We hear it every morning as we walk to the barn.  A piercing whinny that announces the arrival of the official horse feeder of the day.  Horses have a fairly small range of vocal sounds, but many of which we are very familiar with.  But, what exactly do they all mean?

Whinnying

The whinny is use to announce a horse’s presence.  The sound is designed to carry over a long distance and is often quite loud, even from the smallest horse in the bunch.  In the morning, the horse is simply saying “hello” and “don’t forget to feed me!”  The sound is also used as a complaint of loneliness and sometimes a “wait for me!”  Horses are also able to recognize the whinny of another horse that they know.  Wild horses use it to keep in touch with the rest of the herd when they are out of sight.

Nickering

The nicker is a deep, nasal sound that is made while the mouth is closed.  Mares and foals commonly use this sound to call each other.  This is generally a greeting to both a horse’s owner and his stablemates.  The sound can be one of kindness as well, similar to that of a cat’s purr.

Blowing

This sound is equivalent to that of a sigh in humans.  Often a horse will blow when he is tired of waiting for something or when you are leading him off to exercise when he doesn’t really feel like it.  The blow can also be used as a warning.  Some horses that are curious about something blow, then wait and then investigate the situation.

Snorting

This is a harsher version of a blow.  Horses will often snort to show their disapproval in something.  There may also be a strong hint aggression in a snort as well.

Squealing

This sound often sounds worse than it really is.  Stallions are known to squeal when they are teasing mares or meeting mares.  Two stallions will also squeal at meeting each other.  The squeal is often an assertion of seniority in the herd or even dominance.  The head usually stays up and they don’t give any true signs of aggression, although the sound itself sounds that way.