Snort acoustic structure codes for positive emotions in horses

Area of Science:

• Ethology
• Bioacoustics
• Animal Communication

Background:

• Vocalizations in humans and animals are studied for emotional states, but positive emotions are less understood.
• Snorts, non-vocal expiratory sounds, are emerging as indicators of positive internal states in ungulates.
• The acoustic structure of horse snorts may vary with their emotional state.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if the acoustic structure of horse snorts differs based on emotional state.
• To identify potential acoustic indicators of positive emotions in horses.

Main Methods:

• Recorded snorts from 20 horses in a riding center.
• Used auditory playbacks with 20 humans to identify snort subtypes (pulsed vs. non-pulsed).
• Observed snort subtypes in relation to horse location (stall/pasture) and ear position.

Main Results:

• Confirmed the existence of two distinct snort subtypes: pulsed and non-pulsed.
• Both snort subtypes were associated with positive contexts.
• Pulsed snorts were more strongly linked to highly positive situations, such as being in pasture with ears forward.

Conclusions:

• Horse snorts, particularly pulsed ones, can serve as acoustic indicators of positive emotional states.
• This study advances the understanding of acoustic emotion coding in horses and other species.