mule & jackstock 101

By Deb Kidwell

My Dad bred Appaloosa’s in Miami in the 1960’s and 70’s, so I was familiar with horse breeding, but I had not owned a horse in over thirty years. When my husband Jim and I moved to a 110 acre property in Martin, TN, I knew that I wanted livestock, but there were obstacles, such as not a stitch of fence, unclear land, etc. Once the first pasture was ready, I knew that the first horse had to be an Appaloosa in honor of my Dad. However, I always had an affinity for drafts, so horse number two was a sweet Belgian filly. It was when I took the Belgian to my first county horse show that I met my first mules and Mammoth Jackstock, and I was addicted! But, boy did I have a lot to learn. Thus, the research began. I visited every mule and Jackstock breeder I could. I read up on them, and just when I thought I couldn’t read another word, I located another book. I talked to Veterinarians and laypeople. I went to sales and shows and spoke to judges. I talked to registrars for different registries and read some more. After months of research I thought that I was ready to purchase breeding stock. I bought the best young mares that I could afford - I looked for conformation, intelligence, willingness and sweet personalities….color was the last consideration, unless it was a breed standard.

I then turned my attention to the American Mammoth Jackstock breed. American Mammoth Jackstock is a large breed of donkey. The breed is the only American breed of ass, and was developed by George Washington in the late 1700’s. Washington bred Catalonian, Maltese, Majorcan, Andalusian and Poitou breeds together and developed what was the beginning of the Jackstock we have today. The American Mammoth Jackstock Registry (AMJR) is the oldest registry for the breed and was founded in 1888. The height standard for the AMJR is 14hh for jennets (females) and 14.2hh for the jacks (males). There are other registries that have slightly lower height requirements, but we looked for Jackstock that met the AMJR standards (all of our jennets are 15hh or taller and our standing jack is 15.2hh). The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy lists American Mammoth Jackstock as “threatened” and estimates that there are fewer than 5,000 in the world today. The AMJR feels that the number is much lower (1,500-2,000). Mammoth Jackstock have precious personalities, and are very intelligent. I feel like they are old souls, and donkeys were domesticated long before horses. Some of our jennets ride and we are breaking some to drive. Once I had acquired our registered Mammoth jennets and a beautiful, gentle registered Mammoth jack, I was ready to begin our breeding program to produce saddle and draft mules and Mammoth Jackstock.

Mules are a hybrid. A mule is the product of a horse mare and a donkey jack. Horses have 64 chromosomes and donkeys 62. When you breed the two together, the resulting offspring has 63 chromosomes and is usually sterile. Very rarely a female mule will get pregnant, but these occasions are very few and far between, (a molly mule in Colorado foaled in the spring of 2007). However, mules come with all the hormones and equipment necessary to reproduce, which is why you always geld the boys. A female mule is called a “mare” or “molly” mule. A male mule is called a “horse” or “john” mule. Occasionally a horse stallion breeds a donkey jennet. The offspring of this union is called a “hinny”.

Mules are very intelligent and curious. It has been said that mules get their intelligence from their father, the jack and their fire from their mother, the mare. It all has to do with evolution. Horses evolved on the plains and could give in to their flight response freely when threatened. Donkeys , on the other hand, evolved in mountainous regions. If donkeys were to run when threatened, they would run off the side of a mountain, thus, they learned to assess the situation and react in a safe manner. I find that our donkeys are very much thinkers when presented with a new situation and so curious that it borders on being nosy! The mule seems to get the best that both parents have to offer. And, being a hybrid can posses what is known as “hybrid vigor”, which can attribute to the foal being bigger than either parent and healthier. What is often attributed to stubbornness in the mule is actually self-preservation. I respect my mule’s opinion of what surrounds her and watch how she reacts to things because she is much more aware of her surroundings than I will ever be. Mules can do anything a horse can do (in some cases better). Some of our colts have futures in dressage and hunter/jumper disciples. Some of our babies will be outstanding cutting and reining prospects. The fastest equine on the farm at present is a yearling molly mule. Our current draft mares include Belgians, Clydesdales and Friesians / Percheron crosses. Our saddle mares include Appaloosas, Quarter Horses and Tennessee Walking Horses.

If you think that a mule is in your future, please do your research. Talk to folks that ride a mule, talk to your Veterinarian as there are some anatomical and physiological differences from the horse. Go to shows and talk to reputable breeders and qualified trainers. Find a farrier that knows the differences between the horse and mule hoof and enjoys working with mules. Read all the books you can find (there are reprints of books online that date back to 1867). Mules are sensitive and I believe that they possess a sense of humor. Mules are thinkers and training a mule is different than training a horse. Mules need to understand what they are being asked to do, but once they learn something, they do not forget. Look for a colt that has been imprinted, handled often and socialized. Our foals are imprinted at birth and haltered for short periods on day two. We start lifting feet the first week. Johns are gelded at four weeks and they receive their first foot trim at eight weeks. We freeze brand at about the same time. By the time our colts are weaned they are halter broke, load, stand for the farrier and stand in stocks. About two months after being weaned, if they have not been sold, they will go to our out-of-state trainer for “pre-kindergarten”. There, they are stalled for the first time, and have very simple short ground school lessons for thirty days. Ask for shot records and a health certificate, and yes - mules and donkeys need a Coggins test! Needless to say, use the same criteria that you would use for purchasing a quality horse.

I hope that this short primer has assisted those who are considering adding a mule to their family. As we say on the farm: “If it ain’t half-ass, it’s just a horse!”