Leaving a radio on at the stables

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Astra

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At my old yard we used to leave the radio on for the horses when they were stabled. At my new yard we don't have a radio and it seems a bit weird without it, although my boy doesn't seem to mind either way. I just wondered if many people leave the radio on for the horses?

A x
 
I do , She particularly likes classic FM or the Archers !
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It gives them a bit of company. My horse likes the occasional Classic FM.

We also used to leave the radio on for our dog when she was a puppy and the kitten, but very quietly so that they felt they had company at night.
 
when our fat horse cam in during teh day at summer to stop her getting really fat we left it on and she stop walking up and down

with my mare i find brushing her with the radio on cams her down,
 
I'm not at all sure about radios. At my last yard, the livery YM used to do this and, no disrespect to lovers of hip hop, garage, gangsta rap and any of the other ghastly rackets that used to echo round the yard setting my teeth on edge, but if I was a horse stabled there I'd either have tried to drown myself in my water bucket or somehow clambered over the stable door to trample the damned radio into dust. Horses aren't vocal in that sense. I strongly suspect that where horses seem calm for grooming when a radio is playing, it's probably the OWNER who is calmed by it! If I had to play anything, I'd get one of those birdsong cds or forest sounds or waves on the seashore.
 
Mine have theirs on until bedtime. Goes on when I feed in the morning, off when they go out, then back on when they come back in.

They have Radio 1, though they're not to keen on Friday night stuff! (Maybe thats me). They miss the rock show
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We have the radio on during the day. More for us then the horses, we can dance along while doing tack cleaning.
 
If I have to keep my horses in because the weather is bad then I leave the radio on all day and its on whenever I am at the yard, but not overnight.
 
I'm intrigued by this. Why do people leave the radio on? A herd of horses are almost totally silent. Communication is almost exclusively by body language apart from the odd mum-to-baby nicker, or one got left behind or something. The professional view is be calm and quiet round horses and speak softly if at all. A horse's hearing is many times better than a humans so what on earth makes people think that Radio One fgs will keep a horse happy??? It's more likely to make them wish they could stuff cotton wool into their ears. They know darn well if people are around or not and are not fooled by the constant frantic assault on the ears of most radio channels. Like I said before, if I was a horse, I'd try to commit suicide in my water bucket.

Serious question: what benefits do you think the horse gets, or is it just a guilt assuager for human owners?
 
I see your point and I agree with you to a point. I guess it depends on the situation.
Years a go my chap was on box rest and all his friends were out.
When there was no radio he tended to call for his friends. When I put Classic fm on he definitely liked the soothing music and the soothing voices hosting the shows.
However, Radio One or any local radio station made him look at me with a frown. LOL

I don't have a radio down my yard. I prefer the silence and just the animal and nature noises.
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Mine have radios on during the day - stems from a summer of box rest with no horses in sight.

My older mare stands with her head next to the radio, eyes closed, resting a hind leg. She seems to quite like it - its also a cue to her that she is staying in all day, it only goes on during the day when she is in.

My filly digs fewer holes in her pit, sorry bed, when she has the radio on.
 
I can understand it if one horse is kept in alone for a time, but really do not understand it otherwise. They communicate with each other and I doubt they actually appreciate it.

For me, I hate it, such an intrusion on the natural yard sounds, and countryside sounds if you are in the countryside.
 
Two recent studies have shown horses do much better without radios being played. Less stress overall.

Personally, I hate the things always playing...I like to hear the horses, enjoy the quiet and don't have to listen to some of the gawdawful music taste of some people.
 
I dont know where I read it but I do remember reading an article about radios & horses and it said that they do not like it.

But like everything else, every horse is not the same they all have their own opinions - some will enjoy music and some wont - I know my horse doesnt.
 
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