In my next life, one of the things I want to do is to study how donkeys and humans talk to one another. Lulu and I have been together for nearly 20 years now, and we know how to speak to one another.

Donkeys talk with their brays, tails, ears, eyes, and noses. It took me a lot of time to figure out how donkeys speak to me and what they say. But they are intense communicators, hyper-alert and human-wise.

Communication is vital with donkeys. They refuse to do what they don’t want or feel safe doing and are masterful at reading human moods and intentions. They take off like a rocket if I come out to move them or give them medicine. If I come out to give them an apple, they bray in delight and excitement.

They warn the sheep of danger, demand food and attention, and share as little as possible with the fewest number of animals. Donkeys are great gard animals, they do not like to share.

How do they know what I intend to do? They glance at me and see how I am walking and the look in my eyes.

They are the most intelligent animals I know besides cats and border dollies. They make themselves apparent and read humans perfectly; they have been dealing with us for thousands of years, sometimes happily, sometimes not.

When she wants to snooker me i nto giving her a treat, she uses her noses. When she is angry or worried, her ears go back. Sometimes, she speaks through snorts or her nostrils. You can almost always tell her mood or comfort by how she uses her tail.

Then, she sometimes conveys need or affection through her big and beautiful eyes. When she wants the sheep to get away from her hay – she believes every bit of hay belongs to her and Fanny – she lowers her head and butts the sheep to get them away. It works.

When she or Fanny see the coyotes up on the hill, their ears go straight up like radar dishes, and her eyes lock right onto them. That usually gets them to run off. The coyotes know exactly what Lulu is saying; “come closer, and I’ll kill you.”