Communication in horses

The horse’s body langage is very subtle. The horse’s attitude or posture is very important and has to be taken into consideration, every body part plays a role : nostrils, ears, head carriage, position of the neck, tail and legs… Posture tone provides information on the emotional state of the horse.
Transition from one posture to another is gradual : the horse goes through a series of postures announcing the following ones. The sequence of postures depends on the horse’s reaction to which they are adressed : if the recipient horse perceives the message and reacts adequatly, the sequence of postures stops, if it persists, the pattern resumes and continues.

Postures usually observed : grazing horse, resting horse standing (on three legs, head relaxed), horse chasing another (head extended, ears back), horse looking into the distance (head held high but no other signs), alert horse (head very high, ears fixed, pointed forward, tail a little raised).
Communication tactile / Tactile communication

Demonstrations of tactile communication are varied in horses. Mutual grooming is the most obvious one : it strengthens social bonds between animals and brings them a certain appeasment. Horses that shows an affinity for another horse will also use other contactcs : for example the muzzle against the rump or on the other horse’s flanc, or head laid on the rump.

Horses also touch each other during games, jostling, biting, clashing… it is not always friendly contact !

Sound communication is less developed in horses than body langage. Nevertheless, it has an essential role.

• Neighing or whinnying: emitted with the mouth and can be heard up to 1 km, it is used in order to establish a connexion after a seperation. The stronger and longer it is, the more it will correspond to a stressful situation.
• Contact call or Nicker  : muffled and modulated quivering of nostrils, mouth closed. Emitted to the attention of a companion, a  foal, or from a stallion towards a mare in season.
• Squealing : begins with the mouth closed, corners of the lips turned up : high and short, it’s associated to a threat, defense or combat situation and is frequently used by stallions.
• Snorting : due to the vibration of nostrils, it is produced by a frightened horse. It can also be used in game.
• Sniffing and exhaling : strong expulsion of air in order to clear nostrils following irritation (distribution of hay) or when getting back to work.

• Blowing : strong expulsion of air through nostrils linked to an alert posture. It is an alarm signal or strong excitement. It is also sometimes emitted during games.
• Groaning : emitted with mouth closed expresses pain or difficulty in breathing.

These emissions vary very significantly from one horse to another and there various intermediary calls to them.

Piles of dung left by stalions allows them to mark their presence with an olfactory trace.