By Matt McGrathEnvironment
correspondent
14 July 2018
Scientists haven't given too much
attention to the significance of horse snorting before now.
The expulsion of air through the
equine nose has normally been connected with "clearing phlegm, flies or
other irritants".
But now researchers in France say
that these blow-outs are a key indicator of what's going on in the equine mind.
They found horses living in
relaxed environments produced far more snorts than those in stressful conditions.
Why the long face?
Understanding when a horse is
feeling happy, scientifically, is quite difficult. Cats are easy by comparison;
their purring is a clear sign of contentedness.
Horses give off conflicting
signals - their heart rates increase at the anticipation of food, but decrease
during grooming, something that humans generally believe they enjoy.
Some people believe that horses
being playful are showing they are happy. But researchers say that this isn't
always the case, as play can be a "coping mechanism" when horses are
faced with unexpected events, and it may also be a way of reducing social
tension in the group.
In this study, the scientists
wanted to test the anecdotal idea that snorting in horses occurs more often in
positive situations.
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