As with all perissodactyls, the vocalizations of equines, specifically a horse’s whinny, has a variable frequency (or melodic) component as well as just simple tonals. This appears to provide a primitive means of expression, simpler than any song or language but potentially more informative than the purely tonal moos or baahs of cattle or sheep (but a long way from the complexity of some birdsong). Sonograms are compared from in-barn whinnies recorded under apparently stressful (departure of a foal) and pleasant (arrival of the morning feed wagon) circumstances, with the same horse and various horses, to determine if distinctive patterns can be identified. We also compare these with greeting whinnies and departure whinnies. The ultimate goal is to be able to acoustically identify an expression of happiness.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.