Horse Sounds Part I: The Snort

David Sanderson All About Horses

The horse usually holds his head high while exhaling through the nose with his mouth shut. The strong exhale creates a vibration or flutter sound in the nostrils. The snort lasts about 1 second. The snort can be heard up to 30 feet away.

So what does it mean?

Well, a snort might mean that the horse is trying to say: “There may be danger” or “Is this dangerous?”

The horse snorts, followed by an intense stare at the object his unsure about. Horses often snort when there is something that concerns them, such as something they are scared of or unsure about.

After the Snort – the horse may have the following responses:

“It’s not dangerous” – The horse relaxes and/or ignores the thing that he questioned.

“It’s dangerous, I better leave!” – The horse tenses up and shies away from the danger.

Below are a few examples of what a snort might sound like. CLICK TO LISTEN!

Sample of a Snort 1

[audio:http://www.dallasequestriancenter.com/wp-content/uploads/snort3.mp3]

Sample of a Snort 2

[audio:http://www.dallasequestriancenter.com/wp-content/uploads/snort2.mp3]

Sample of a Snort 3

[audio:http://www.dallasequestriancenter.com/wp-content/uploads/snort1.mp3]