The donkey is one of four members of the equine family whose most common member is the horse. Zebra and Asiatic wild asses are the other two species. His proper name "Ass" comes from Latin. The name Donkey comes from an old English word meaning the animal in the dun-key or colour.
Sometimes he is also called Burro, which is the Spanish word for ass. Today the word burro usually refers to the feral donkeys that roam wild in various parts of North and South America.
A male donkey (stallion) is called a jack. Castrated male donkeys are donkey geldings. The female donkey (mare) is called a jennet (sometimes written as jenny, but both pronounced the same). Young donkeys are called jack foals or jennet foals.
Donkeys have many uses - riding, driving, companions, pack animals, guard animals, acreage pets, and as first animals for children. Jennet or gelding donkeys are by far the best animals for these activities. Jacks are not suitable for pets, they are to produce mules and donkeys.
In Memoriam
WINDY RIDGE
KLONDIKE MIKE
C-CDJA-222
April 25, 1980 to October 25, 2004
I was waiting for him when he arrived in our barn at 9pm. He traveled up to Canada from Ohio, brought “in utero” by Starvation Knob’s Black Maria, a Mammoth jennet purchased from the late Phil Glick of Styker, Ohio. At birth he weighed 72 pounds, stood 35 inches tall and was the biggest donkey foal we had ever seen!
To our knowledge, Windy Ridge Klondike Mike, was the first Mammoth Jack stock foal ever to be born in the province of Quebec, in eastern Canada, where we were living at the time. According to the Canadian Livestock Records, who looks after registrations for the Canadian Donkey and Mule Association, their older General Stud and Herd book has but one entry under Jack & Jennet. That jack was Elder’s Dakota King who was born in 1929 in Jamestown, North Dakota and later imported to Canada and registered here in 1938. No other Mammoth jack stock seem to have been registered until Klondike’s dam in early 1981.
Considering our other donkeys were a Small Standard herd we started in 1971, it is not surprising Klondike Mike looked so large. He and his dam Maria were the start of our growing interest in Mammoth Jack stock that continues to this day. They, along with eleven select Small and Large Standards, moved with us 2500 miles west when we resettled in Alberta in 1981. Klondike was a large yearling by that time and he took the long trip very well, but like all the donkeys, he was certainly relieved to set his feet safely on solid ground!
Once here in Alberta, Klondike concentrated on just being a growing youngster. He grew and matured to 57’’ by the time he was four years old and was inspected and accepted into the CDMA Stud book. In the interim three years he learned to breed jennets first by in-hand breeding and later pasture breeding. It was comical to see his behavior when asked to hand breed his first jennet as a rising three year old. After some consideration of the whole scene with the jennet tied in our breeding corner, he dutifully mounted as a test, but was so surprised by the different view from ‘up there’ that he was quite distracted from the job ! He did better on his second try.
He was always quite well behaved with the jennets, but like most jacks was a little anxious especially during the first breeding of the spring. Klondike was eight years old when friends Irene Morck and Mogens Nielsen, of Spruceview, Alberta decided they would like some mules from their American Saddlebred mares. They sought us out, and on advice from their vet and the local equine artificial insemination technician, presented us with two aged mares. Klondike was delighted to oblige and technician Dale Hillman reported that semen quality and viability were excellent. Unfortunately those first two mares did not conceive but two younger mares that were substituted the following spring did and produced fine future saddle mules for their owners. Those two mules were the start of a growing family of mules for Irene and Mogens who continue to use mules in the mountains.
Even though Klondike Mike had been raised with donkeys only and was therefore a ‘jennet jack’ with no interest in horses, collection was possible by using a ‘jump jennet’ (an in season jennet) and he was always willing. So that first start at breeding mares by A.I. led to occasional collection and shipped semen , but our major goal as breeders was the production of Mammoth Jack stock that are on the Rare Breed List in North America.
Currently only 154 Mammoths are registered in Canada, of which 65% came from Windy Ridge Farm bloodlines. Klondike sired 55 registered offspring and at least five mule offspring that were not registered by their owners. He sired quality Mammoth stock, especially out of Black Bart daughters. Some have been show winners in America and Canada while others continue to act as good working donkeys throughout these regions.
Although Klondike was never shown, he worked willingly on our farm and tackled such jobs as skidding firewood, harrowing pastures, and even pulled an antique cultivator to make the drills for the potatoes in the garden. He never refused anything we asked of him - being ridden, leading through knee deep flood waters to higher ground, or standing patiently for vet or farrier work.
Klondike is buried in our barnyard alongside Black Bart, where like Bart, he too supervised all the barnyard activities of our breeding operation. Gone is the big black jack who liked to rest his head on my shoulder and have his ears scratched. He was such an amiable fellow. We are thankful for the blessing of almost 25 years of living and working with Klondike Mike and for the offspring he gave us. The memories of Klondike Mike will live long in our hearts, and continue in our lives as we see him in the faces of the new generations of Mammoths to come at Windy Ridge Farm.
THE END
Submitted by Carl & Sybil Sewell, Windy Ridge Farm, Leslieville, Alberta.
The donkey is one of four members of the equine family whose most common member is the horse. Zebra and Asiatic wild asses are the other two species. His proper name "Ass" comes from Latin. The name Donkey comes from an old English word meaning the animal in the dun-key or colour.
Sometimes he is also called Burro, which is the Spanish word for ass. Today the word burro usually refers to the feral donkeys that roam wild in various parts of North and South America.
A male donkey (stallion) is called a jack. Castrated male donkeys are donkey geldings. The female donkey (mare) is called a jennet (sometimes written as jenny, but both pronounced the same). Young donkeys are called jack foals or jennet foals.
Donkeys have many uses - riding, driving, companions, pack animals, guard animals, acreage pets, and as first animals for children. Jennet or gelding donkeys are by far the best animals for these activities. Jacks are not suitable for pets, they are to produce mules and donkeys.
In Memoriam
WINDY RIDGE
KLONDIKE MIKE
C-CDJA-222
April 25, 1980 to October 25, 2004
I was
waiting for him when he arrived in our barn at 9pm. He traveled up to Canada
from Ohio, brought “in utero” by Starvation Knob’s Black Maria, a Mammoth jennet
purchased from the late Phil Glick of Styker, Ohio. At birth he weighed 72
pounds, stood 35 inches tall and was the biggest donkey foal we had ever seen!
To our knowledge, Windy Ridge Klondike Mike, was the first Mammoth Jack stock
foal ever to be born in the province of Quebec, in eastern Canada, where we were
living at the time. According to the Canadian Livestock Records, who looks after
registrations for the Canadian Donkey and Mule Association, their older General
Stud and Herd book has but one entry under Jack & Jennet. That jack was Elder’s
Dakota King who was born in 1929 in Jamestown, North Dakota and later imported
to Canada and registered here in 1938. No other Mammoth jack stock seem to have
been registered until Klondike’s dam in early 1981.
Considering our other donkeys were a Small Standard herd we started in 1971, it
is not surprising Klondike Mike looked so large. He and his dam Maria were the
start of our growing interest in Mammoth Jack stock that continues to this day.
They, along with eleven select Small and Large Standards, moved with us 2500
miles west when we resettled in Alberta in 1981. Klondike was a large yearling
by that time and he took the long trip very well, but like all the donkeys, he
was certainly relieved to set his feet safely on solid ground!
Once here in Alberta, Klondike concentrated on just being a growing youngster.
He grew and matured to 57’’ by the time he was four years old and was inspected
and accepted into the CDMA Stud book. In the interim three years he learned to
breed jennets first by in-hand breeding and later pasture breeding. It was
comical to see his behavior when asked to hand breed his first jennet as a
rising three year old. After some consideration of the whole scene with the
jennet tied in our breeding corner, he dutifully mounted as a test, but was so
surprised by the different view from ‘up there’ that he was quite distracted
from the job ! He did better on his second try.
He was always quite well behaved with the jennets, but like most jacks was a
little anxious especially during the first breeding of the spring. Klondike was
eight years old when friends Irene Morck and Mogens Nielsen, of Spruceview,
Alberta decided they would like some mules from their American Saddlebred mares.
They sought us out, and on advice from their vet and the local equine artificial
insemination technician, presented us with two aged mares. Klondike was
delighted to oblige and technician Dale Hillman reported that semen quality and
viability were excellent. Unfortunately those first two mares did not conceive
but two younger mares that were substituted the following spring did and
produced fine future saddle mules for their owners. Those two mules were the
start of a growing family of mules for Irene and Mogens who continue to use
mules in the mountains.
Even though Klondike Mike had been raised with donkeys only and was therefore a
‘jennet jack’ with no interest in horses, collection was possible by using a
‘jump jennet’ (an in season jennet) and he was always willing. So that first
start at breeding mares by A.I. led to occasional collection and shipped semen ,
but our major goal as breeders was the production of Mammoth Jack stock that are
on the Rare Breed List in North America.
Currently only 154 Mammoths are registered in Canada, of which 65% came from
Windy Ridge Farm bloodlines. Klondike sired 55 registered offspring and at least
five mule offspring that were not registered by their owners. He sired quality
Mammoth stock, especially out of Black Bart daughters. Some have been show
winners in America and Canada while others continue to act as good working
donkeys throughout these regions.
Although Klondike was never shown, he worked willingly on our farm and tackled
such jobs as skidding firewood, harrowing pastures, and even pulled an antique
cultivator to make the drills for the potatoes in the garden. He never refused
anything we asked of him - being ridden, leading through knee deep flood waters
to higher ground, or standing patiently for vet or farrier work.
Klondike is buried in our barnyard alongside Black Bart, where like Bart, he too
supervised all the barnyard activities of our breeding operation. Gone is the
big black jack who liked to rest his head on my shoulder and have his ears
scratched. He was such an amiable fellow. We are thankful for the blessing of
almost 25 years of living and working with Klondike Mike and for the offspring
he gave us. The memories of Klondike Mike will live long in our hearts, and
continue in our lives as we see him in the faces of the new generations of
Mammoths to come at Windy Ridge Farm.
THE END
Submitted by Carl & Sybil Sewell, Windy Ridge Farm, Leslieville, Alberta.
This site was last updated 08/11/10