PetLvr.com - [The Blog]

June 13, 2006 — A new study could take the mystery out of a horse whisperer’s job.

The Equine Vocalization Project is compiling a database of horse talk and behavior in an attempt to correlate nuances in their whinnies with differences in their stress levels.

The information could help shed light on the communication styles of other equines, such as donkeys and zebras, and even improve how veterinarians, behaviorists, breeders or other animal handlers relate to horses.

….. initial acoustical studies have shown that whinnies have the greatest changes in frequency and could contain information about specific situations.

When they are stressed, their vocalizations peak into a high-pitched screams; when they are calm, their whinnies modulate in the middle tones.

But scientists are still not sure if the changes in frequency can be connected to more specific conditions.

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MORE: Discovery Channel :: News - Animals :: Database to Analyze Horse Speak