Neighing - Strange question

[EarlGrey]

A bit of a pointless post really but...

My horse never neighs or whinnies. Never has.

Is this normal?

He squeals quite a lot,

always accompanied by what I call happy bucks; when he's turned out in the field, when we canter on a hack, when he's asked to canter in the warm-up ring at a show.

Very occasionally he does a strange guttural grunt (a bit like a stallion) when he's cross e.g. when he's really hungry and you're a few minutes late feeding. All the others call for dinner the usual way, but he's usually silent unless really hungry, then he grunts as you walk to his stable with the feed. He has also done this when he was left in the field longer than he wanted. He was charging around like a loon and did the weird grunt thing.

Can my horse not neigh? Is that even possible? Do some breeds not neigh?

 

[DuckToller]

Mine isn't very vocal and never whinnies or whickers, at least not to me. He bangs on the door when he wants feeding, while one of my ponies sounds like he is warming up for an opera, he whinnies up and down the scales getting ever more vocal if I am too slow and will whinny as soon as I open the back door.

But my horse has very occasionally whinnied for his best friend in the field, so maybe he feels as I am not a horse I am not worth whinnying at?!

Maybe we should try whinnying to them to see if they respond? But perhaps not when anyone else is around...

 

[stencilface]

I think its each to their own. Thinking about it, I can't remember my old horse (a TB) neighing that much, and my second pony didn't either.

My horse now is so noisy though!!! He neighs at competitions, when I take him to the local livery yard to use their school - all the time. At competitions it can be so embarassing, sounds like a squealing pig, and used to neigh throughout a dressage test too (a swift kick in the ribs has stopped that behaviour!). He'll neigh if he's there by himself, but does it more when friend goes with him. Him and his mate seem to track each other across the showgrounds by neighing at each other! He has never neighed when showjumping though - that obviously requires more concentration.

Sometimes neighs on hacks if he hasn't been out on his own for a while and is feeling nervous

He doesn't really whicker though, not even for food - and all three of our other ones are prolific whickerers - esp for food

Mine just stands on the spot waiting for his bucket to be placed at his feet

 

[X0XbringitonX0X]

My horse always whinnies, when I talk to him he whinnies back - it's like a conversation! But then again the horse I used to ride never whinnied once, in the 4 years I rode him almost every day!

 

[madmav]

The one and only time my horse ever whinnied was when a friend of a friend got him drunk on beer. Not very P.C. I know, but it was a long time ago.

 

[Birker2020]

The common noises the horses makes are as follows:

The snort - "this may be dangerous so I will alert the others" (typically in a herd situation)
The blow - "Are you a friend, I am your friend" (when two horses blow in each others noses upon meeting for the first tiime)
The nicker - "hey its good to see you" - Mares will make this noise to their foals to say "come closer".
The neigh/whinny "Is anyone here", "I'm here where are you"
The squeal - "I don't want to" or "don't push your luck mate"
The scream - very usual to hear this noise, its a frightened or hurt horse that makes this noise, or a horse fighting in a natural situation i.e in the wild
The grunt - "I am in pain" often made with colic, a very distinctive noise whilst made in pain

 

[SDH]

one of my horses whickers at me, all the time (esp when i've got food) which is very sweet, he squeals at new horses and snorts at plastic bags, crisps etc but i've only heard him neigh when he's had to be put on the trailer on his own to go to vets (he's not keen on trailer)

the other one is the opposite - quiet the majority of the time, but when he neighs boy is it LOUD. Bout defends me esp if i'm stood right next to him. He does it at shows or other equally exciting places - or for about a week after we move yards. Arrghh my ears!

 

[ladyt25]

well my (now 21 yo) pony has regularly 'screamed'. i think he reckons he's a stallion though so his is generally a threatening sound when we've been introducing a new horse for example.

He also squeals and kicks out if his friends are bugging him and has been known to have squealing, bucking, kicking 'fits' in his own 'space' in the field if his field mates have really angered him! He's a strange one.

My horse neighs when you call his name, neighs to his mate at shows, whickers for food - i think he's just very vocal but then he likes to be the centre of attention and likes you to know he's there!

 

[RosieC]

My old horse was extreemely vocal. She called to me constantly if I was mucking out and she was still in the field. She'd call to the others if she was in the school/being tacked up. She whickered to me a lot which was very sweet. But when she neighed, good grief it was loud, she had a right pair of lungs on her.

But yeah I don't think it's weird if a horse isn't vocal

 

[mandk]

My 2 mares are quite vocal - one is a right mare when it comes to squealing & she throws a front leg in the air when her and another horse blow!
But they both neigh etc at me when I arrive, esp when grubs up!

One of my boys tries to be very vocal - but he has been hobdayed - so he can not physically neigh etc! Poor man - he is so friendly and wants to talk!

 

[Archangel]

Oh for a quiet horse. One of mine goes on and on and on. Drives me mad. I can't move without a comment from her.

 

[Shilasdair]

My chav 3yo only ever whinnies if she has been posted at the top of the field by the other two, as a feed sentinel, and I appear with the feeds. Her voice is so high, it would shatter windows.
If I tell her off for any reason, she does a long drawn out snort at me...it is very hard not to laugh.
B

 

[niagaraduval]

Mine whinnies and neighs alot! - Never when i'm on him though =(

 

[Hippona]

[ QUOTE ]
The one and only time my horse ever whinnied was when a friend of a friend got him drunk on beer. Not very P.C. I know, but it was a long time ago.

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL!

My horse whickers when he sees me ( I prob look like a walking feed bucket) and at shows is an absolute screamer....to the point where I have a headache from it.

OH's mare just does a bit of low grunt that says '' well I am pleased to see you but don't let it be known or my rep will suffer''

Ponio occasionally neighs when out hacking on his own and we get too far from the yard....

 

[BackInBlack]

a horse we came across whilst looking to buy had had a hobday operation and his vocal cord had been damaged in the process so he couldn't whinney as such - he just used to make a funny noise that sounded like elvis presley - so they called him elvis, quite funny to hear!
my TB doesn't whinney very much, or very loudly when he does - he has been found to have inflammation of his lungs tho, so maybe that has something to do with it.

 

[blackcob]

[ QUOTE ]
The common noises the horses makes are as follows:

The snort - "this may be dangerous so I will alert the others" (typically in a herd situation)


[/ QUOTE ]

Typically used in the vicinity of terrifying plastic bags/llamas/shadows/nothing.

It never fails to make me laugh when my horse does the snort, she seems to grow to about 17hh, her nostrils expand to look like jet intakes and she lets out a big 'FNOOOSH!'

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

My last ned, a tough and opinionated Haffie, had a neigh like a pregnant camel!