The sound that a horse makes is called a neigh. A happy neigh of a horse is a greeting to other horses. A horse's neigh is also known as a whinny or a bray. A loud neigh means that a horse is saying "I am here, where are you?".
Whinnies. Whinnies can also convey both positive and negative emotions. Scientists in a different study found that there are two frequencies to a whinny - one that expresses whether the horse's feelings are positive or negative, and another that conveys how strongly they are feeling that emotion.
The noise could also be a signal to other horses that a danger has passed, said McDonnell. In many other places, horse experts and caretakers have put forth their own ideas about horse snorts: It represents excitement, it's a greeting, it expresses curiosity or hesitation.
Squealing and roaring
A high-pitched, piercing squeal is also heard from horses in some situations. It can be a sign of anger and exuberance, but it can also be a warning.
Nickering. Your horse uses his vocal cords but keeps his lips closed for this soft sound. It's usually (though not always) one of friendly recognition and welcome “Hi!
Onomatopoeic words can be real words, made-up words, or letters representing raw sounds. For example, the letters zzzzzz mean someone is sleeping or snoring. Onomatopoeic words can differ across cultures and languages. For example, woof is typically used to denote a dog's bark in English.
In some horses, the sclera is exposed when they are only startled or mildly alarmed. Usually, however, by the time a horse has gotten worked up to the point that you can see the whites around his eyes, he's extremely upset. If his ears are also pinned, he's angry. If he's trembling or snorting, he's scared.
Much like humans, horses sigh as a means of releasing tension. Rather than a way to calm themselves down, a sigh is more a sign that the tension has disappeared or is disappearing – for example, upon calming down after a canter on a good hack out, or receiving a nice brush from their human.
Domestic horses most commonly whinny, neigh, or nicker, using these sounds to greet others or alert them to their whereabouts.
As horses show their owners and caretakers affection, they will also show affection toward their herd mates and other horses. As mentioned previously, horses will lift their head and blow gently through their nostrils into each other's faces. This is their version of a horse handshake.
This behavior is a way horses naturally groom each other. When your horse tries rubbing its head on your body, it may be attempting to “groom” you as a show of affection. Even though some horses rub their head on humans as a way to show affection, it's a behavior that should be discouraged due to the risk of injury.
Horses prefer to be rubbed and stroked over being tickled or slapped, and they often don't want rubbing on sensitive areas like the flank, girth, belly, nose, ears, and legs. Several studies observed horses acting calmer during rubbing or stroking compared to patting.
Your horse's nostrils are soft, round, and relaxed and breathing is even on both sides. Your horse's tail will swing freely, evenly, and loosely when happy and relaxed. A sign of deep relaxation is that your horse's jaw may hang loosely with a soft eye. Your horse may rear up with its front leg or paw at the ground.
But he also shows a lot of calming signals: He half closes his eyes, chews with his tongue out, turn his head. He might also offer all kinds of other behaviours that he has learned (“I don't know what you want, but I know this, maybe that's what you mean”).
Horses can read human emotions, too, often in uncannily accurate ways; alerting us to our sadness or nervousness, sometimes before we've even consciously registered it. As Herman Melville wrote in Redburn, "No philosophers so thoroughly comprehend us as dogs and horses."
Horses exhibit higher heart rates when separated from a human, but don't show any preference for their owners over complete strangers, the team discovered. Swedish researchers started their work with the theory that positive reinforcement training on a horse was more likely to lead to them forming a strong attachment.
While it might not seem like much, understanding that your horse will remember your emotional state from a previous training session with them makes it all the more important that you remain calm, cool, and collected when working with them.
Horses also understand words better than expected, according to the research, and possess "excellent memories," allowing horses to not only recall their human friends after periods of separation, but also to remember complex, problem-solving strategies for ten years or more.
Moaning noises can be spelled in different ways, depending on the sound being made. As mentioned, a low moan might be spelled “mmm,” while a higher-pitched moan might be spelled “ahh” or “ohh.”
Words include: sound, hearing, air, silence, noise, source, listen, rattle, shake, blow, echo, pluck, squeak, boom, screech, pitch, low, high, medium, loud, volume, soft, silent, quiet, vibration, senses, sound wave.