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The Incredible Hearing of Horses: What Every Horse Owner Should Know

Writer's picture: Jaclyn StoerzbachJaclyn Stoerzbach

At Borg Farms, we prioritize the well-being of every horse in our care. One essential yet often overlooked aspect of horse health is their incredible sense of hearing. Understanding how horses hear and interpret sound can help create a more comfortable and stress-free environment for them.


How Well Can Horses Hear?

Horses have an impressive auditory system designed to help them detect danger, communicate, and navigate their environment. Their large, cupped ears rotate 180 degrees from front to back and 90 degrees top to side, giving them an exceptional range of sound detection. Each ear contains 16 muscles, allowing them to move independently to pinpoint noises.


While humans can hear sounds as soft as 0 decibels (dB), horses can detect sounds starting at 7 dB—about the volume of quiet breathing. However, unlike humans, horses don’t perceive hushed noises as well but make up for it with their ability to detect low-frequency vibrations through their hooves, teeth, and jaw while grazing.

Cool down ride in the top pasture
Cool down ride in the top pasture

Frequency Range: What Horses Hear That We Don’t

Horses miss about an octave and a half of the lowest bass notes, but they compensate by picking up low-frequency vibrations through their body. At the high end of the spectrum, horses surpass human hearing by about half an octave, meaning they can hear a silent dog whistle or even the ultrasonic squeal of a dolphin.


Interestingly, studies suggest that male horses tend to be more attentive to sound than females. As horses age, their hearing ability declines, with most experiencing mild to moderate hearing loss by age 20.


Sound Localization and Communication

Compared to humans, horses have a wider margin of error when pinpointing the origin of a sound—about 22 to 30 degrees compared to a human’s 1-degree precision. However, horses compensate with their exceptional peripheral vision (check out our other blog article on horse vision here) and acute sense of smell.


Horses also have an extraordinary ability to interpret pitch, making them highly sensitive to vocal cues and environmental sounds. They rely heavily on vocalizations such as whinnies, nickers, snorts, blows, groans, and squeals to communicate. A single whinny lasts around 1.5 seconds and can be heard from half a mile away. Horses can distinguish the identity, mood, and intention of another horse based solely on the pitch and pattern of its whinny.


Fun Facts: What a Horse Can Understand from a Whinny

Horses can gather an astonishing amount of information from just a whinny! Here’s what they can determine:

  • Who is calling – Horses can identify familiar and unfamiliar voices.

  • Mood of the caller – A fearful whinny is higher in pitch, while a greeting whinny is lower in pitch.

  • Intent – A separation whinny cuts off early, signaling distress.

  • Size and strength of the horse – Just from hearing a whinny, a horse can estimate the caller’s body size and strength.

  • Herd hierarchy – Horses can discern the rank of another horse from their whinny alone.

Incredibly, horses can produce up to 10 million unique variations of a whinny, each with subtle differences conveying essential social information. When introduced to a new environment, the unfamiliar sounds can be overwhelming—one reason why some horses become anxious when moved.


The Effect of Music on Horses

Research suggests that music influences equine behavior. A study on Arabian racehorses found that those exposed to daily music had lower heart rates and won races more frequently. However, the effects only lasted for about three months before the horses became accustomed to the background noise.


Why Equine Hearing Matters for Boarding Horses

At Borg Farms, we create a low-stress, horse-friendly environment by understanding how horses perceive and respond to sound.

  • We minimize sudden, loud noises that could startle them.



  • We observe vocal cues to monitor stress levels and herd dynamics.

  • We provide a peaceful setting where horses feel safe and secure.


By considering a horse’s acute hearing and sensitivity to sound, we help them feel healthy, happy, and relaxed—because a happy horse makes for a happy herd!


Looking for a top-quality horse boarding facility where your horse’s health and happiness come first? We’d love to welcome you to Borg Farms! Give Jaclyn a call at 309-351-4917 or send an email to jaclyn@borgfarms.com to learn more.

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14150 Herring Rd

Colorado Springs, CO

80908

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Contact

309-351-4917

Borg Farms Equestrian Center & Horse Boarding in Colorado Springs CO

Mon - Sun

8:00 am – 8:00 pm

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