A horse that snorts has neigh worries

HORSES are not indignant when they snort, they’re expressing happiness, a study has found.

Their snorts had been seen as a way to clear dust from their airways or scare away flies.

But research now shows that the snorts are reliable indicators of positive emotions.

The study looked at 48 horses. Some lived at a riding school, working four to 12 hours a week. Others were privately owned and free to roam.

Horses snorted twice as much when they were free to roam than when they were confined to stalls at the riding school. They snorted most when eating or while slowly walking.

No horse snorted when it was being aggressive to a human.

Dr Mathilde Stomp, from the University of Rennes who carried out the study, said: ‘Snorts appear as a possible reliable indicator of positive emotions which could help identify situations appreciated by horses.’

The research is published in scientific journal PLOS ONE.