What the donkey teaches us

"We asked a wise man: 'Why don't you retaliate against those who misbehave with you?' He replied with a smile: 'When a donkey pushes you, do you push him too? When you see a dog barking, do you bark too? When you're in the middle of the river, you don't insult the crocodile."

Here I am, owner of 3 donkeys Gygesse, Klarine and Kansas, and they're putting what I thought I knew about pedagogy to the test. In an increasingly connected world, effective communication is essential for both personal and professional development. Indeed, around 55% of human communication is non-verbal, highlighting the importance of understanding and interpreting non-verbal signals (Mehrabian, 1971). Furthermore, 85% of problems within organizations are attributed to communication deficiencies (Harvard Business Review, 2017). Finally, studies show that positive interactions with animals reduce stress in humans by an average of 31%, illustrating the therapeutic and educational potential of interspecies relationships (Beetz et al., 2012).

The presence of an animal in an institution is a genuine act of care. The warmth of its breath, listening to its breathing and its heart, is a reminder of life as it passes. The dimension of the animal in touch with its environment reinforces our anchorage. Animals are said to be gifted with sentience, i.e. sensitivity, emotional capacity and unique learning abilities.

The example of donkeys, animals often underestimated but endowed with a rich palette of behaviours and modes of communication, offers invaluable lessons. Their study helps us refine our understanding of non-verbal communication and develop key facilitation skills, while supporting a phenomenological pedagogical approach.

This text explores how interspecies communication enriches facilitator training through three main categories: interpersonal skills development, communication enhancement, and personal and professional enrichment.

Developing interpersonal skills

With these 3 donkeys, my wife and I decided to start training trainers, facilitators, change agents, innovators, coaches and managers.(Dan'A's Dream project). Asine mediation (with donkeys) enables us to work on several key skills:

1. Greater empathy
   
   Communicating with donkeys requires a thorough understanding of their behavior and emotional expressions. For example, a donkey's ear position, muscle tension and tail movement indicate various emotional states such as anxiety, curiosity or relaxation(Broom & Fraser, 2007).
   
   This sensitivity to their non-verbal cues enhances empathy in facilitators, helping them to better understand and respond to human emotions in a more nuanced way. When we care for our donkeys, we learn to read their needs and feelings.
   
   
2. Keen observation
   
   As animals of prey, donkeys have developed subtle behaviors to signal their state of alertness or relaxation. For example, a donkey that gently sniffs the ground using its vibrissae (hairs on the muzzle) or slightly squints its eyes can indicate a state of comfort.
   
   These keen observations help facilitators to develop an acuity for detecting subtle behavioral cues in humans, enhancing their ability to intervene appropriately (McDonnell, 2003). This observation comes naturally to hyper-sensitive people and is much less developed in the more rational.
   
   
3. Patience and perseverance
   
   Donkeys are native to the desert. Donkeys are known for their thoughtful and cautious nature, often misinterpreted as stubbornness. Working with them requires a calm and patient approach, as they respond poorly to coercive methods (Burden, 2012) .
   
   This patience is crucial for facilitators when guiding individuals or groups through processes of change or conflict resolution, where rushing can be counterproductive. Donkeys help us learn the difference between positive conditioning (reward) and negative conditioning (reduction of a constraint). The aim is to gain their trust before entering into a relationship.
   
   
4. Adaptability
   
   Donkeys show great variability in their reactions, depending not only on their environment and past experiences, but also on their individual characters. A donkey that has undergone stressful experiences may be more reticent, requiring adapted and personalized approaches.
   
   In this way, facilitators learn to adjust their strategies in real time, an essential skill for adapting to changing dynamics in human groups (French, 1997) . What's more, donkeys are gregarious animals that react differently to being alone or in a herd. It adapts completely differently if it senses the presence of its congeners or if it feels isolation. For our donkeys, separations and reunions after a walk lead to intense emotional displays.

Improved communication

1. Development of non-verbal communication
   
   Donkeys use a rich body language to communicate. For example, a donkey that pulls its ears back can signal anger or annoyance, while a donkey that flicks its ears forward shows interest and curiosity. Body position, distance and micro-signs of closeness or distance are all micro-signs that need to be carefully observed to enter into a relationship.
   
   Learning to decode these signals enables facilitators to become more attentive to non-verbal cues in humans, thus improving their overall communication skills (Hall, 1984).
   
   
2. Active listening
   
   Interpreting donkey behaviors, such as a change in posture or movement in response to a particular noise, requires active listening. For example, donkeys may neigh to warn of danger or to express a need.
   
   Facilitators who develop this active listening skill can better understand and respond to the concerns of human participants, creating an environment of trust and mutual respect (Grandin & Johnson, 2009). Our donkeys are telepaths, they read our thoughts and hear our hearts beat (come and see for yourself, it's hard to believe).
   
   
3. Clarity and consistency
   
   Communication with donkeys must be direct and consistent. A donkey that receives incoherent messages can become confused or stressed, which is detrimental to communication and the message you want to get across.
   
   This need for clarity translates directly into facilitation, where clear instructions and messages avoid misunderstandings and ensure better coordination within the group (Thorne, 1998) . Sound familiar for trainers whose intentions are unclear?
   
   
4. Using positive reinforcement
   
   Donkeys respond best to positive reinforcement, such as petting or food rewards, to encourage desired behaviors.
   
   Facilitators can apply similar principles with humans, using positive encouragement and reinforcement to motivate and guide participants, creating a more productive and harmonious environment (Skinner, 1953) . However, we don't use this approach much, as we would no longer be in a balanced, learning relationship but a form of food dominance.

Personal and professional enrichment

1. Stress management
   
   As sensitive animals, donkeys feel and reflect the stress of their environment. Learning to maintain a calm and secure environment for donkeys helps facilitators to manage their own stress and create calming atmospheres for humans, thus reducing tension and improving the effectiveness of facilitation processes (Kiley-Worthington, 1990). When stress levels are low, donkeys and humans can feel as if they are in a communicative bubble, deeply experiencing each other's emotions.
   
   
2. Developing emotional resilience
   
   Working with donkeys exposes facilitators to a range of emotions, from frustration to the joy of seeing progress. This regular interaction with emotional challenges strengthens their resilience, preparing them to manage complex emotions in human facilitation contexts (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984 ). What's more, emotions circulate within the donkey herd, amplifying or dissipating according to the leaderships in place, which it's a good idea to identify by spotting who's imitating whom, and it's not always the same donkey who sets the tempo.
   
   
3. Continuous learning
   
   Each donkey has a unique personality and needs, which requires facilitators to adopt a continuous learning attitude in order to understand and respond effectively. This mentality is beneficial in facilitation, where constant learning and adaptation to new situations are essential (Kolb, 1984).
   
   
4. Strengthening the human-animal bond
   
   Connecting with donkeys enriches facilitators personally and professionally, offering unique perspectives on relationships and interactions. This connection encourages a more compassionate and holistic approach to facilitation, inspired by interspecies communication experiences (Levinson, 1969). Our donkeys' encounters with people who "have a little something extra" send a signal of friendliness to all living things. These are incredible moments to experience.
   
   
5. Support for a phenomenological pedagogical approach
   
   Inter-species communication, as exemplified here with donkeys, supports an evolution towards a phenomenological pedagogical approach, emphasizing lived experience and the subjective perception of interactions.
   
   By observing and interacting with donkeys, facilitators develop a sensitivity to the immediate experiences and particular contexts of individuals, as each donkey functions as a specific individual. This approach helps to understand and value the unique perspectives of each participant, fully integrating their lived experiences into the pedagogical and facilitation processes (Varela, Thompson, & Rosch, 1991) .
   
   

If you'd like to experience or learn more, come to the Haut Languedoc.

Illustration: donkeys Kansas, Gygesse and Klarine at the table - ©Denis Cristol

Sources

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Burden, F. A. (2012). The welfare and veterinary care of donkeys. Veterinary Clinics: Equine Practice, 28(3), 481-499. https://bvajournals. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1136/vr.b4800

French, J. M. (1997). Donkey: The Story of the Ass from East to West. Boydell & Brewer. https://archive. org/details/donkeystoryofass0000dent

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Dan' A 's dream https://apprendre-autrement.org/reve-dana/