Headphones/ music whilst riding?

[Joanna710]

So a girl who's horse I used to part loan never rides without her headphones plugged in, and it surprised me slightly.

Personally speaking I wouldn't use them, for one thing you can't hear traffic coming if out on a hack, also, if I'm expecting a horse to give me his full concentration whilst schooling, the least I can do is offer him the same level of courtesy.

I'm not looking to bad mouth/ offend anyone who does use them, it's your own choice and I know some riders use them to keep tempo whilst riding a test, just interested in general views and pros/ cons

 

[ThePony]

Wouldn't use them, you can't be as aware of your surroundings so can't be a great idea (I also don't use them when out walking into town or on a run as I feel the same). That said, if I were smart enough to have a posh indoor to school in then I would have something on in the background!

 

[3Beasties]

I have used them in the past but with only one earphone in. I now have a phone that will play music loud enough without needing headphones so I use that instead. Nothing better then a nice hack, just you, your horse and some good tunes

 

[Joanna710]

If I were smart enough to have a posh indoor to school in then I would have something on in the background!

See that'd be different, at least that way the horse would be able to hear the music too I'll keep buying my lotto ticket...

 

[Jackson]

I think having a radio on can help with relaxation.. rhythm etc, however riding on the roads wearing headphones is a bit

 

[PingPongPony]

i ride with only 1 in if i'm nervous or feel under pressure to ride well. it helps me focus on what me and the horse are doing and not listen to other people that are watching as thats my problem, i tense up and rather than focus on horse and me, my brain wonders and tries to listen in to the conversations around us. it just helps on the flat, but i can't jump or hack with them in, just can't!

 

[PingPongPony]

See that'd be different, at least that way the horse would be able to hear the music too I'll keep buying my lotto ticket...

The horse is able to hear the music, my last horse and the horse i ride at the moment would stop listening around them and staring at things and just listen to the music. I also noticed that my last mare didn't particulary like certain songs, she didn't like pink for example, or adele, she loved rizzle kicks and her fave song to trot,canter and do flying changes to was black and yellow by wiz khalifa, if she was walking and that song came on she'd put her ears forward then back to listen to it again and would pick up the pace a little

 

[ClassicG&T]

If i'm on a hack near roads and its busy i don't wear them.


But when i'm just schooling or round the fields or in the XC field i wear them, i only have one in and it isnt blasting, just humming away

 

[Strawberryroan]

I would never, ever wear them hacking/ any roads but I wear headphones frequently if schooling, not blasting but it really helps my concentration & motivation

 

[Patterdale]

I don't on the roads but otherwise I do pretty much all the time.

Never music though, always audiobooks. Cause I'm just too cool

 

[MissSBird]

I often listen to music when I'm schooling. I find I get less distracted by what is going on around us and pay more attention to what I'm doing. I also find it tends to keep me calmer, consequently keeping the relationship between me and my horse calmer. And if I don't hear the farmers tractor I don't look at it, and consequently B doesn't spook at it!

I don't wear them if there's someone else in the school with me, or when I'm out hacks. Obviously in those circumstances you want to have all senses available to you!

 

[JenTaz]

I always listen to music when riding, helps keep me going, at the yard im currently at i never have any one to ride with so it gets lonely, luckily around me the roads are very quiet only ever ride with one ear phone in and its usually really quiet, in the school if im on my own i tend to put the music on loud speaker so taz can hear it to I feel it helps relax him, I couldnt ride without music on my own, but thankfully I am moving to a new yard next sunday and will always have someone to hack and ride with as Im moving to a yard with my best friend

 

[MileAMinute]

I use headphones while schooling, NEVER out hacking!

I find it helps me to 'keep going' as it were. Find it harder to stay in rhythm without a steady beat bopping in my ear!

 

[flump]

Yes!! I love hacking and schooling with some tunes blaring!! I have a galloping song haha!

 

[Slightlyconfused]

I dont hack near roads or on roads, but i do when schooling as it relaxes me and i have a better ride...only have on in tho and not loud.....my mare loves lunging to linkin park when i have it out loud.

X

 

[You Wont Forget Me]

I will happily ride with them whilst riding in the indoor arena but whenever i ride in the ourdoor or out hacking would never have them in!

 

[Cupcakes and Horses]

I would never hack with them but I did use them for a while when I was over thinking whilst jumping, music provided me with enough distraction to stop thinking and just ride.

 

[madeleine1]

i have headphones in while hacking not on roads and have shut my eyes. she is a pray animal and i can feel a twitch from her if she spots something and even when i give her my full attention she beats me to it when spotting things. would never have them in on a road and always prefer to have my phone playing through its speakers so i dont have to use headphones.

 

[igglepop]

Never whilst hacking but alot when riding in school. Especialy if bangs from things in background as i found they made me worry and i passed this onto horse.

 

[BlizzardBudd]

I wear headphones with music playing when I am in the indoor, by no one else is jumping. And I would only wear one if there is someone else schooling I like to be able to not hear what people are saying about my riding (and things have been said!) so it stops me getting tense and stressed

 

[lilyoftheincas]

Once, while on holiday in France, I saw a teenage girl hacking along the road with no hat, no hi viz, and earphones plugged in! :O

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

If I'm schooling on my own I sometimes do for motivation!
I would never ever hack or jump in them though.

 

[Wiz201]

I wear them at work as it helps my concentration. I can still hear things like the telephone ringing so I can take them out for that, or if someone wants me. I work in a post room where I require concentration to sort the post in the right pigeon holes so that type of work is ok with music.

 

[Natti]

I wear them when I'm hacking out my friends horse for her, we have a really large woodland area near us that hardly anyone else uses, with no roads for a good while so I put them in then. I usually only put one in though because although music helps me concentrate I still like to hear whats going on around us as well .

 

[emma.is]

I school with headphones in but would never dream of it while out hacking

I tend to listen to the radio because it helps me to keep track of time and the bouncy pop music kind of keeps me active and keeps him active too sounds weird but it works, hahaha.

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

I would personally never do it end of, I think it is obvious why too....

 

[WelshTilly]

When schooling or people are around I have headphones in I find it helps me concentrate and relax and find I have more productive sessions, occasionally I'll put the speakers on loud as my horse is quite partial to a bit of music and she maintains rhythm easier .....I wouldn't wear headphones when hacking although I may put them on loud in my posket so I can just hear something in the background nothing loud enough to distract from hearing my surroundings ...

 

[tinap]

Daughter regularly wears them while in the school but never ever while out hacking

 

[leah_x]

I have music playing on my phone in my pocket while hacking, my tb is very spooky and this somehow seems to calm him a little bit.

 

[Fransurrey]

Part of the beauty of riding to me is the sounds that go with it. A buzzard nearby, an early owl (or a late one!), a robin giving an alarm call, cuckoos, nightjars, distant sheep or cows, rutting deer, sound of rain on leaves, wind in the trees...

WHY would you want to block any of that out???