How to interpret the sounds your horse makes
Like us horses have their own vocal language, okay it’s by no means as advanced as ours and doesn’t have the range we do but it’s enough to allow them to tell each other what they need to know.
Sighing
Horses sigh in much the same way as humans do and generally for the same sort of reasons. If you’ve been on a long hack on a hot day then your horse may sign a kind of ‘aaaah that’s better’ when you remove his saddle. You may also get a ’not again’ kind of sigh if he’s finding something repetitive and boring.
Snorting
When a horse snorts it generally indicates fear or danger. If your horse exhales with force through his nose while his mouth is shut then in his mind there’s something to be fearful of. It can mean that he thinks something is dangerous and is trying to work out what it is or he may just feel that he needs to get away from it so will shy away from what he feels the source is. One of the reasons horses snort is to let others in the herd know that there may be some danger.
Blowing
A similar action to snorting, blowing isn’t as loud as snorting and there’s no force when they exhale the air. Blowing is a way of saying hello but horses can also do it when they’re curious about something. When two horses meet they’ll greet each other by blowing, if after this they feel threatened they’ll then make a squealing sound before sometimes nipping the other horse.
Groaning
Groaning is one of those noises that horses make that can have a number of different means. As with humans, it can just be habitual and not really mean anything but it can also mean they’re in some sort of pain or discomfort. The key to understanding what your horse is saying is to know him and his habits. For example, does your horse groan just before you feed him, this could be his way of wishing you’d hurry up. If you’ve ever watched showjumping you’ll notice how some horses groan as they jump, this is similar to the noise a tennis player may make as they bit the ball. If you notice your horse’s groaning is out of character then something is likely to be causing him pain. To know where the source of the pain is pay attention to when he’s doing it, for example, does he groans when you ride him, it could be the saddle isn’t fitting him properly. If he groans when you pick his feet out he may have a problem with his hoof. If you’re not sure what’s causes pain in your horse it might be an idea to speak to a vet for some advice.
Nickering
Nickering is when a horse uses their vocal cords to release a vibrating sound through their closed mouth. They’ll do this as a way of greeting another horse or person, much the same as us saying ‘hi’.
Squeal
Squeals can be both quiet and loud depending on how your horse is feeling, but they’re letting you know that they’re not happy about something. It might be you’re asking your horse to go near a bush he’s not sure about so he’ll let out a squeal to tell you. If it’s quiet then he’s just unsure about it but if it’s a loud squeal (which can be heard quite a way away) then he really doesn’t want to go near it.
Neighing/Whinnying
Horses neigh or whinny as a way of trying to find out where other horses are. They usually do it when they’re separated from each other. Horses normally reply to a neigh with another one, essentially one horse I saying ‘where are you’ and the other is saying ‘I’m here’
Page 2 – Reading body language
Page 4 – Social grooming
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