Article From SubmitYOURArticle.com: Your Simple Guide To Understanding What Your Horse is Saying

Even though horses don't vocalise as much as we
do, this doesn't mean they're not communicating.
Horses communicate all the time through body
language and sounds and they're constantly
reading our body language so you may as well
learn to understand what your horse is telling
you.

Groaning: Horses, like humans, sometimes groan;
groaning can be an indication of pain so if you
are in doubt, have the horse examined by the
veterinarian.

Many horse groan or grunt over obstacles just as
some tennis players emit an "oomph" when playing,
this is nothing to worry about but if the horse
seems to be in pain or discomfort you should get
him checked by the vet.

Some horses groan when they are ridden by clumsy
riders. Some horses groan when they think their
work is over but if you suspect the horse is
groaning due to any discomfort you should have
him investigated to rule out any health problems
or issues.

Sighing: Horses also sigh, this sighing is made
by the horse taking in a deep breath and letting
it out through their nose or mouth. Sometimes
these sighs seem to convey a sigh of relief, for
example when the horse is being groomed or
massaged. There's a sigh that horses give when
they're given repetitive work to do which could
signify boredom. If your horse sighs during a
training session it could be a cue for you to try
something else.

Snorting: A louder version of the equine sigh is
the snort or when the horse blows air out of his
nostrils so they vibrate. This usually signifies
that the horse is excited and the sound is
infectious, his stablemates will soon start doing
the same. This excitement can escalate and the
horse may start to become difficult to manage,
signs of this escalation include a head held
high, lifted tail and even more snorting.

Snorting can also mean the horse is a bit wary of
something, you may notice this when out riding
and your horse seems startled by something along
the way, horses will sometimes snort at an
unfamilliar or threatening object.

Nickering: Nickering is the most beautiful sound
horses make. It usually means the horse is happy
and anticipating something nice such as a treat
or a carrot. It can also be a sign of affection,
mares nicker to their foals. Horses will nicker
when their feeding time approaches, and horses
impatient for their food will produce high
pitched excited sounds.

A soft nicker can also signify that the horse is
nervous or apprehensive and when combined with
pacing, eye rolling and ears that are flickering
back and forth it means the horse is feeling
threatened and should be immediately removed from
the situation.

Neighing: Neighing can signify anxiety or
confidence depending on how the horse is
reacting. A horse turned out at pasture may
anxiously call to his stablemates. Sweating and
agitation accompanied by nervous or high pitched
neighing means the horse is anxious. A ringing
type of neigh combined with forward pricked ears
and bold body carriage usually means the horse is
happy and excited.

As you can see horses are always communicating,
just because we don't usually understand what
they're saying, doesn't mean they're not saying
something. Learning to understand your horse's
language will strengthen the bond between you.

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