A person might point a finger at something of interest or concern but horses, obviously, don’t have that ability. They do, however, have large ears that are quite mobile. 

A horse can rotate his or her ears 180-degrees. While this movement primarily is to identify and focus individual sounds, some recent studies indicate ear movements also are a way to communicate with other horses.

An alert horse with ears raised and pointed forward is interested in something. It could silently be saying, “Hey, look over there!” Ears pinned straight back, meanwhile, demonstrates a horse is angry or feeling threatened.

Horses communicate with body language and sounds. Horse owners learn to interpret both. It can take some time.

As with any language, certain sounds or words can have different meanings in different circumstances. A snort might signal interest and curiosity. It could also indicate annoyance, impatience, or anger. Or maybe it’s just a sneeze!