg yield (opposite the way he will be tracking) by shortening the inside rein and holding it steady (Not too much of a bend! You just want to be able to see their eye on that side). Then squeeze and release the directing rein to indicate that you want them to move in the direction you are pulling. Be sure to give plenty of release between pulls so they don’t go too sideways at first. This should be a leg yield action and not a side-pass. The side-pass will come later as they understand what you want. If they don’t follow your leading rein, you can tap them gently on the opposite side to encourage them to move over. It can be very awkward at first, but with time and patience it will continue to improve!
Only after he is smooth, responsive to all commands in the round pen and ground drives well in the open arena, should you mount him and begin riding in the round pen. When he is light and responsive in the bridle in the round pen, then you can ride in the open and perfect his technique and responsiveness in the snaffle bit in the open arena.
DVD #3: Preparing for Performance: Driving, provides all the information you need to safely train your equine to drive. It covers carts and carriages, hitching training, Reinsmanship, Pleasure Driving, Obstacle Driving, working in harness, lateral exercises, obstacles, driven dressage and driving rules. You can begin this DVD after you have completed the foundation work in DVD’s #1 and #2.
DVD #4: Basic Foundation for Saddle. If you don’t wish to drive, you can go straight to DVD #4 and begin your equine’s riding training in a natural and non-stressful manner that eliminates adverse behaviors such as bucking or running off. We address both the needs of the rider and the equine as a team focusing on the right approach, good balance and coordination of both equine and rider. You can begin this DVD after you have completed DVD’s #1 and #2.
When you finally mount your equine and start riding, the only thing left for him to do is to get used to your shifting weight on his back and the new leg cues he will feel on his sides. Because he has learned to carry his own body in good, strong equine posture and has already learned what rein cues mean through ground driving, he will be better able to do all the different moves that you ask of him under saddle without being generally overwhelmed by too many things happening all at once. As you progress under saddle, you will be better able to perfect your own riding skills and your equine will become lighter in the bridle and more responsive to your cues. You both will not have to deal with the weakness, awkwardness, confusion and disobedience that originate from a lack of preparation for the tasks.
In DVD #5: In Intermediate Saddle Training, we help the rider fine tune his own skills and begin to cultivate a harmonious rapport between equine and owner with fun, safe and simple exercises that will enhance your riding experience whether it is for show, or pleasure. You can begin this DVD after you have completed DVD’s #1 and #2 and #4.
DVD #6: Advanced Saddle Training will begin to prepare the rider for specific disciplines and help them to make choices about what they might enjoy more. It demonstrates how the simple elements of dressage are the basis for all equine disciplines including gymkhana, reining, cutting, English and Western pleasure, trail, or even simply weekend trail riding. This kind of training is not just for show, but to keep both of you safe and happy during your time together. You can begin this DVD after you have completed DVD’s #1 and #2, #4 and #5.
DVD #7: Jumping gives the owner the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of jumping and condition their equine in a safe and methodical manner and… how to ride, build and evaluate jump courses. It covers exercises to prepare your equine to carry him safely over any obstacle, multi-level terrain or jumps. You can begin this DVD after you have completed DVD’s #1 and #2, #4, #5 and #6.
DVD #8: Management, Fitting & Grooming. Of course, your equine needs to be fed and maintained properly to get the best response from him during training and this is done in DVD #8. We also offer grooming tips and more advanced lessons in showmanship at the end of this video.
DVD’s #9 and #10 cover techniques that are specific to donkeys and these two DVDs are designed to be used in conjunction with the other video tapes.
DVD #9: Keys to Training the Donkey: Introduction and Basic Training covers groundwork technique that is specific to donkeys, how to train jacks to breed mares for mule production and how to measure your animal for athletic potential and should be used in conjunction with DVDs #1 and #2.
DVD #10: Keys to Training the Donkey: Saddle Training & Jumping covers saddle training and jumping and should be used in conjunction with DVD’s #4 through #7. You can also purchase our book, Donkey Training which is the same as DVD’s #9 and #10, but sometimes having the moving pictures can be more helpful than still shots. Also, if you want to teach your donkey to drive, you would also need DVD’s #1, #2, and #3.
Training Without Resistance (DVD’s #1 – #7) and Equine Management & Donkey Training (DVD’s #8 – #10) are exactly the same as the electronic workbooks that accompany the DVDs. These two manuals are also helpful to those who cannot afford the DVD series or for those who would like a professionally published workbook. They are both translated into French, German and Spanish, so our non-English speaking friends can read along with the DVD series in their own language.
Equus Revisited: A Complete Approach to Athletic Conditioning. This comprehensive 4-part DVD and companion manual explains WHY it is so important to spend plenty of time on groundwork and development of the core strength of your equine. It covers multiple aspects of your equine’s care in great detail with a team of experts. It has a lot of special features about various subjects and in-depth explanations about the anatomy and physiology of the equine.
Why So Many Different Books and Videos
I do offer “Packages” because each of the materials covers the elements of management and training from a different perspective with a different focus:
Training Mules and Donkeys: A Logical Approach to Longears book is an overview or summary of the entire training program
Donkey Training book is mostly about what things are done differently with donkeys than with horses and mules during the training process at each stage
A Guide to Raising & Showing Mules book includes management (housing, fences, disease, teeth, hooves, etc.) , breeding and showing information with some regard to training
10-DVD Training Mules and Donkeys DVD series is a collection of the exercises that you DO in what order with each DVD representing roughly 1 year of training (except for 8, 9 and 10…see explanations in detail in what I sent before)
Training Without Resistance manual is a collection of DVD’s #1 through #7 with extra detailed information in print and available in French, German and Spanish translations.
Equine Management & Donkey Training manual is a collection of DVD’s #8 through #10 with extra detailed information in print and available in French, German and Spanish translations.
Equus Revisited manual/DVD combo addresses WHY you are doing all the things that you do in the books and videos. If you had to pick just one book, I would suggest the “Equus Revisited” manual AND the companion DVD. However, buying the Horse/Mule Complete Package (at a discount rather than buying products individually) would give you all you need because basically the Donkey Training book (that is left out) is exactly the same as DVD #9 and #10 and the Equine Management and Donkey Training manual only the manual has extra information that the book does not have.
For more information and purchase of our products, you can call 1-800-816-7566 or visit our website at www.LuckyThreeRanch.com. Our website is also translated into French and Spanish for foreign convenience. Under Training, be sure to read archived articles posted in the Mule Crossing section, peruse commonly asked questions in Ask Meredith, get more details in our Training Tips and watch our new shows and past RFD-TV shows with Video on Demand. If you don’t have a computer, you can go to a library and use their computer, or ask a friend to help you out. Take time to peruse our Classified Ads section (this is a free service and an open forum, so we caution buyers to beware and check carefully). Under Resources, we post contact information for mule and donkey clubs and rescue organizations, keep you up to date about Equine Welfare in the news and heavily support Therapeutic Riding. Click our Homepage links for You Tube, Facebook and Twitter. And, don’t forget to check out our children’s website at www.JasperTheMule.com. Join the American Donkey & Mule Society (www.lovelongears.com, adms@lovelongears.com) to receive their bimonthly magazine with even more valuable information for a mere $27/yr. Learn together, enjoy the time with your equine and excel together!
Dressage had its beginning hundreds of years ago in the military when horses needed to be not only trained to ride, but conditioned to withstand the stress placed upon them by the demands of war. They needed tremendous endurance, as well as the ability to perform certain movements that would protect their riders from enemy assault. When the use of the horse armies diminished, the concept of their “dressage” training became more recreational, commercial and competitive.
The concept of true Horsemanship gained its own unique identity. One need only witness the white Lipizzaner stallions of Vienna, Austria, to see the result of this age-old military training. The stallions are started as three and four-year-olds with groundwork and simple patterns under saddle to begin strengthening muscles and minds and, to facilitate good balance for the more difficult demands placed upon them later. It is a gentle training process and is supported by a lot of positive reinforcement and minimal negative reinforcement, or punishment. The result is a happy, healthy, and willing equine. Intelligent and sensitive equines do not take kindly to punitive or unfair training practices. For this reason, I find that Dressage and Combined Training lends itself particularly well to mules, Thoroughbreds, Arabians, and some of the other more intelligent and sensitive breeds.
Dressage is practiced in an arena marked by a low fence with letters at strategic intervals. A manual outlining the different “tests” tells you what to do and where to go in your marked arena. Once an animal is started under saddle, he begins dressage training at what is called Training Level. There are four tests at each level that increase ever so slightly in difficulty from one to the next. In each level there are certain objectives to be met. At Training Level, for instance, your mule should learn to travel in straight lines and to bend his body to the arc of large circles and in corners, and to make upward and downward transitions through his gaits while maintaining good balance, a steady rhythm and cadence throughout the test in an elongated and elastic frame. At the same time, the rider is also learning and conditioning his own body to react appropriately to the body of his animal. The objective of dressage training is to develop a harmonious balance and understanding between equine and rider physically and mentally.
When your equine is strong, steady, rhythmic, and responsive at Training Level, he can then proceed to the next level, or First Level. At First Level, he learns to initiate more engagement of the hindquarters (collection) and begins to condition the muscles needed for lateral work through lengthening of the gaits and yielding from the leg. As he is better conditioned in his body, he is better able to perform and hold the balance and collection that is needed for Second Level, then Third Level, Fourth Level, and beyond. In order to gain true collection, he needs to possess incredible strength, such that he can step underneath himself with power from his hindquarters, round his back, and bring lightness and suppleness to the front end. This kind of posture makes the fancy upper level movements one usually associates with Dressage fluid and effortless with no apparent movement by the rider.
Each level builds on the exercises from the previous level from Training through Intermediate to Prix St. George and Grand Prix. Combined Training is the addition of gymnastic-type exercises (aerobic equivalent) to the regular dressage routine. The jumping, or gymnastic, exercises can start in conjunction with the dressage tests as early as Training Level and can greatly enhance and improve their Dressage performances. It gives the equine a mental break from the repetition and intensity of the dressage tests. It allows the animal to develop better coordination and stronger forward movement. Jumping also enhances hindquarter development and the variety in routine keeps your equine’s mind fresh, alert, and willing to perform.
Athletes most often get hurt if they are not properly conditioned for an event. Muscles not ordinarily or regularly used cannot support the stress of certain activities. For this reason, the concept of training just “movements” is not really the most beneficial way to train your equine. It allows too much room for unconditioned muscle strain and possible permanent injury.
Using Dressage and Combined Training to condition your equine will produce a well-conditioned athlete that can depend on his own body strength, adding relaxation and confidence to his overall performance. The natural step by step progression of the exercises insures his physical and mental safety and understanding, minimizing resistance and failure. As it is when we progress through school, so progresses the equine through dressage training, learning, and then building on each new foundation with a confident understanding of what is expected.
All the Lucky Three mules will attest to the success of Dressage and Combined Training, particularly Lucky Three Mae Bea C.T., who began to do exercises at the more advanced levels. Before we began dressage training, we were training for each event. With dressage training she developed an incredible responsiveness to seat, leg and rein cues and was able to perform anything easily and willingly. She did absolutely everything you would ask of her and did it all with above average quality and enthusiasm. It has made classes in which she already excelled even better! The other Lucky Three mules exhibited this same above-average attitude and performance across the board with Dressage and Combined Training. This kind of variety keeps life interesting and challenging as we find new uses and events in which we can compete our mules. They have even made their own unique contribution to the equine industry! Volunteers to help set up shows and events are often hard to find.
The Mountain States Combined Training Association is grateful to the Lucky Three Ranch, but particularly to Mae Bea C.T. for her help in dragging logs to help build cross country jumps at Lory State Park in Fort Collins, Colorado. Mae Bea C.T., trained in Dressage and Combined Training, not only jumps those cross-country jumps, but helps to build them as well! She is a strong, healthy and willing mule thanks to the preservation of a 100-year-old or more equestrian art called Dressage!
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.
Vacation?!! Who, me?! Well, no one would say I didn’t try, but again, my passion for Longears won out! As a Christmas present, my husband bought tickets to visit St. Thomas and St. John in the Virgin Islands of the Caribbean in February for a week during my birthday, our first non-longears vacation in twelve years! We spent four restful
days in St. Thomas before going to St. John. As we waited on the dock for the ferry to St. John, I happened to notice a bulletin board with a memo concerning the experimental immuno-contraception of feral donkeys inhabiting the Virgin Island National Park on St. John. Naturally, my curiosity was sparked and we obtained further information from the park’s service office near the dock. I didn’t even know there were such donkeys on St. John and I wanted to see them!
Outlined in the information that the park service gave me was an assessment of a plan for the environmental control of these donkeys by means of a contraceptive vaccine that is administered via blowpipe, or carbon dioxide-powered rifle. The donkeys had been wild since 1671 when plantation owners turned them loose. The National Park Service was concerned since exotic species have the power to change the character of an ecosystem, and felt they needed to control the population growth of the donkeys to maintain the integrity of the environment. On the surface, the plan sounded as if it had some merit, so we planned to investigate further when we got to St. John.
Offices were closed on Sunday, so we decided to go shopping for a while, and then go looking for wild donkeys. We had no sooner stepped out of the taxi at the shopping complex when we spotted three donkeys in a baseball field across the road. What luck! We hurried down to take pictures of them and while we were stalking the donkeys, a voice came to us from the road, “Don’t get too close–they’re wild and the park doesn’t like it when people get close to the donkeys!” I quickly responded that we raised donkeys and were just interested in getting some photographs. Soon, I found myself engaged in conversation with donkey protectionist Sandra Kelly, who wanted me to meet with her associates Terry Conklin and Mary Eldergill after she found out that I was an American Donkey & Mule Society representative, animal inspector and judge. We met over lunch, at which time they filled me in on the atrocities that were taking place against the St. John donkeys.
Testing for immuno-contraception itself seemed a viable scientific experiment, but what I learned of their approach stunned me! First, it seemed that they didn’t have an efficient way of counting the donkeys that roamed freely about the island with its dense foliage. I was assured that there were probably less than the 300 donkeys that the park service had quoted. Second, if they were as prolific as the park service believed by their statistics and predictions, there should have been over 40,000 donkeys on the island by now provided the numbers were correct in 1671. Their means of identifying the donkeys was to draw pictures of them and to mark them with paint, which would eventually wash off during frequent tropical rains. The donkeys were baited in certain areas and then shot with the contraceptive. After baiting the donkeys, because of the natural affection that they have for humans (which makes them ideal for domestication), the donkeys began to frequent more populated areas and became a nuisance to residents and tourists. At one point, 10 donkeys were literally murdered on the beach in front of tourists for being a so-called nuisance!
Did these donkeys really need to be controlled and if so, how? Is this really a scientific experiment in immuno-contraception, or is this only camouflage for a plan to completely annihilate the donkeys of St. John? The longer I spoke to Sandra, Terry and Mary, the more I realized the intense need for some compromising solution to the problem. They were having an important meeting on the issue with Virgin Islands Senator Lorraine Berry to discuss the issues and wanted me to attend, but I wasn’t able to stay. They requested that I call Senator Berry before I left, which I did, and gave her my thoughts on the subject.
In my estimation, the scientific experiment that is supposedly taking place may, or may not have merit. The way in which it was being conducted would be laughable were it not for the donkey lives at stake! Scientific experiments need to be organized and controlled. How could they possible hope to monitor these animals effectively with such primitive methods? Secondly, if we are talking about testing an immuno-contraceptive, then why not use an animal that is really more prolific? Donkeys, unlike most equines, seem to have the ability to conceive and abort at will. They live in small family groups, not huge or even moderately large herds and they eat a minimal amount to survive. They are very careful travelers and don’t necessarily go far when food and fresh water is plentiful. They are attracted to humans, but will be timid about actual contact until domesticated. By baiting these donkeys, it seems that the park has taken the first step towards domestication without realizing what they have done. Then, those donkeys that become friendly are shot as a nuisance!
St. John is economically poor and it would seem that the donkeys could make a valuable contribution. If these donkeys were rounded up and managed properly, there is really no end to their usefulness to the people of St. John. The successful plight of the donkeys and burros in the United States has proven that most of the wild donkeys can be trained and become a useful member of society as a work, pet or pleasure animal. The donkeys on St. John could serve as a vehicle to teach children to ride. They could carry tourists on beach or trail rides. They could give variety to athletics with donkey baseball and basketball. They could guard herds of sheep, goats and other livestock. There could be the promotion and sales of donkey-related items, such as t-shirts, jewelry and island art. Donkeys are terrific animals to use in handicapped and disabled drive and ride programs. They have been proven to be very therapeutic because of their careful and affectionate nature. It seems that there would be more profit from making the donkeys an attraction rather than a distraction.
Donkeys not easily domesticated could be allowed to roam free and propagate with a yearly roundup of the younger and more impressionable donkeys, which could be put into the economic system. This, to me, seems like a more rational approach to the population control of these donkeys. It would increase the economy, increase jobs and take the fear of the donkeys out of the St. John residents as they come to understand one of God’s most charitable creatures! Donkeys can be inexpensively fenced out of gardens and yards. Good management is the key. And let’s face it… if you are going to do a scientific experiment, then please, let’s do it scientifically!
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.
A professional trainer, judge and animal inspector, Crystal Ward owned the Ass Pen Ranch in Placerville, California, where she raised and trained horses, mules and donkeys. The first year she came to Bishop Mule Days was in 1979. She happened to be coming through Bishop on vacation and it really intrigued her. She thought the mules were simply outstanding. Crystal had a show career with horses, but the following year she decided she had to own a mule. She showed up the next year with a horse trailer in tow, and at that point Bishop Mule Days was still offering an auction. She swiftly bought a mule at the auction and had been coming back ever since.
Her first mule was a wild little critter that didn’t make much progress. So the following year she bought a mule named Skeeter Sea from George Chamberlain, a dealer in mules in Los Alivos, California; the mule was previously owned by Slim Pickens. When Slim Pickens showed up as Grand Marshal in the Bishop Mule Days Parade, he told Crystal, “We used to own that mule.” She showed him with 55 mules in the class and won the Western Pleasure class that year. Although he was nice in the Western Pleasure classes, she couldn’t see owning this mule for the long term due to his generally bad manners. Later, she picked up a mule in Northern Montana and brought him back and started training him…his name was Final Legacy. He was a good honest mule and she kept him for the long haul.
Back in the early ‘80s, Crystal got really interested in riding side saddle, so she joined the International Side Saddle Organization and ultimately rode in the Presidential Inaugural Parade with Final Legacy in 1993, hauling him from California to Washington, DC, in the middle of January. He was a good honest mule and she loved him. She showed him in many classes at Bishop Mule Days over the years…from Western to English, dressage, driving and side saddle.
In more recent years Crystal switched to raising and showing donkeys. She had a variety of donkeys, from miniatures to mammoths. She fully understood that you have to take a different approach when training a donkey and produced training videos with Napa, California, videographer, Video Mike. She truly appreciated a good donkey: “Donkeys are like potato chips—you can’t have just one.”
In our interview in 2009, Crystal told me: “We call them [donkeys] ‘desert canaries,’ but that goes hand-in-hand with donkeys. They do like to talk and it can be loud, but you know I’ll still take a donkey any day. I live with the noise, but then again, I’ll have peacocks, barking dogs and roosters in my backyard. Donkeys are just one more noisy farm animal that I can certainly live with.”
For Crystal, it was always a matter of learning…English, Western, Side Saddle…the whole nine yards! She always performed to the best of her and her mule’s ability and she believed a lot of it was a matter of finding just the right mule!
Crystal enjoyed her interview for my documentary series, Those Magnificent Mules; she appeared in “The Bishop All Stars”episodes. (We have all of these episodes available to watch online from our website at www.LuckyTreeRanch.com in the LTR TV On Demand section.) She said: “We were showing back in the early ‘80s, beating the paths to Bishop Mule Days. The one thing I know about mule and donkey people is that it’s fun competing…nice rivalry. When you come out of a class, your fellow competitors will shake your hand and offer you a bit of encouragement. It’s like family when you show at a mule or donkey show. It’s something you always look forward to until the next time.”
You are so right, Crystal! You will remain in our hearts, forever a part of our Longears family… we will miss you!
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.
If ever anyone deserved appreciation and recognition, it is the organizers and sponsors of the Colorado Classic Heart Fund Benefit Horse and Mule Show. They spend many hours all year long to put together a show that was satisfying to its exhibitors and is entertaining to the public, while at the same time is raising money to support research and development for heart related disorders. These selfless people, led by manager Bruce Wolf, are always searching for ways to improve the show and make it more attractive to the public at large. Our deepest thanks for their extraordinary efforts in putting on a show with the integrity and goodwill of the Colorado Classic!
A wonderfully new and exciting addition to the Colorado Classic Heart Fund Benefit this year was opening night’s Symphony of Champions. Riders from all divisions were given spots to ride to the music of the Denver Symphony’s Young Artists Orchestra. American Show Horses, Saddlebreds, Arabians, Half-Arabians, Morgans, National Show Horses, Tennessee Walkers and mules danced to the music of Beethoven and Broadway hits, and then came together for the grand finale to the William Tell Overture. It was an evening of beauty, an evening of humor, an evening of suspense, an evening of the deepest emotions – and the audience loved it! What an exciting way to kick off a show!
Sponsored by the Colorado Donkey & Mule Society, the Mule Show itself exhibited quality animals and impeccable training. The Lucky Three Ranch sponsored Meredith and Dena Hodges, exhibited mules Mae Bea C.T. and Lucky Three Ciji in Dressage and Jumping during its part in the Symphony of Champions, adding suspense and awe as Mae Bea C.T. jumped bridleless during the performance.
The mule show itself opened Sunday morning, April 29th with halter classes exhibiting some of the highest quality saddle mules in the country! Performance classes began with English Pleasure, and then went on to show some of the smoothest jumping mules ever in Hunter Hack and Hunter Under Saddle classes. There was a stunning touch of class by Tammy Dishong and Dena Hodges as they emerged in the Side Saddle class.
Impeccable driving mules were exhibited by Mountain Shadow Mules and the JD Diamond Ranch in the Single Hitch class. Western Pleasure class was one of the best ever in any Colorado show – Rambling Roseagain claimed her title as the ideal pleasure mule. The Green Western Pleasure mule class was short due to some unavoidable scratches, but the two shown were a credit to their breed.
Back to Tammy Dishong and Dena Hodges again for Youth Pleasure, where the girls exhibited their mules in a truly professional manner, explaining why each had claimed their World Champion placements at Bishop Mule Days in California just two years before! Until recently, California mule exhibitors seemed to claim most of the world titles, but two years ago they had to start working a little harder because our own Colorado mule exhibitors began doing better than ever, giving them a run for their money!
Drive & Ride and Ranch Riding were cancelled as the show was running late and the judge needed to catch his flight home, but in the spirit of the Colorado Classic, the otherwise refunded money was donated to the Heart Fund. Our deepest thanks to all of the mule exhibitors who took time out of their busy schedules to help support this show with their avid participation: Bitterroot Mule Company of Bennett, Colorado; JD Diamond Ranch of Bennett, Colorado; Lucky Three Ranch of Loveland, Colorado; Mountain Shadow Mules of Longmont, Colorado; Kristin Pettinger of Littleton, Colorado; and Steven White of Westminster, Colorado! Everyone did a superb job and is to be highly commended for their excellent performances! Thank you all and let’s hope that we can have even more support and participation next year! Results are as follows:
HALTER:
Mu 218 – Mules Foaled in 1989
Lucky Three Selene Dena Hodges Lucky Three Ranch
Mu 219 – Mules Foaled in 1988
no entries
Mu 220 – Mules Foaled in 1987
Lucky Three Foxfire Dena Hodges Lucky Three Ranch
Spring Drizzle Carol Dishong JD Diamond Ranch
Mu 221 – Miniatures 48″ & under no entries
Mu 222 – Saddle Mules 48.01″-56”
Lucky Three Firestorm Meredith Hodges Lucky Three Ranch
Cover Girl Kristin Pettinger Littleton, Co.
Mu 223 – Saddle Mules 56″ & Over
Lucky Three Nuggett Dena Hodges Lucky Three Ranch
Lucky Three Ciji Meredith Hodges. Lucky Three Ranch
Lucky Three Mae Bea C.T. Katy Banks Lucky Three Ranch
John Henry Kristin Pettinger Littleton, Co.
Zippo Sparks Bar Diane Walston Mountain Shadow Mules
Lucky Three Cyclone Gary Hodges Lucky Three Ranch
PERFORMANCE
Mu 228 – Mule Open English Pleasure
Zippo Sparks Bar Steven White Mountain Shadow Mules
Lucky Three Cyclone Gary Hodges Lucky Three Ranch
Lucky Three Ciji Meredith Hodges Lucky Three Ranch
Lucky Three Firestorm Dena Hodges Lucky Three Ranch
Mae Bea C.T. Katy Banks Lucky Three Ranch
Bitterroot Spider Dee Fran Howe Bitterroot Mule Company
Mu 230 – Mule Green English Hunter Hack
Lucky Three Firestorm Dena Hodges Lucky Three Ranch
Lucky Three Ciji Meredith Hodges Lucky Three Ranch
Rambling Rose Steven White Mountain Shadow Mules
Lucky Three Cyclone Gary Hodges Lucky Three Ranch
Mae Bea C.T. Katy Banks Lucky Three Ranch
Mu 233 – Mule English Working Hunter
Lucky Three Firestorm Dena Hodges Lucky Three Ranch
Mae Bea C.T. Meredith Hodges Lucky Three Ranch
Rambling Rose Steven White Mountain Shadow Mules
Lucky Three Ciji Meredith Hodges Lucky Three Ranch
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.
This month, I would like to take the opportunity to introduce a new Colorado mule group, the Colorado Donkey & Mule Society. C.D.M.S. was founded in response to a need for more active performance and research promotion. As the mule industry grows, so does the number of people and mules involved. There are two basic groups: those who ride for fun and pleasure, and those who wish to continually perfect their equestrian techniques and abilities. When there are smaller numbers involved, these two groups can manage to work together effectively, but as the numbers increase, the scales are tipped and one group becomes stronger than the other. Thus, the needs of both are not easily met. Those who wish to ride for fun do not necessarily want to spend time and money on showing, lessons and clinics. By the same token, those who are striving for perfection do not necessarily wish to interrupt their rigorous schedule to plan a lot of purely fun activities. In order to function effectively, goals must be clearly defined and compatible with one another. Riding for fun is not necessarily compatible with competitive riding.
Competitive riding requires constant discipline and dedication to lessons, clinics, shows, and practice sessions for the purpose of conditioning the bodies of mules and riders to perform what is learned. In turn, that which is put before the public is continually more impressive in the quest for perfection. As mules and riders meet new challenges, the appeal of the animal itself is broadened and becomes more positive.
The Colorado Donkey & Mule Society was formed in September of 1986 to meet the needs of competitive mule and donkey enthusiasts. The goals and objectives were defined as follows: 1) To promote Longears in a professional and favorable light to the public, 2) To promote the interest of youth in Longears shows, 3) To promote better and more professional Longears shows, 4) To promote the continuous improvement of Longears and their riders through training, lessons, and clinics, 5) To promote the use of mule and donkey exhibition and achievement with Longears, 6) To promote Longears research, 7) To promote awards for outstanding dedication and achievement with Longears, and 8) To promote fundraisers to support these objectives.
C.D.M.S meeting are held every two weeks at the Lucky Three Ranch in Loveland, Colorado. Members arrive at about noon and spend two to three hours in a video-taped group lesson and practice session after which is a supper meeting. During the meeting, our video-taped session is evaluated and critiqued and each rider is given his riding and training assignment. Club business is then discussed and the meeting adjourns.
C.D.M.S is not for everyone. C.D.M.S. members are required to perpetuate the progress of their riding skills through lessons, clinics, practice, and show participation. In addition to their personal gain, they are required to take active responsibility in the promotion of mules and donkeys. Each member must make measureable contributions regularly; apathy is not tolerated. Our primary purpose is the positive promotion of Longears and we work as a team toward this goal. We must be able to depend upon each other to make this work. We are ready, willing, and able to attend and support whatever function necessary for the betterment of the Longears industry. We believe that the best way to learn is by “doing” and our youth are no exception. We not only encourage our youth to ride mules and donkeys, but also to attend committee meetings and be a part of the decision-making process. Our youth have full voting privilege. In this way, we hope our youth will be willing and able to carry out our objectives, and in time, train new youth to this purpose.
It is our general belief that Dressage is the basis for all performance. The systematic and methodical procedure of Dressage enables rider and animal to assess their progress in a clear and logical manner. The discipline of Dressage enables mules and riders to meet new challenges with a greater degree of patience, thus, bringing about changes with little resistance from their animals. Western and English riders alike can benefit from Dressage. C.D.M.S. held two Dressage clinics for beginning riders, with Dressage instructors from the U.S. and Sweden. We will try to have at least one clinic and two lessons per month for C.D.M.S. members. In addition to scheduled lessons and clinic, C.D.M.S. members are encouraged to use the Lucky Three Ranch facility at no cost for practice sessions. Private lessons are also available.
In order to financially support our objectives, C.D.M.S. will be holding fundraisers throughout the year. Also, thanks to the artistic talent of one of our members and the help of her husband, we are able to begin a line of mule and donkey decals and screens to help subsidize our efforts. This project is already in the work and products will be made available to the public in the near future.
C.D.M.S. is not just for mules. We support and appreciate the donkey and his contribution to this industry. We recognize the importance of Donkey Power! We hope that as we grow as a society, we can establish an equally fun and interesting program for our donkeys. The World Champion Mule Show at Bishop, California, held in May recognized this need and a “Donkey Driving” class was added to their schedule. In Colorado, we have had limited donkey halter classes and driving classes. We hope to add to these. At the Queen City Donkey & Mule Show (July 30-Aug. 2), we added a Wild Burro Halter class. We hope this will help to promote the adoption and care of these beloved animals. The driving classes are split according to size and we hope to see more donkeys in the smaller sections. If enough donkeys show, we will be able to break off an exclusive Donkey Driving class and eventually add Donkey Trail, Pack Trail and Donkey Pleasure. Please help support our donkeys!
Communication is the name of the game, and C.D.M.S. is in constant communication with other individuals and groups throughout the world. We are not a club that works for ourselves. We work for the positive promotion of mules and donkeys. Sharing of ideas, techniques, time and effort are essential to the life of our organization. This is why our members are carefully scrutinized – we are all active participants! We would like to be used for the benefit of mules and donkeys everywhere. So, if we can, please allow us to help. Tell us what you would like us to do for you, then what you can do for Longears! Your support would be appreciated. We aren’t trying to recruit members, just active participants!
Coloradoans can be proud of the Donkey and Mule Show that took place May 3, at the Colorado Classic Horse Show in Denver, Colorado. Although attendance was somewhat limited, the classes were filled with beautiful mules and donkeys. Hats off to all the exhibitors who, in my estimation, put on the best Longears show yet in Colorado!
There is a lot of time and hard work that goes into a show such as this. Managers and breed representatives work year round to assure the success of this show. The Colorado Classic Horse Show is a weeklong show for the benefit of the Colorado Heart Association, inviting ten different breeds to come and compete. Those of us with Longears would like to thank all of those affiliated with the Colorado Classic for inviting us to participate in such a worthwhile project. Particular thanks to Bruce Wolf of Littleton, Colorado and Marilyn Kershaw of Aurora, Colorado, not only for their outstanding dedication and hard work, but also for their support of Longears. Without their fair and open minds, there would have been no Longears Show. The Colorado Donkey and Mule Society and the Rocky Mountain Longears Association look forward to working together toward a bigger and better show with each new year. We couldn’t have asked to work with a nicer group of people. We thank you all!
Halter classes were dotted with mules of all sizes and colors. They ranged from black to white, from Paints to Appaloosas, all clipped and turned out with elegance. Grand Champion Model Mule went to Maggie, a 16.1 hand gray molly mule owned by Danny Langston of Denver, Colorado and shown by Dick Ayers of Blue Cloud Stables in Longmont. Reserve Grand Champion Model Mule was Lucky Three Mae Bea C. T., a 15 hand brown dun molly mule, owned and shown by Meredith Hodges of the Lucky Three Ranch in Loveland, Colorado.
Colorado can be proud of their jackstock: three of the country’s finest jacks showed here in Denver. Grand Champion Model Donkey went to Lucky Three’s own Little Jack Horner, a 13 HH gray roan jack, former ’84 & ’85 Reserve World Champion Standard Jack. Reserve Grand Champion Jack went to Shadow Mountain’s Music Man, newly owned and shown by Hal and Diane Walston of Longmont, Colorado. And showing in third place was Blue Zebulon, owned and shown by Fran Howe of Bennett, Colorado, a former Bishop Mule Days World Champion Standard Jack in 1986. All three of these jacks were scheduled to show again at the Bishop Mule Days 1987 world show held in Bishop, California, May 22-25. Wish them luck, Colorado – they represent you well!
One of the most exciting new additions to the Colorado mule shows was the English Pleasure class. There was some doubt about being able to fill this class, but when 10 lovely entries strolled through the gates into the arena, it was clear that this is destined to become a favorite class. Those who were in the class did a fine, professional job of showing, making this class perhaps the highlight of the show. First place went to a striking Paint mule named Jake, owned and shown by Kirby Longenbaugh of Brighton, Colorado, and trained by Meredith Hodges of Loveland. A prouder trainer I could not have been! Second place went to Lily, owned by Danny Langston and shown by Dick Ayers. It does my heart good to see so many mule people in one area taking advantage of the opportunities made available by the United States Dressage Federation. Keep up the good work, folks!
The Mule Side Saddle class took its place in the Coliseum arena amongst elegant saddle horses and Grand Prix jumping. Winner of this class was Rambling Rose, owned by Diane Walston of Longmont and shown by trainer, Joan Triolo. “‘Rose” was immaculately decked out in beautiful, handmade Mexican attire, impressive to all who were fortunate enough to be present. Second place was awarded to Nifty, owned and shown by Zella Brink of Fort Collins, Colorado.
Colorado Longears youth are a fun and enthusiastic group who are making great strides in improving their Mulemanship techniques. It is clear that these kids work hard with their mules, and it is reflected in their continued improvement from show to show. Winner of the Youth Pleasure for 13 years and under went to Dena Hodges riding Lucky Three Mae Bea C.T., with Crystal Nordyke aboard Nordyke’s Tuffy taking second place. In the Youth Pleasure for those 14-17 years, first went to Frijole’s Dixie Belle owned by Sharon Anthony and shown by Leslie Busque of Colorado Springs. Second place went to Rambling Rose, owned by Diane Walston and shown by Amy Wilfong of Longmont, Colorado. High Point Youth went to Amy Wilfong and Rambling Rose with Leslie Busque and Frijole’s Dixie Belle taking Reserve High Point Youth. Congratulations to all our youth exhibitors for doing an extraordinary job of showing!
In the Open Western Pleasure, Leslie Busque exhibited the finesse of our Colorado youth by winning the class with Frijole’s Dixie Belle. Leslie will soon leave the youth classes behind to join the adults, but it is clear that she is well prepared for this step up through the ranks. Second place was Athena, owned by Danny Langston of Denver and shown by Dick Ayers of Longmont.
In the Single Hitch Driving, Lucky Three Mae Bea C.T. rose to the occasion, capturing first place, with Rambling Rose in second place. First in the Drive & Ride went to Princess, owned and shown by Tom Mowery of Brighton, Colorado. Tom is an active participant in the promotion of mules in Colorado – much of what has been done here could not have been done without him. Thanks, Tom! Second place went to sweet Rambling Rose, a formidable contender. In the Team Driving, Oscar and Yoyo were awarded first place, owned and driven by Bob Potestio of Parker, Colorado. Princess and Buster, owned and shown by Tom Mowery of Brighton placed second. Ranch Riding, a combined Reining and Trail class, was won by Nifty, owned and shown by Zella Brink of Fort Collins, with Lucky Three Mae Bea C.T. taking second place ridden by Meredith Hodges. First place in the Costume Class went to Rambling Rose and Joan Triolo in their impressive Side Saddle attire, while Tom Mowery took second place with his pack string Buster and Princess. Congratulations to Tom Mowery with High Point Mule, Princess, and to Reserve High Point Mule, Rambling Rose!
Even though it was raining and threatening to snow, exhibitors and animals were well housed, exercised, and kept warm and dry. This excellent show management made for a thoroughly enjoyable as well as impressive show for Longears. We hope that more of you mule fans will put this show on your schedule for next year. It is not one you would want to miss!