Do donkeys 'speak' horse? And do horses have different languages?

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Lolo

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A pondering.

Bea lives with her donkey chum, and they have a lovely time together. However, my sister and I recently came to the conclusion that they probably get along so well because Donkey speaks donkey, and Bea speaks Horse and so whatever he says she assumes is compliments/ him agreeing with her, and vice versa :D

And even if they both spoke Horse, would he be speaking French Horse, while she's speaking English Horse?

I'm aware this is both stupid and a little bit random, but I would like your thoughts?

(disclaimer: I am aware they communicate mostly through body language and kicking the daylights out of each other...)
 
There used to be a fjord at my old riding school who was from Norway or wherever, they had to get rid of him because he couldn't understand English and he walked on the 'wrong' side of the road (because he was used to it in his old home) :rolleyes: :)
 
Loved your video Blackmule! I work with donkeys but my horse is terrified of donkeys. Were yours friends immediately or was the terror factor there to start?
 
kirstyl said:
Loved your video Blackmule! I work with donkeys but my horse is terrified of donkeys. Were yours friends immediately or was the terror factor there to start?
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Merlin (horse) bonded with Rupert straight away, he also played uncle to my first mule foal.
All my other horses accept them with no problem, but most local horses disappear over the horizon when they meet Rupert out for a walk.
 
See, the added complication is Donkey rarely 'speaks'. He has never produced a sound that could be an 'eeyore', preferring what's almost a bellow of triumph (not dissimilar to one I heard an old man produce after forcing a poo out one day at the hospital) or a steady wail of misery.

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He is sheer class, we all love him.

Do you think we need to start talking to Reg in an Irish accent? Do hoses have accents?
 
I remember being told about a lady who bought a horse from the Birmingham area. When she saw it the horse came to call and was a real lamb. At home she turned horse out but when she came to catch it, it wouldn't come near her. After a while, In desperation, she bellowed its name in a Brummie accent and it came straight over!!!
 
Interesting question, and one no one will know for sure I guess. If you put two people together who don't speak the same language they will learn to communicate with each other, so I guess it could be the same with horses.
 
I'm convinced they have accents! :D
Not quite the same but kind of relevant ... My late gelding was quite a posh lad, he always made us laugh because he would not move over if you said "over" or clicked at him, no matter how much you nudged/pushed at him - he wouldn't do it! BUT if you said "Excuse me" you didn't even have to be near him, he leapt obediently to the side! He also only did certain things if you said "please" afterwards... he must have been very well brought up! People always gave me funny looks when we were out and about because I'd be stood there going "hoof please" and "excuse me please" because it was the only way he'd respond!!
 
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I don't know, I think donkeys are far more intellectual than horses so horses just probably pretent to understand half of what they say! ha ha

Our donkey came with a horse we took on (Blue Cross rescue). They were inseparable and the horse would protect donkey if he ever felt he was threatened. A loppy lab we once owned jumped at donkey once. He bellowed like mad and the horse went in to charge mode after the dog. Unfortunately he chose the wrong dog and picked our innocent lab cross so she got chased across the field by a very angry horse!

My 13.2hh welshie used to play some great games with the donkey too - he'd get down on his knees so he'd be at the same level too. Aw, I miss the donkey :(
 
AT LAST, PEOPLE WHO THINK THE SAME AS ME!

Family and OH think I'm mad for thinking my oldest mare has an Irish accent (born and bred in Ireland and moved here when she was 5), and OH's mares have Scottish accents as have lived there all their lives! I don't think my 4yo that I bred has a Welsh accent because I'm the person who talks to her most and I don't have a Welsh accent...I assume she just sounds a bit English like me?!

I'm aware now of how mad I sound BUT I think I've found people who are in the same boat as me!
 
Nothing stranger that the truth!

I don't know about horse/donkey accents but I did know a man who recorded natural sound for TV nature documentaries. I met him one day as he was leaving to go south on a job. He explained that he was going (from the north of Scotland) to Dorset to record chaffinches. I pointed out that he had chaffinches in his own garden. I was then corrected. Birds, apparently, have regional accents and the Scottish chaffinches have a different accent to the Dorset ones -- and, yes, if he didn't record the correct bird someone would be sure to notice!;) I've checked and swear that what he told me is the truth. They are different and the experts would indeed have noticed.

If that applies to birds, why not mammals -- and horses?
 
Lolo said:
A pondering.

Bea lives with her donkey chum, and they have a lovely time together. However, my sister and I recently came to the conclusion that they probably get along so well because Donkey speaks donkey, and Bea speaks Horse and so whatever he says she assumes is compliments/ him agreeing with her, and vice versa :D

And even if they both spoke Horse, would he be speaking French Horse, while she's speaking English Horse?

I'm aware this is both stupid and a little bit random, but I would like your thoughts?

(disclaimer: I am aware they communicate mostly through body language and kicking the daylights out of each other...)
Click to expand...

The 'spoken' language of each species of equid is different but their gestures are much the same. This seems to pre-date even the earliest form of horse as these gestures are also used by tapirs and rhinos, so if you ever meet a tapir in a zoo, you'll know exactly how to make friends with it (I've tried this at Twycross and it really works).
 
Years ago, we had a psychic visit the yard to "speak" to the horses. She said one in particular had a very strong Irish accent (he was also the one that demanded to be "spoken" to first, apparently!). She said another was very sarcastic! Which I could definately see in that mare.
I've also read that thing about birds having different accents, depending on where they live.
 
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