What Does the Horse Say? Equine Communication 101

Posted on by Allie Lynn
photo of a group of horses

We’ve heard it all before. Horse “dialogue” on movies and TV often serves double-duty as ambience for the scene as well as a horse’s response to a human character. Often, one can begin to think that horses are almost just as verbal as humans!

But what if I told you that it’s not entirely true? Yes, horses make a lot of vocal sounds, but they are actually more silent communicators than you think.

Today I will give you a crash course on equine body language and vocalization, and how you can tell how your equine friend is feeling from ear-tip to tail, then I’ll explain what all of those horse sounds really mean. We’ll begin with the part that tells it all: the ears.

Equine Expressions and Body Language

The ears are one of the most sensitive parts of the horse. With special muscles that allow it to swivel back and forth and a cupped shape that magnifies sound, the ears are wonderfully designed and placed where any horse can see them, allowing for easy communication.

Since the ears are so mobile, they have the widest range of emotion-telling. Often the ears are paired with movements of the nostrils, lips, and eyes to create expressions. Here are some photos of horse ears in different positions, and what they mean.

purebred gray horse in pasture on overcast day
This is Alert. This horse’s attention has been drawn to something and he is trying to decide if it’s friend or foe. Notice the wide nostrils and eyes, and the pricked-forward ears. He’s trying to take in as much information about whatever he’s looking at, in this case, probably the photographer.
brown horse
This is Relaxed. The horse has one ear back and one ear forward. His eyes are soft and he may be asleep like this. Notice the loose lips and relaxed nostrils. He’s not concerned about what’s going on– he feels safe.
white horse near green leaves
This is Curious or Friendly. You’ll most likely see this expression when a horse hears a treat wrapped coming out of your pocket, or a horse you know well sees you from across the field. It’s a bit of a mix of Alert and Relaxed: his full attention is on you, but that’s because he’s waiting to see what you’re going to ask (or give to) him. His ears are pricked forward, but his lips and eyes are relaxed.
This horse is Aggressive or Angry. Notice the wide, stiff nostrils, the pinned ears, the wide eyes and the tight lips. This is a horse that may bite or kick you if you don’t heed his warning.
A horse may also have his ears pinned back when he is Fearful. The lips will be very tight, the eyes whitened, and often the horse will have his head up high in the air. A good extra indicator of whether a horse is Fearful or Aggressive is to look at the tail (not directly behind the horse or in the kick zome): a Fearful horse’s tail will be clamped down under his rump, and a hoof may be cocked to run. But an Aggressive horse’s tail will switch from side to side.

Horse “Dialogue”

Most of the time, in the horse world, body language is enough to get the point across. But when it isn’t, horses will sometimes get vocal. Here are the most common horse sounds:

Whinny: This is the characteristic horse call, often overdone in movies. Also called a “neigh”, it’s used to communicate to other steeds over long distances. Sometimes, when one horse starts whinnying, other horses within hearing distance will join in.

Nicker: This is a deep, rumbling sound. Horses will often make this sound during feeding time, or mares will nicker to their foals. It means “I’m happy to see you!”

Snort: Just what it sounds like. A short snort is a sound of annoyance. A long snort can be an alarm.

Squeal: Usually two horses will squeal at each other when they are getting to know each other. It means “back off!” Often two new horses will sniff each other for a bit, and when one gets too close, they squeal before going back to sniffing. Mares also squeal to nosy geldings when they are in heat.

Scream: This is a sound of intense pain or fear. This horse is trapped, and he is sounding an alarm cry for help. Or it could be a newly-weaned youngster looking for his mother.

Sigh: A long exhale. Means relaxed or content. Usually accompanied by licking and mouthing.

Of course, there are more than just these, but that would make for a very long article. If you would like to learn more about communication, I highly recommend checking out Cherry Hill’s book How to Think Like a Horse.

Have any more questions? Just comment below!

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