Horses communicate through vocalizations that provide information about their identity, physical state, and motivation. Different vocalizations are acoustically distinct and contain expressive components that vary in frequency and duration. Being able to differentiate between distress and positive vocalizations can help horse owners strengthen their bond with horses. Studies analyze the acoustic properties of whinnies, nickers, squeals, groans, blows, and snorts to better define equine communication through vocalizations.

1. Vocalization
HORSE
in the
EXPRESSION
THROUGH VOCALIZATION
STUDIES WORK TO DEFINE EQUINE
Equine vocalization has the potential to provide
information on body size, individual identity,
motivation, or physiological states.
By: Amanda Greiner

2. Auditory
PERCEPTION
Range of 55 Hz-33.5 kHz and most sensitive at a range of 1 kHz-
16 kHz.
Horses are more sensitive to LOW frequencies than high
frequencies.
Sensitivity
- Body and head size and structure
between breeds have an impact.
E.g.. Broader brain case creates lower frequency.
- Distance between individuals increases the frequency which can be
heard at a shorter distance.
- Increase in signal duration increases detectability.
( Browning, 2006)
( Yeon, 2012 )
( Browning, 2011 )

3. Dark bands indicate concentration of
sounds over a specific duration at a
specific frequency giving rise to
expressive components.
(A) Whinny, (B) whinny from social
separation (C) Nicker produced when a
stallion encounters a mare in estrus. (D)
squeal produced by a diestrus mare when
a stallion approached. (E) Squeal
produced by estrus mare when a stallion
approached. (F) Groan, (G) blow (alarm),
(H) blow (after sniffing), (I) snore (dyspnea
- imaired breathing), (J) snort.
(A, F-J) are adapted from Waring (2003).
Praat spectrogram
EXPRESSIVE
COMPONENT
Frequency­ varying
Acoustically different vocalizations can help horse owners
differentiate between distress and eustress calls to
strengthen the horse - handler bond.
Cited:
David G. Browning. Equine vocalization: A comparison of Arabian and Morgan horse whinnies. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of
America 129, 2671 (2011)
David G. Browning, Peter M. Scheifele. Equine acoustics: Further analysis of a whinny—The expressive component
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 119, 3435 (2006)
Yeon, Seong C Acoustic communication in the domestic horse (Equus caballus). Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications
and Research, 2012, Vol.7(3), pp.179-185
(Yeon, 2012)