Monday, July 5, 2010

What does a donkey sound like in real life?

The donkeys watch everything I do. I think they're bored in their little pen. I walk out of my house door, I have 2 sweet long faces peering at me. I peer thru the windows at them often.

This morning I walked out of my housedoor with a bucket in my hand - Baasha's breakfast, and somehow they knew. Their eyes followed me thru the gate.

Baasha started digging in when suddenly, this screeching bray started up. The sound was like nothing I'd ever heard. Is that how donkeys sound? It was so high pitched, so off key, so dissonant!

Apparently when these donkeys were in outer space, they picked up the local language.

Baasha leapt away from his breakfast and whirled around in a circle. My heart was pounding too, from that noise.

The donkeys were saying, "Where is OUR bucket?"

I grabbed Baasha and led him to the fence to see them (we have to stand in a particular spot next to the greenhouse to see them). I could feel his heart beating in his neck, and his entire body was rock hard as he stared at them. Then he backed up as fast as he could. I thought I might get trampled. It's very rare for Baasha to actually scare me!

Baasha high tailed it to safety, about 50 meters away, and didn't come back for a long time. When he finally did, he was so stealthy, he was tiptoeing up there, head down, the picture of wariness. Before he even reached the fence, he back pedaled and ran off again.

This is after hearing those two donkeys snorting and munching grass all night, but that braying was someting else! I wish I'd been able to capture the sound of it, but hopefully someone else with donkeys will blog video of their donkeys braying. Here is a little vid I took of the two of them rubbing on each other. Not a very good vid, sorry: ( But the honks you hear in the background are from Germany winning the soccer match. Woo!)

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Therapy donkeys? Hmm. I wonder what kind of therapy they administer... stick-to-it-tive-ness for people who waffle?

Singing lessons?

:)

Glad Baasha has a bit of excitement to keep him on his toes.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Autumn Mist said...

I adore donkeys. Max used to be terrified (he ran away from one, carting me up the road a few months ago). Barnaby isn't afraid of them at all. I don't know if it's their size or smell, or what?!

Sonya said...

They are sooo cute:) I've got my money on the finale being between Germany and The Netherlands..we play tonight so hopefully all goes well.

Jen said...

They have some pretty major volume to them, don't they? I was at an auction one time (we go for tack) when one "sounded off" behind me. Thought DH was going to have to peel me off the ceiling *laugh*. Almost had a heart attack - that little guy was LOUD! :o)

Laughing Orca Ranch said...

Oooh! I adore donkeys! I want one or two, at least! But the only reason I cannot, is my neighbors would complain because of the braying.
I find that ironic because sometimes when my neighbor rides out by herself on the trails and leaves the other horses behind, they scream and holler incessantly for the entire time she's gone.
Donkeys don't typically go on and on like that. A few brays and they are usually done.

I'm envious that you have donkey neighbors. It's almost like owning them yourself. Have you talked to the owners about feeding them treats and getting some donkey nuzzles sometimes? I would! :-)


~Lisa