There are many ways to talk to animals, many ways to listen to them. We humans are the most arrogant species, we believe we know what they are thinking because we most often believe they are thinking what we are thinking. But they are not, they do not have our words, our language, our narratives and emotions. Much as we would like to cast them in our image, they are alien, they have their own language and emotions.

Maria talks to her pony every day in many ways. She brings her an apple in the morning, sometimes corn cobs. She brushes her, grooms her, hoses her down. Sometimes she talks to her, sometimes she rides her, sometimes she lets her in the pasture with grass, sometimes she walks her around the pasture.

Sometimes she shows her her emotions, sometimes she trades images with her. They are having a rich conversation, the same kind of conversation that I have had with Fate, the same kind I have had with Red. Communication with animals  begins with our understanding that we do not know what they are thinking and feeling, they understand few of our words.

Only then can we listen to them. Only when we are humble and accept them as our partners, not our piteous wards or slaves, not voiceless creatures to be exploited for our own needs. That’s when the conversation begins.