Talking With The Animals

Hurray!! Pictures are back. Don't know where they were or how they got here, but HURRAY!!!! Will see if I can add new ones now.
Animals are quite verbal and the blog should have been titled Talking to People. The critters here are a talkative bunch. Dunny, Dancing Drum and Star let us know when they feel we have waited too long to feed, pet or otherwise neglected them. Dancer, especially, verbalizes her displeasure with our failings. This winsome trio is always ready to share their love and feelings.

The goats are always talking. Hello. Pet the goat. Feed the goat. Play with the goat. What are you doing? Can I help? What's in your pocket? Can I have some? Where you been? You get the idea. They always have input. They talk to the horses, dogs and cats, too. The chickens who live next door are ignored.

Bucky the clubbed footed pony talks to everyone. In fact, Bucky is everyone. Sometimes he races around with Teddy the Thoroughbred, encouraging the bigger boy to hurry it up. Sometimes, he's a mule, though he has not perfected his bray yet. Sometimes he's a hinny and spends his day communing with Posey. They scratch backs, nibble and generally have a long ears conversation.

Rosie and Teddy are inseparable. Teddy had been bonded with Tess. When we had to give Tess her wings we let Teddy say good-bye. He spent about 20 minutes sniffing and just being with her. When he was through he snorted, then went to Rosie and she comforted him. They have been together ever since. If she strays too far he calls to her and they reunite. Their communication is one of love and trust.

They do not limit themselves just to each other though. Rosie is quite fond of the tractor when it is full of hay and she often lets me know I can stop and let her nibble while I'm trying to feed. Teddy visits with everyone. The other day when we had company and the men were standing by the fence chatting, big ole Teddy walked over and said, Hey, guys, I'm here, let's talk about me. He is a big love.

Feeding time elicits the most equine to human conversations. The lights come on in the house in the morning and the long ear chorus begins. Jessie donkey has been practicing and she has the most pitiful warble in her voice. She inhales with a squeak, then exhales with a vibration that lets you know she is within minutes of starving to death.
Jenny joins her as do Dobbin and Jonathan. Since Jonathan and Dobbin are in their 40's their voices have the old man sound- a little raspy and breathless. Of course, Love dog views the donkey serenade as an invitation to a sing along. What a ruckus.

The chickens and guineas have already greeted the sun, or the moon, or the clouds or whatever they feel needs a Good Morning. When dainty Breeze Bay the Arabian sees us she lets out a lusty whinny while her pal huge Cash gives barely a whisper nicker.

Probably, the most verbal of the horses is Frankie. He's always making noises. In fact he reminds me of kids I had in class who always had to be making sounds. Frankie flaps his lips, nickers greeting, moan when he goes to the bathroom and really carries on when he's rolling. What a character.

Of course, this says nothing about the other silent more serious communications we have with the animals. They talk to us when they are frightened, confused, hurting, lonesome and when they are ready to get their wings. They talk to us about their love, trust, forgiveness, and caring. They listen when we are trying to help them. Our communications can be verbal, physical (pets, massages, hands on) or they can be spiritual. On many occasion's we only have to think about what we want them to do and they do it. They only have to think about what they want us to do and we do it.
Yesterday was a good example. Posey the mini hinny (who was in the auction yard with a full grown man riding her whipping her in the face with a coiled rope so she would spin) and who does not allow anyone to touch her was in the turnout with the calves, Kim, Aurora, Chardonnay and Sunny. She sneaked in when we were fence mending. She spent the day with them but was anxious to return to her own herd. I fed the others, opened the gate and told her I was going to walk behind her so she could get out. She had a moment of panic when I got near, then looked at me with the I got it look and trotted over to the gate and out she went.

The animals will talk to you if you listen. They don't always do it in the same ways and like people they don't always talk when you want them to. We spend a lot of time with our beloved friends and we are amazed at what we can learn from them.

Bo the Clydesdale mustang cross and his ladies are wild, but they greet us and know we will care for them. They don't have to be ridden, nor showed, nor bred nor anything. They can just be and be loved. We love and respect them and they thank us.
The dogs, cats, goats and equines have given us a gift that we treasure. We go out each day wondering what we will learn and who has the lesson for us. We are so lucky.