About Us
About Us
Hear the BRAY was built from a passion for donkeys, a commitment to their well-being, and eight years of hands-on experience learning what it truly takes to understand them.
Read on to learn more about our background and donkey training philosophy!
Meet the Trainer:
Tegan Heveran
My journey with donkeys started at the ground level in 2018.
Beginning as a yard hand working with donkeys everyday, I developed my own intuitive methods as a donkey trainer and eventually advanced to West Regional Manager at Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue, the largest donkey rescue in the world.
There I gained experience in large-scale donkey rescue operations, humane methods for gathering wild burros, rehabilitation, and managing the care of hundreds of donkeys at a time. During this time I also developed my skillset as a donkey farrier, specializing in corrective trimming of poorly maintained and overgrown hoof cases.
Over the past 8 years, I have worked with donkeys from many different backgrounds, personalities, and behavioral challenges. That experience has taught me something very important: every donkey is different, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to training.
My goal with Hear the BRAY is to take everything I’ve learned from working my way up and use that experience to make a difference for donkeys and the people who care about them.
Because when we take the time to understand the donkey, everything changes.
Training with Understanding,
Not Force
My approach is centered around trust, communication, patience, confidence, and partnership. I work to understand why a donkey is behaving a certain way rather than simply trying to stop the behavior.
Whether I’m working with a frightened rescue donkey, and unhandled animal, a donkey that is difficult to catch, or one that needs basic groundwork and safe handling, I meet the donkey where they are and build from there.
What sets my gentle training methods apart is that I don’t believe a donkey should be forced into doing something simply because a person wants it done.
I start by listening to the donkey.
Donkeys are incredibly intelligent, observant, and cautious animals. They think, process, and react very differently than horses. What people sometimes call “stubbornness” is often a donkey telling us that it doesn’t understand, doesn’t feel safe, or needs more time.
More than Training: Education
Hear the BRAY isn’t just about training donkeys. It’s about educating people.
I believe that when people learn how donkeys think and communicate, they develop a completely different relationship with them.
That’s why Hear the BRAY is also focused on creating opportunities for people to experience donkeys in a safe, educational, and meaningful way. Through hands-on education, guided donkey experiences, rescue outreach, and community partnerships, our goal is to help people understand just how intelligent, special, and amazing these animals truly are.
