{"id":1099,"date":"2021-04-16T09:24:50","date_gmt":"2021-04-16T09:24:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/horseycounsel.com\/?p=1099"},"modified":"2021-04-26T14:58:11","modified_gmt":"2021-04-26T14:58:11","slug":"do-horses-like-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/horseycounsel.com\/do-horses-like-music\/","title":{"rendered":"Do Horses Like Music? Here’s What We Know so Far"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Do horses like music? This is a question that I’ve asked myself countless times. For us, it’s more about music taste, which varies from person to person. However, we all enjoy listening to some form of music or another. In the case of horses, things are quite a bit different.<\/p>\n
Horses react positively to some music genres such as classical music and country music, but they seem to dislike jazz as well as rock music. Of course, a horse could go on its entire life without listening to music. Equines don’t seek out music as humans do. They don’t need the mood boost that it provides. However, they do seem to be positively influenced by country and classical music, as they are calmer and better-behaved when they listen to it.<\/strong><\/p>\n
How do we know this?<\/h3>\n
I should probably tell you where I got my information from. After all, you don’t have to take my word for it. A couple of years ago, a Bachelor of Science student named Clare Carter conducted a scientific study at Hartpury College in England. She wanted to figure out if horses like music, and whether some types of music impacted them in a positive or negative way.<\/p>\n
The study is called “Auditory stimulation of the stabled equine; the effect of different music genres on behavior.”<\/em> You can look it up if you want to.<\/p>\n
She decided to base her study on four different genres, namely jazz, rock, classical, and country music<\/strong>. The study was conducted with the assistance of eight Thoroughbred geldings, which were stabled for a total of three hours. She played a song from each music genre for 30 minutes and noted how it influenced the geldings’ behavior.<\/p>\n
How are horses influenced by music?<\/h3>\n
The results of the study were interesting, to say the least. The researchers used an equine ethogram, which is a catalog containing all possible behaviors and actions exhibited by a horse. Naturally, their actions and reactions while listening to music were compared to their behaviors in complete silence.<\/p>\n
When the horses were listening to Beethoven and Hank Williams Jr (classic and country), they were calmer, better behaved, and they were eating quietly. Eating quietly is a sign of calmness, so listening to these types of music appeared to have influenced the horses in a positive way.<\/p>\n