Rural Heritage June/July 2026

An American Mammoth Jackstock jenny saddled up and ready to ride.

mules that plowed, packed and did so many things that needed to be done. If we didn’t have the donkeys, we wouldn’t have the mules, and we wouldn’t have a lot of the infrastructure of the United States – the canals and highways, for example, that we have today.” Additionally, mules were vital to military actions through the early 20th century, hauling cannons and supplies over long distances. Mammoth Jacks are sturdy and tall, with massive legs and large, well-made heads. The ears are exceptionally long, often measuring 33 inches from head to tip. Selection has always been made for size and substance. “This is the world’s largest breed of donkeys,” says Bob Doxey, an American Mammoth Jackstock breeder from Missoula, Mont., with nearly three

decades of experience. “In our herd, we like to see them at 15 hands (60 inches) and higher.” Adults can weigh 900 to 1,200 pounds. Doxey says Washington, like generations of farmers after him, raised America Mammoth Jackstocks with one purpose in mind. “Over the years, the American farmer bought a lot of Jackstock and bred them in size so that they could produce stronger mules. People ask, ‘What do you do with these donkeys?’ You breed them. They were developed to breed with horses and to breed with each other.” That has led to a problem: the breed’s offspring mules are so popular that owners rarely breed their stallions to other American Mammoth Jackstocks. “We need breeders to have AMJs reproduce their own kind. People don’t know that the gene pool is diminishing. You can’t buy your way into this. The mules that are

June/July 2026

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