Horses have a unique way of communicating. They whinny to greet other horses, signal their needs, or just to express joy during feeding time. This sound, known as a neigh, has puzzled scientists for years. Scientists have discovered that whinnies are a mix of high and low sounds, similar to a blend of a grunt and a squeal.
The lower tones come from air flowing through the horse’s voice box, which works much like how humans speak and sing. But the higher notes had remained a mystery. Typically, larger animals produce only low sounds because of their larger vocal structures. So, how do horses achieve those high pitches?
Recent research provides some answers. A study showed that horses actually whistle. By using a small camera inserted into the horses’ noses, researchers captured footage of how they create their sounds. They also did detailed scans and experimented with the voice boxes of deceased horses.
The findings revealed that the high-pitched whinny results from a whistling action that starts in the horse’s voice box. As air vibrates the tissues in the box, a section above it contracts, creating a small opening through which the whistle escapes. This technique is quite different from how humans whistle with their mouths.
Jenifer Nadeau, a horse expert from the University of Connecticut, expressed her surprise at this discovery. “I’d never imagined there was a whistling component. It’s really interesting, and I can hear that now,” she noted.
Interestingly, while some small rodents also make similar whistle-like sounds, horses are the first large mammals confirmed to have this ability. They’re also unique in that they can whistle through their voice boxes and still produce other sounds simultaneously.
Alisa Herbst from Rutgers University’s Equine Science Center commented on the study’s significance. “Knowing that a ‘whinny’ is composed of two different fundamental frequencies created by two different mechanisms is exciting,” she said.
One question remains: How did such sounds develop in horses? While some wild relatives like the Przewalski’s horse can produce similar sounds, animals like donkeys and zebras lack this ability.
These two-toned whinnies may allow horses to communicate more complex messages. Study author Elodie Mandel-Briefer from the University of Copenhagen emphasized the impact of this communication on social interactions: “They can express emotions in these two dimensions.”
Understanding how horses convey emotions can deepen our appreciation for them and improve our interactions with these fascinating creatures. As more studies emerge, we might uncover even more about the rich emotional lives of horses.
For more insights into animal communication, check out this report on spider monkeys, which highlights similar complex social behaviors in different species.
