When a horse smells you, it is gathering information about you using its powerful sense of smell. A horse’s sense of smell is very important to how it experiences the world around it. Understanding why and how a horse smells you can provide insight into equine behavior and communication.
Why horses smell
Horses have approximately 25 times more olfactory receptor cells than humans, giving them a very sophisticated sense of smell. They rely on their sense of smell for:
- Evaluating safety – Smell helps a horse distinguish friend from foe. Scent provides horses with information about the emotional state and intent of other horses or people.
- Gathering information – Smell allows horses to learn more about their environment, food sources, and potential mates.
- Bonding – Horses use smell to create connections with other horses and handlers. It helps them recognize members of their herd.
- Finding food and water – The sensitive nose can pick up the scent of grass, hay, or water from a distance.
- Avoiding predators – Horses are flight animals, so their sense of smell is critical for detecting predators and alerting the herd to danger.
Overall, the incredible sense of smell helps horses survive and thrive in their environment. When a horse smells you, it is using this specialized ability to get more information about you.
How horses smell
Horses use two highly developed organs to smell – their nostrils and vomeronasal organ.
Nostrils
A horse’s large, flexible nostrils can move independently to pick up scents. The nostrils have many olfactory receptor cells specialized to detect smells important to horses. When sniffing, horses flare their nostrils to draw in air across these smell detectors. The incoming air gets filtered through the horse’s sinuses before reaching the olfactory bulb in the brain where smells are processed and recognized.
Vomeronasal organ
Also known as the Jacobson’s organ, the vomeronasal organ consists of two fluid-filled sacs located inside the horse’s nasal cavity. It has a duct that connects to the mouth. When horses flex their upper lip, called “flehmen,” they open this duct and draw in scents for analysis by the vomeronasal organ. Scientists believe this specialized organ detects pheromones and other chemical cues that provide a wealth of social information to the horse.
What horses can smell
With approximately 25 times more olfactory receptor cells compared to humans, horses have an excellent sense of smell. They can detect a wide range of odors and chemical compounds, including:
- Pheromones – hormones that communicate emotion, sexual receptiveness, alarm, etc.
- Predators – horses rely on scent to alert them to nearby predators like mountain lions.
- Food and water – horses use their sensitive noses to locate grass, hay, grain, and water sources.
- Familiar humans and horses – horses remember the scent of herd mates, handlers, and familiar people.
- Foreign objects – horses will sniff unfamiliar or strange items in their environment.
- Estrous cycles in mares – stallions can detect the scent of a mare in heat from a distance.
One study found horses could smell food treats buried in a wood shavings bed from up to 5 feet away. Their highly sensitive noses allow them to gather a wealth of information from the smells in their surroundings.
Why does a horse sniff you?
When a horse sniffs you, it is collecting vital information to answer questions like:
- Who are you? – Horses remember the unique scents of handlers and herd mates. Sniffing helps them identify familiar vs. unfamiliar people.
- What is your emotional state? – Subtle chemical cues in human sweat and skin secretions communicate fear, anxiety, anger, calmness, etc.
- Are you a threat? – As a prey animal, determining friend from foe is critical. Smell provides clues about safety and intent.
- Do you have food? – The horse may be sniffing for the scent of treats or food you are carrying.
- What have you touched? – Scents on your body, clothes, and shoes hold a wealth of information about where you’ve been and what you’ve touched.
In essence, horses smell you to gather crucial details about your identity, emotional state, intentions, and history in order to determine how to respond appropriately.
How horses interpret smells
Experts believe horses create complex mental maps based on scent. They remember and categorize smells in sophisticated ways we don’t entirely understand. However, some patterns have been observed in how horses interpret certain smells:
- Familiar human scent = friend
- Unfamiliar human scent = unknown (potential threat)
- Fox, mountain lion, wolf scent = predator (danger – flee)
- Mare in heat scent = potential mate
- Stallion scent = potential aggressor
- Anxious human scent = possible threat
- Calm human scent = friend
- Treats, grain scent = food (approach)
- Stale water scent = don’t drink
- Fresh water scent = safe to drink
Smell provides horses with an incredible amount of nuanced information they use to navigate their interactions and environment safely.
Behaviors prompted by smelling you
When horses sniff you, they may display behaviors like:
- Flehmen – The horse curls its upper lip exposing the vomeronasal organ in the roof of its mouth. This allows analysis of scents that provide social information.
- Nostril flaring – The horse dilates its nostrils wide to draw in more scent molecules.
- Approaching – If you smell familiar, the horse may slowly approach you to gather more scent and information.
- Shying or fleeing – If your scent conveys anxiety, fear, or aggression, the horse may spook or run away from you.
- Following – The horse may follow your scent trail to learn more about where you’ve been.
- Biting or nibbling – Horses may gently mouth your clothing, boots, etc. to gather scent particles for analysis.
These behaviors provide insight into how the horse is processing and responding to the smell stimuli coming from you.
Why do some horses smell more than others?
All horses rely heavily on their sense of smell. However, certain horses seem especially keen to sniff people and objects. Some reasons a horse may smell more include:
- Young age – Foals are very oral when exploring the world and gather information by mouthing objects and people.
- Insecure attachment – Horses that are unsure of their place in the herd sniff more to gain information about those around them.
- Boredom – Horses with insufficient enrichment in their stall may sniff and mouth objects simply for stimulation.
- Stallions – Intact males rely heavily on scent signals for breeding, so are very odor-oriented.
- Anxiety – Stressed horses sniff more while gathering details about potentially threatening stimuli.
With patience and proper training, horses that sniff frequently due to insecurity, boredom or anxiety can learn more appropriate ways to interact with their handlers and environment.
Is a horse sniffing me a bad sign?
Not necessarily. It is completely normal for horses to sniff anything unfamiliar in their environment, including people. Sniffing in itself is not an aggressive behavior – it is simply the horse’s way of getting more sensory information. However, behaviors that sometimes follow sniffing like biting, nibbling, kicking, or shying away can indicate the horse is feeling threatened or distressed by your scent or presence. As long as the sniffing is accompanied by calm, relaxed body language, it is not a cause for concern. In fact, when horses initiate sniffing with people they are familiar and comfortable with, it may be a sign they are curious about interacting.
Tips for handling a sniffing horse
Here are some tips if a horse wants tosniff you extensively:
- Stay relaxed – Tension encourages more nervous sniffing. Keep your breathing steady.
- Let them smell – Avoid jerking away or hiding body parts forcefully. Allow the horse to satisfy their curiosity.
- Keep hands open and low – Don’t wave arms and hands about as this can seem threatening.
- Offer a treat – Letting the horse sniff and eat a treat can help form positive associations.
- Pet their neck – If permitted, mutual grooming puts the horse at ease and deepens your bond.
- Move slowly – Make gradual movements to acclimate the horse to your presence.
- Watch their reaction – The horse’s full body language will tell you how they feel about your scent.
While every horse has a unique personality, following these tips can help a wary horse feel more comfortable approaching and sniffing you.
When to seek help for excessive sniffing
Horses naturally sniff people, objects, and each other regularly. However, excessive, obsessive sniffing of certain stimuli can signal an underlying issue, such as:
- Anxiety or fear – The horse may be sniffing due to feeling threatened or insecure.
- Boredom – Lack of stimulation and enrichment can cause compulsive sniffing.
- Curiosity – Young, precocious horses may persistently mouth or nibble people.
- Loneliness – Horses deprived of equine companionship may fixate on human scent.
- Pain – Sniffing and nibbling at their flank can indicate gastric or abdominal discomfort.
If your horse fixates on smelling you or specific objects for long periods, it is worth consulting an equine behaviorist or veterinarian. They can help pinpoint the root cause and suggest targeted training to redirect the obsessive sniffing behavior.
With patience and time, even horses that over-focus on smell can learn to interact appropriately with their handlers and environment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do some horses blow air when sniffing you?
Horses often blow air forcefully from their nostrils just prior to or while sniffing something. This allows them to expel other scents they recently inhaled so they can solely focus on analyzing the smell of interest, such as your scent. It essentially “resets” their nose so they don’t mix competing smells.
Do horses like or dislike certain scents?
Yes, horses can definitely have scent preferences. They tend to show aversion to strong perfumes, chemicals, smoke, and unfamiliar or sudden scents. Most react well to fresh grass, hay, carrots, apples, peppermint, and the scents of familiar handlers.
Why does my horse rub his nose on me?
When horses rub their nose and muzzle on you, they are transferring their scent. This marks you as a friend and herd member. They are also gathering your scent to add to their mental smell catalogue. Mutual rubbing during grooming strengthens your bond.
Is my horse sniffing because he’s hungry?
It’s quite likely. Horses associate their handlers’ scent with food rewards like treats and meals. Sniffing you extensively may indicate your horse is searching for the smell of food and hoping you will provide a snack.
Why does my horse barely sniff unfamiliar objects?
Some horses are simply less scent-oriented than others due to their unique personality and history. Braver, more inquisitive horses rely less on sniffing to evaluate new stimuli in their environment. They are more likely to investigate by seeing and touching unknown objects.
Should I discourage my horse from sniffing?
Avoid punishing or restraining natural sniffing behavior. Horses rely on smell to navigate their world safely. However, you can train your horse to wait politely for your cue before approaching to sniff unfamiliar people or items, rather than doing so impulsively. This respects their needs while maintaining manners.
Conclusion
When a horse puts its nose to you and inhales, it is tapping into the powerful equine sense of smell. By analyzing your scent, the horse is gathering key information about your identity, emotional state, intentions, and history in order to determine how to respond appropriately. While every sniff may not lead to a profound bond, each one represents your horse actively working to understand you better. With patience and compassion, even a wary horse can come to see you as a trusted friend through the simple act of smelling.