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| Mammoth donkeys were first
introduced to this country by George Washington. Because the Jack donkeys in
the New World lacked the size and strength he required to produce quality
work mules, he imported donkeys from Spain and France, some standing over
1.63 m tall. One of the donkeys Washington received from the Marquis de
Lafayette named "Knight of Malta" stood only 1.43 m and was regarded as a
great disappointment. Viewing this donkey as unfit for producing mules,
Washington instead bred Knight of Malta to his Jennets and, in doing so,
created an American line of Mammoth Jackstock.
Mammoth jacks cross well with saddle horses as well as draft mares. Packers and outfitters insist on mules by mammoth jacks to get a good disposition on mules for their clients' safety, as well as having strong enough legs to hold up to packing large loads in the mountains. Trail riders look for the same attributes as well. Today the Mammoth donkey is still classified as rare by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, with less than a thousand registrations annually. What makes a Mammoth?
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Gate Farm's Diamond Eyed Chick, otherwise known as "Dicey" Her daddy is Diamond C Montana Jack
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Dicey and Leibshen |
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