Prof. Katrina Merkies was interviewed for a July 11 Gizmodo article about a new study from the University of Rennes in France that found horses make a certain snorting sound when they’re happy.

A professor and ethologist in the Department of Animal Biosciences at the Ontario Agricultural College, Merkies said owners who recognize this particular sound can use it to put horses in amenable situations more often. It’s another tool to improve animal welfare, she said.

She said that although vocal horse sounds like whinnies and neighs have been widely studied, non-vocal sounds are a new research territory.

Merkies studies equine behaviour and welfare, equine management and equitation science.