radio overnight for horses

SEL

SEL

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 February 2016
Messages
15,674
Location
Buckinghamshire
Visit site
Has anyone seen any evidence that having the radio on overnight keeps horses calm?

I'm usually the first up at our yard and since they've started leaving the radio on I tend to find the horses are more anxious in the morning. In fact the TB belonging to the lady who states the research is there has actually started weaving in his stable!

Apparently she's heard there's been research at Hartpury college about this????
 
It would drive me mad too! Personally I think it's a fire risk to boot. I isolate the electricity to the yard overnight so it's effectively cut off once 'unplugged'.

My horses 'enjoy' the radio when we are at the yard but wouldn't even consider leaving it on overnight.

I think the last sentence in this study probably answers your question! http://saracen.equinews.com//article/radios-in-the-barn

I also know that students at Hartpury can often research weird and wonderful things by the number of surveys I get asked to fill in - usually to fulfil a course requirement rather than having any scientific basis.
 
I cannot see why you would want to leave a constant noise going all night, even classical music channels will have some spoken introductions, news bulletins or a sudden change of tempo , my lot are plenty calm enough and some would probably get wound up if a radio was on all the time.
I can see the benefits for horses living alone or stuck in on box rest but even then most of mine would prefer peace and quiet, it may muffle the sounds that are normal such as neighbours munching hay so I could see something stressing and possibly weaving if they cannot see or hear others, a recording of other horses contently eating would probably be more popular and useful.
 
Nicnac said:
It would drive me mad too! Personally I think it's a fire risk to boot. I isolate the electricity to the yard overnight so it's effectively cut off once 'unplugged'.
Click to expand...

Oh god - I hadn't even considered the fire risk! That might actually get them to turn it off though......
 
i remeber reading a study about how calming classical music can relax. but a generic radio station has too much talk/ads etc. i absoutely hated being on yards with the radio, used to drive my tb mad.
 
SEL said:
Has anyone seen any evidence that having the radio on overnight keeps horses calm?

I'm usually the first up at our yard and since they've started leaving the radio on I tend to find the horses are more anxious in the morning. In fact the TB belonging to the lady who states the research is there has actually started weaving in his stable!

Apparently she's heard there's been research at Hartpury college about this????
Click to expand...

Poor bloody horses. Tell her to do one and turn it off! Poor things, cant they have a quiet nights sleep? Honestly, some people!!! :(
 
If you're usually the first there, could you also manage to be the last there, OP? And switch off the radio on your way out, like any right minded person would?
 
I gave this a bit more thought while pottering about outside and concluded that once again "we" are trying too hard to keep our horses happy by overstimulating them, most are more than content to eat, sleep, stand looking into the distance and switch off, we can see this as boredom and want to fill in their spare time with activities that they just don't require if they lead a relatively normal life getting worked enough, plenty of turnout and ad lib forage, if they stand about doing nothing it does not mean they are bored they just have less need to be stimulated than we seem to nowadays.
 
be positive said:
I gave this a bit more thought while pottering about outside and concluded that once again "we" are trying too hard to keep our horses happy by overstimulating them, most are more than content to eat, sleep, stand looking into the distance and switch off, we can see this as boredom and want to fill in their spare time with activities that they just don't require if they lead a relatively normal life getting worked enough, plenty of turnout and ad lib forage, if they stand about doing nothing it does not mean they are bored they just have less need to be stimulated than we seem to nowadays.
Click to expand...

A bit like some of today's children... surely horses' every waking hour should be filled with dressage, SJ and XC lessons and when they've finished those they can go and do some Equine Pilates followed by theory lessons on how to wow the judges then back home to have their dinner followed by homework and telly with educational radio left on all night? (lack of punctuation is deliberate!)

Feeling facetious.....
 
I really dont see how music can be calming on horses, its not natural is it? They'd never hear music in the wild and even if some did like music. Im assuming certain horses would like certain music like people? I wouldn't ever play music to my horses personally.
 
We used to have a quiet radio on the yard, more for the staff while they mucked out and did the usual routine but also to help acclimatize the show ponies to various noises, it always got turned off at the end of the day though, I can't imagine the horses would have liked it left on all night.
 
I can honestly say the only time I have left a radio on overnight was for the first 2 days of weaning. As although I couldn't hear foal (he'd been moved to another yard just down the road) I'm sure she could from time to time so left radio on a low volume just incase. She seemed to settle once it was on, so wroked from that point of view but would probably wind her up more in normal circumstances as she'd need to keep looking out of her stable door to check the others are still there! lol

I wouldn't leave a mains operated one on overnight because of fire risks.
 
Kaimar said:
If you're usually the first there, could you also manage to be the last there, OP? And switch off the radio on your way out, like any right minded person would?
Click to expand...

Sadly not - it's usually her. But there's a couple of other liveries who I know have turned it off. Apparently the radio 'comforts' horses.
 
Nicnac said:
A bit like some of today's children... surely horses' every waking hour should be filled with dressage, SJ and XC lessons and when they've finished those they can go and do some Equine Pilates followed by theory lessons on how to wow the judges then back home to have their dinner followed by homework and telly with educational radio left on all night? (lack of punctuation is deliberate!)

Feeling facetious.....
Click to expand...

Well that timetable would certainly shift some weight off my fatty. I'll organise the Pilates instructor first thing Monday & get writing lesson plans. Hay quantities for the fat horse can be tonight's essay - should encourage some debate between my draft horses and the TBs overnight ;-)
 
Apart from the fact it seems to be stressing the horses out, if it happened on our yard the YO wouldn't be very happy with the waste of electricity, does your YO know?
 
SEL said:
Sadly not - it's usually her. But there's a couple of other liveries who I know have turned it off. Apparently the radio 'comforts' horses.
Click to expand...
Could the radio not have a mysterious accident? This would drive me absolutely mental. Radio on quietly during the day is fine, but having it on constantly is ridiculous. This woman is quite clearly an idiot.
 
Last edited:
I use the radio when horses are on box rest .
It's roll is to make it difficult for them to hear what's going on outside the barn .
I have recently had a non stabled horse in plaster for five weeks .
It was caged in a tiny space and at first the doors and windows were kept shut the radio was played 24/7.
In that sort of use its has its roll.
 
HashRouge said:
Could the radio not have a mysterious accident? This would drive me absolutely mental. Radio on quietly during the day is fine, but having it on constantly is ridiculous. This woman is quite clearly an idiot.
Click to expand...

That was my next thought...... I am first on the yard after all. Think the yard cat may get over enthusiastic chasing mice (sorry cat!)
 
I like my radio...but it's for me when i am on my own. My horse couldn't give a monkeys...

Oddly enough contradict myself as will leave the radio on for the dogs when I leave them alone!
 
paddi22 said:
i remeber reading a study about how calming classical music can relax. but a generic radio station has too much talk/ads etc. i absoutely hated being on yards with the radio, used to drive my tb mad.
Click to expand...

If it's the same study I saw, country and western also performed well and no one needs to be subjected to that.
 
criso said:
If it's the same study I saw, country and western also performed well and no one needs to be subjected to that.
Click to expand...
Lol!

I can't stand constant music either. I like natural sounds rather hear a horse fart than listen to some music! We've one woman on the yard who always plays it loud. There are no staff and I don't see why the rest of us have to be subjected to it just because she likes it. Surely that's what iPods and Mvp players are for?
 
I've left it on, on odd nights when there have been heavy fireworks. Constant noise makes sudden bangs less scary, my lad was definitely calmer with it on. However, every night would drive them mad.
 
Nicnac said:
It would drive me mad too! Personally I think it's a fire risk to boot. I isolate the electricity to the yard overnight so it's effectively cut off once 'unplugged'.

My horses 'enjoy' the radio when we are at the yard but wouldn't even consider leaving it on overnight.

I think the last sentence in this study probably answers your question! http://saracen.equinews.com//article/radios-in-the-barn

I also know that students at Hartpury can often research weird and wonderful things by the number of surveys I get asked to fill in - usually to fulfil a course requirement rather than having any scientific basis.
Click to expand...

Fire risk with a radio? My barn has tube lights, a water heater, wifi, CCTV and a steamer on a timer. The radio is the least of my worries!
 
Wow poor ponies! A radio all night I think would be really annoying and not let them sleep.

Only ever used a radio during the day if one of the boys was on box rest, that does work but you have to find the right channel for the horse. I know that might sound nuts but I've tried this with three different horses and each settled with a different sort of music. D loved rock, E liked country and big guy prefers cheesey 80s stuff. No totally not kidding e even bit me when his radio was accidentally left on a rap station for an hour!
 
I've seen a couple of studies on horses and music and the main lesson I got from them was that horses hate jazz (in one experiment with injured horses in a vet hospital the horse that had to listen to jazz actually got worse...) BUT the numbers in these tests are tiny and I can't remember reading that even classical and country were better for horses than silence. And, at a flying guess, I reckon horses find the presence of their best equine friend more calming than silence...
 
Are you saying it's one of the other liveries who leaves it in? I'd be telling her in no uncertain terms that I don't want my horse subjected to 24hour noise and to turn it off when she leaves.

I detest radios on yards at any time, especially if they're tuned to some local commercial station with constant adverts between noisy pop music.

I think the radio might have a nasty accident some time soon!! Superglue in the on/off button is effective. Or try chopping the plug off, that generally works!!!!

Huge no from me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top