The Brayer: History, American Donkey and Mule Society Profile and Content
Profile updated November 2026
The Brayer magazine is the members' publication of the American Donkey and Mule Society, the Texas-based registry that has championed donkeys, mules and their hybrid cousins since 1967. Published every other month and often running past 100 pages, it serves longear owners with animals of every size, from miniature donkeys to draft mules.
| Publisher | American Donkey and Mule Society (ADMS) |
|---|---|
| Society founded | 1967, in Texas |
| Co-founder | Betsy Hutchins, who ran ADMS with husband Paul from Denton, Texas |
| Frequency | Bimonthly |
| Size | Often more than 100 pages |
| Registries | American Donkey Registry, Miniature Donkey Registry, Zebra Hybrid/Bloodstock Registry |
| Official website | LoveLongears.com |
History of The Brayer
The American Donkey and Mule Society was established in 1967, the same year it founded the American Donkey Registry. Co-founder Elizabeth "Betsy" Hutchins spent more than 40 years promoting longears, and she and her husband Paul ran the society together for many years from their farmhouse in Denton, Texas.
The Brayer grew out of that kitchen-table operation. Early issues were hand-typed and pasted up on the Hutchins' dining room table, a reminder of how small the donkey and mule world was when the society began. When the couple retired, ADMS hired staff to keep the registry and magazine going. Betsy Hutchins' death was mourned across the longear community in 2012.
The society expanded its registry work over time. In 1987 it took over the Miniature Donkey Registry, founded in 1958 by Daniel and Bea Langford, and in 1997 it added a Zebra Hybrid/Bloodstock Registry. The miniature registry alone holds more than 60,000 records.
The Brayer Today
The Brayer is published bimonthly for donkey and mule enthusiasts, covering animals from miniature to draft size, and issues regularly exceed 100 pages. It remains the main way the society reaches members spread across the country.
ADMS has faced funding pressure: after an annual grant that supported its operations expired, supporters launched a public fundraiser to cover a year of staff and operating costs and to preserve decades of paper registry records. The society's mailing address has moved from Denton to Lewisville and more recently Bonham, Texas.
What The Brayer Is Publishing Now
Breed and type features
Articles on standard, miniature and mammoth donkeys, saddle and draft mules, and zebra hybrids.
Care and training
Hoof care, nutrition, health and training advice adapted to the particular needs of donkeys and mules.
Registry and community
Registration news, show results, member stories and breeder listings tie the scattered longear community together.
The Brayer Editors and Staff
Directory listings and society tributes name these people:
- Leah Patton - ADMS contact
- Betsy Hutchins - Co-founder of ADMS, died 2012
- Paul Hutchins - Longtime co-manager of ADMS (retired)
Directory listings give lovelongears@hotmail.com as the society's contact address.
Who Reads The Brayer
Readers are donkey and mule breeders, pet owners, trail riders, packers, driving enthusiasts and small farmers who use donkeys as livestock guardians. Donkeys and mules have different nutritional and hoof needs than horses, and land-grant extension programs such as University of Missouri Extension's equine program and the University of Kentucky's equine extension services provide useful starting points for their care.
Donkey owners know their animals are not stubborn, just thoughtful, and they will tell you so at length. They will feel right at home at farm.FM, where farm satire and farm humor give guard donkeys and saddle mules their due, alongside ranch humor for the packing crowd. The farm jokes there are worth a bray or two, depending on who is listening.
For context, farm.FM is the nation's first satirical farm site and the home of Tractor Tunes, country music for farmers. Its contributors each keep an archive, and this one is a good sampler of ranch humor and farm jokes.
The Brayer Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Rural Heritage: magazines directory - listing for Brayer Magazine and its bimonthly schedule.
- Lucky Three Ranch: Rest in Peace, Betsy Hutchins - a tribute to the ADMS co-founder and early Brayer history.
- Help the ADMS protect donkey heritage - registry history and current funding needs.
- University of Missouri Extension: Equine - extension resources for equine owners.
- University of Kentucky Equine Extension - land-grant equine health programs.
The Brayer FAQ
Who publishes The Brayer?
The American Donkey and Mule Society, a Texas-based registry founded in 1967.
How often is The Brayer published?
Bimonthly, and issues often exceed 100 pages.
Who founded the American Donkey and Mule Society?
Betsy Hutchins co-founded the society and ran it for many years with her husband Paul from Denton, Texas.
What registries does ADMS keep?
The American Donkey Registry, the Miniature Donkey Registry and a Zebra Hybrid/Bloodstock Registry.
Born on a dining room table in Texas, The Brayer magazine still speaks for the longears and the people who love them.