A RECENT study conducted by a team French researchers has shown that horses that snort are happier. The team, led by Mathilde Stomp of the Université de Rennes, set out to look at low intensity positive responses from the animals. This is different from any research conducted in the past which has previously always centred around high intensity reactions which are usually caused by social play.

The study was conducted in Brittany and involved 48 horses split into four groups. Two groups of four were from private owners and two groups of four were from riding schools. The riding school horses were characterised by restrictive housing conditions, while the privately owned horses were living in naturalistic conditions.

While a horse may snort to clear the nasal passage, a horse snorting is also associated with positive stimulation. A snort reflects a behavioural reflection of a transient positive physiological change.

The researchers emphasised the importance of the difference between a snort and other nasal sounds. A snort is specifically a nasal expulsion of air with less pulsed sound produced by nasal vibrations. Snorts were recorded and in some cases behavioural and postural signals were taken into account also, such as the position of the horses ears.

A chronic stress score (TCSS) was also noted. The number of aggressive responses towards the researcher, the number of stereotypical behaviours displayed, the percentage of time spent with ears in a backwards position while being fed, and the percentage of time spent facing the wall.

SNORT RATES

The eight horses in the riding school setting produced an average of between 3.32 and 5.66 snorts per hour. Snort rates differed according to environment. More snorts were recorded when horses were turned out in the field. Riding school horses showed most snorts while eating.

The eight horses kept in “naturalistic” conditions mostly snorted while eating grass or while in a slow exploratory walk, in some cases horses snorted after rolling.

WELFARE

A correlation was found between snort production and welfare scores.

Signs of stress are reduced while horses were out on pasture.

The riding school population demonstrated the highest stress scores overall.

The study stated: “It is clear that snorts cannot be merely considered as having a simple hygienic function of clearing the nostrils, expressed during no particular context nor in a specific arousal state.”

“To conclude, this study calls snort function into question. We propose that it would be indicating of a relaxation phase associated with positive emotions of low intensity and thus expressed even more by horses in a chronic good welfare state.

“However, our study does not totally allow to rule out the sanitary function of snort, since dust differences present in stall and pasture contexts have not been examined in details, but the results show that this is unlikely to explain differences between individual horses.”