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A Horse's Neigh May Be Unique in the Animal Kingdom. Now Scientists Know How They Do It
Horses produce two-tone whinnies combining vocal cord vibrations and a unique voice box whistle, a feature previously known only in small rodents, researchers said.
- Researchers at the University of Copenhagen found horses produce a two-toned whinny with high and low pitches emitted simultaneously, published March 02, 2026.
- To solve a long‑elusive question, researchers inserted a small camera through horses' noses, ran detailed scans, and blew air through isolated voice boxes to understand neigh production.
- Airflow experiments on isolated voice boxes show the low‑pitched component comes from air passing over vibrating laryngeal tissues while a contracting area above forms a whistle opening, resembling human vocal techniques.
- Researchers suggest the two‑toned whinnies may help horses convey multiple messages or express a more complex range of feelings, as Mandel‑Briefer said.
- While a few small rodents whistle this way, horses are the first known large mammal to do so, but donkeys and zebras cannot make the high-pitched sounds, and a big lingering evolutionary question remains.
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The Morning Sun+2 Reposted by 2 other sources
A horse’s neigh may be unique in the animal kingdom. Now scientists know how they do it
By ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN The Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Horses whinny to find new friends, greet old ones and celebrate happy moments like feeding time. How exactly horses produce that distinctive sound — also called a neigh — has long eluded scientists. The whinny is an unusual combination of both high and low pitched sounds, like a cross between a grunt and a squeal — that come out at the same time. The low-pitched part wasn’t much of a my…
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Leaning Left4Leaning Right0Center27Last UpdatedBias Distribution87% Center
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87% Center
13%
C 87%
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