But there is a fine line between a joyful squeal and a warning squeal during a mutual sniffing: a squeal can quickly be followed by an aggressive action such as a kick if the sound is emitted out of displeasure. Often, one foreleg is stomped on the ground at the same time. For example, when horses, especially mares, first come into close contact with a conspecific, they will occasionally squeal to communicate their excited state. It can be a sign of anger and exuberance, but it can also be a warning. Squealing and roaringĪ high-pitched, piercing squeal is also heard from horses in some situations. Also, when horses are surprised, blowing through the nose is not uncommon. It is comparable to a kiss and in fact a horse understands it as such when you also "blow" at it as a human. It is a sign of great affection when animals "blow" at each other, the same is true for humans. When horses actively blow air through their nose, they want to express that they are extremely comfortable and content. The four-legged friends are content and calm, which is shown by the fact that the snort sounds drawn out and less alarmed. However, when horses snort during work while riding or lunging, it is a sign of relaxation and well-being. Some horses also make the same sound when they pretend to be frightened in their exuberance, but this is meant purely playfully. With a loud snort that sounds a bit like a snore, they want to say: "Be careful, I'm not sure if it's safe here". The same applies when the animals inspect unknown objects that are not entirely familiar to them, but which have nevertheless aroused their curiosity. For example, a loud, repeated snort is an indication to conspecifics that danger is imminent. Snorting also has several meanings in communication and must be interpreted depending on the situation. If there is food, it is not uncommon for it to sound very energetic and expressive. Very confident horses can sometimes also be recognised by a short and piercing neighing cry. Stallions often use a very deep and long blubbering sound to arouse the interest of mares, as if to say "Look, I'm a great one!". They only learn to distinguish the voices as they grow up. It can be observed that the little ones recognise these sounds very early and orientate themselves by them, but cannot yet identify whether the gentle neighing is coming from their mother. Mares that have foals also blubber to call their offspring. Horses also use this friendly sound towards humans, especially in connection with food, but also simply as a nice greeting. This soft and somewhat guttural sound, which is similar to a grumble, is called "bubbling" and can often be understood as an invitation to come closer. Horses usually whinny softly and gently when they hear a friend coming and the friend is not far away. Mares also sometimes make use of this very clear announcement when they feel harassed by an impetuous stallion or are not left alone despite having already been mated. In this way, the animals give expression to an extreme emotion such as fear or anger. When horses neigh, with a lot of emphasis, it can also become a scream or a roar, but this only happens in exceptional cases. If a horse is alone and separated from its mates, it may, for example, try to make contact with the others by loud, long-drawn-out neighing. At a long distance, it is used to find out whether other members of the same species are nearby or to draw attention to itself. The "neigh" is used in different situations and can be gentle, expressive or scream-like. As with us humans, every horse's voice sounds different. Apart from pure body language, horses also communicate through sounds.
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