North American donkey

A miniature and a small Standard donkey in Minnesota in winter

North American donkeys constitute approximately 0.1% of the worldwide donkey population. Donkeys were brought to the New World by the Conquistadores in the 15th century, and spread northward. There are no North American donkey breeds as such. Instead, donkeys in Canada and the USA are classified according to their size: Miniature donkeys are 36 inches (91 centimetres) or less at the withers, Small Standard donkeys stand 36.01 to 48 inches (91 to 122 cm), Large Standard donkeys stand from over 48 to 54 inches (122 to 137 cm) for jennets, and over 48 to 56 inches (122 to 142 cm) for jacks and geldings, while Mammoth Jack jennets are over 54 inches (137 cm), and Mammoth jacks and geldings over 56 inches (142 cm).

Early history

The first asses came to the Americas on ships of the Second Voyage of Christopher Columbus, and were landed at Hispaniola in 1495. In the early days of the Conquest, jack-asses were highly valued as sires for mules, which were esteemed as riding-animals by the Spanish, and reserved for the nobility. Mules were bred for expeditions to mainland America, with males preferred for pack animals and the females for riding. The first shipment of mules, including three jacks and twelve jennets, arrived in Mexico from Cuba ten years after the conquest of the Aztecs in 1521. Mules were used in silver mines, and each Spanish outpost in the empire bred its own mules from its own jack. Donkeys arrived in large numbers in the western United States during the nineteenth century gold rushes, as pack animals and for use in mines and ore-grinding mills. The major use of donkeys came to an end with the end of the mining boom and the introduction of railroads in the West. With little value, many animals were turned loose to become the populations of free-roaming burros that inhabit the West today.

Miniature donkey

In the 20th century, donkeys came to be more frequently kept as pets in the United States and in other wealthy nations. In 1929 Robert Green imported seven donkeys of the small indigenous Sardinian breed to the United States. The first foal was born in the same year. Although never considered miniature in their country of origin, these animals were soon known as Miniature or Miniature Mediterranean donkeys. Green was a lifelong advocate, and said of them, "Miniature donkeys possess the affectionate nature of a Newfoundland, the resignation of a cow, the durability of a mule, the courage of a tiger, and an intellectual capability only slightly inferior to man's." By 1935 there were 52 of them, and some were sold. Further Sardinian donkeys were imported, as well as similar but quite distinct Sicilian animals. A breed registry was opened in 1958 by Bea Langfeld, who was the first professional breeder of miniature donkeys in the USA; it was turned over to the American Donkey and Mule Society in 1987.

Mammoth Jack

The Mammoth Jack, also called Mammoth Jackstock, American Mammoth Donkey, or American Mammoth Jack, is the largest North American donkey. It descended from several large European donkeys imported to the United States from about the time of George Washington. Breeds that may have influenced the Mammoth Jack include the Maltese donkey, the Baudet de Poitou, the Andalusian donkey, the Majorcan donkey and the Catalonian donkey.

Spotted Ass

A spotted ass is any kind of donkey, mule or hinny that has a spotted coat. To be registered with the American Council of Spotted Asses, the animal must have at least two spots behind the throatlatch and above the legs.

Breed associations

• The American Council of Spotted Asses
• The American Donkey and Mule Society
• American Mammoth Jackstock Registry
• Canadian Donkey & Mule Association

See also

• American Mammoth Jackstock on French Wikipedia
• List of donkey breeds