Nostrils Moving With Sniffing or Investigation
Look at the signal, then look at the whole horse and the situation around it.
NOTICE
The horse actively sniffs, moves the nostrils, or brings the nose toward a person, object, surface, or scent.
WHAT IT MAY TELL YOU
The horse may be gathering information through smell. Horses use olfaction to investigate their environment, other horses, people, objects, and unfamiliar scents.
DON'T ASSUME
Sniffing does not automatically mean the horse likes, dislikes, trusts, or fears what they are investigating.
LOOK AGAIN
What is the nose directed toward? Does the horse approach, pause, withdraw, return, or show flehmen afterward? Is the rest of the body loose or tense?
Research / Learn More
What research shows
Horses use sniffing and odor exploration as part of environmental investigation. Studies of equine olfaction measure sniffing duration and related exploratory behaviors directly.
What it does not tell us
Sniffing by itself does not identify a specific emotion or preference.
Sources
- Horse odor exploration behavior is influenced by pregnancy and age — measures horses' sniffing and odor-investigation behavior.
- Human emotional odours influence horses’ behaviour and physiology — demonstrates that olfactory information can influence horse behavior while emphasizing the broader context.