Horses make a variety of sounds to communicate with other horses and humans. Here are some common horse sounds and their meanings:
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Neigh/Whinny/Bray: This is a loud, high-pitched sound that horses use as a social call to find one another. A happy neigh is a greeting to other horses, and a loud neigh means that a horse is saying "I am here, where are you?".
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Snort: When horses are excited or feeling anxious, they make snorting noises by blowing air out from their nostrils.
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Galloping sounds: When horses run, they make galloping sounds by the effect of their feet hitting the ground at a certain pace.
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Nicker: This is a soft and guttural sound that horses use to greet friends or humans, especially in connection with food.
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Squeal: Horses sometimes squeal when they feel threatened or harassed by another horse.
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Groan: As a horse goes back to the stall after an exercise or race, you may hear it groan. It will be saying, “The day is over; I’m going for a bath, water, and food.”
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Sigh: Horses seem to sigh when they are relaxed or relieved, much more around humans than when interacting with other horses. There’s a relaxation sigh that you watch and listen for when longeing to loosen him up and make sure he’s calm before you get on.
While horses dont speak words as humans do, their body language and the types of sounds they use can give us insight into what they are thinking and how they are feeling.
