Do Horses Laugh?

Bronzz at Play

Do horses laugh? That might sound crazy, but in a cross-species study of laughter, 65 species were listed as having a vocalization that signifies play, including cows! In some species laughter is overlooked because it sounds to us like a common vocalization that means something else; in other species, laughter happens on a frequency we can’t hear. Horses were not on the list, but that could mean no one has studied this possibility yet. When I asked one of the authors of the study about horses, his response was that he wouldn’t be surprised if horses do indeed produce “play vocalizations”. And the point of laughter? It helps differentiate play from fighting, and invites others to join the fun. Such behaviors foster positive interactions, very important among social species who depend on each other for survival. I don't know if I ever heard a horse laugh, but I have often seen a twinkle in Bronzz’s eye that suggested he was amused.
Many readers heard laughter in squeals or nickers. Independent of vocalizations, numerous people described behavior they saw as showing a sense of humor. One person suggested horses like "slapstick" humor, and most pranks seemed to fit that description!

Here are some readers' comments... "100% they laugh! What we call a nicker is often a “chuckle” and I’ve known many who do it. When we taught a roping horse to do lateral movements, he chuckled the whole time - he loved moving sideways." "Mine make this high pitched squeal just before shooting away in happy gallop. It’s like a joy squeal. If I want them to accelerate with no fear I do that same squeal and huge acceleration happens most of the time." "Willie the Wonder Morgan lets out the cutest "eeeeeee!" when he's running about freely and about to throw a buck - perhaps not laughter, but clearly an expression of joy." "Their deep nicker at feeding time sounds like a laugh of relief or joy. Not surprise or humor as we think of it necessarily." "I wouldn't doubt they do. I definitely feel like I have been the victim of horses playing jokes on me various times. One mare in particular likes to get a big drink of water right before I bring her in from pasture to work. She will hold a mouthful of water all the way into the barn, and then deposit it on my chest when I go to tie her up. I have no doubt she knows exactly what she's doing!" "Horses will squeal playfully, very different from the angry shriek, lest someone think I'm referring to that. I'd never really thought about it, but it's definitely an exuberant sound. What else is laughter, after all?" "I'm sure horses express their amusement. There's a certain kind of blowing or breath, often combined with a head shake and a twinkle in the eye." "Squeals are quite common when they're having fun around here." "The squeals when they play?" "My horse has blown out before when something dumb has happened to me." "I firmly believe that the "get a drink and hold some water in my mouth so I can dribble it on you in a minute" is a FAVORITE horsey joke!"

References:
https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/animals-laugh-too-ucla-analysis-suggests https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09524622.2021.1905065?journalCode=tbio20
https://www.openculture.com/2022/01/animals-laugh-too-ucla-study-finds-laughter-in-65-species-from-rats-to-cows.html