Singing to your horse?

[dwi]

Diva12 and I were discussing the songs that people sing to their horses and wondered what other people sing?

Her new horse was a bit stressy to bring in at night so I took to singing Away in a Manger to her. She's nice and calm now but I'm not stopping the singing now just in case although we think we should possibly broaden the repertoire now we're in the new year.

I also sing Run Rabbit and Nellie the Elephant for trot and canter work, any other suggestions for these?

We reckoned that if we're going to be "Those slightly odd new girls" we might as well do it in style and give the yard gossips something to really talk about.

 

[Cobbysmum]

We used to have a horse we had to sing to when jumping, otherwise it just used to go faster and faster! The singing really used to work.

 

[simplyhunting]

I guilty of singing with the horses
Usually anything that in the charts

I find it gets my boy listening to me a bit more rather than planning ways to dump me and chills them out more when passing scary stuff

works for me

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

I sing all sorts to Seren when out hacking, just whatever comes in my head, for some reason, 'wide open space' by manson often crops up!! My friends think I am bonkers anyway

 

[Echo Bravo]

If I sing the horses demand ear plugs, giant size

 

[devilwoman]

We used to have a very nervous girl on our yard who easily got unnerved when riding - so each time she got worried on hacks we got her to sing "how much is that doggy in the window" it stuck - each of us even though have moved on to different yards still use that as our calming down song lol,

 

[Mike007]

I used to sing to lance when travelling. His favourite was ""Brown horse in the box" by Boney M.

 

[FanyDuChamp]

Elizabeth sings "I feel pretty, Oh so pretty" to Cappy and because she has always sung it since we have had him it calms him almost immediately.

 

[wipeout]

I am often heard singing "whenever I feel afraid" at competitions and my friend sings "we're walking in the air"

Great. Apart from we compete in Pairs Trec competitions and the songs don't really go together!!!

 

[Ashleigh_]

I think i'm going to give this a try next time i get nervous! Interesting post thanks girls

xx

 

[LauraWheeler]

I always sing to my horses. I used to sing when showjumping to make me breath otherwise i hold my breath for the entire round.

When i first bought lucy she was dangours and i was told to have her shot. I used to sing a song entitled They shoot horses don't they, every time she tried to kill me hoping she understood the words. (I don't think it was that that calmed her down eventualy but it made me feel better at the time).
Now i just sing randomly I was cantering across the forest oneday singing born free at the top of my voice. Lucy was going faster and faster (to get away from the awful noise i think) there where two ladys on horses admiring the veiw and probably the peace behind a gourse bush they gave me such a funny look

 

[cbeebies]

I think if I started singing to my boys they would get freaked out rather than settled

 

[Dirty_D]

I used to sing Mardybum by Arctic Monkeys to my first horse, not so much to calm him or me down but more to show his personality!

 

[CaleruxShearer]

I do it all the time, I was first taught to do it when I was swimming quite competivley. We were taught to sing in our heads in order to keep rythmn and not just panic and start madly thrashing! It really really worked and so now I do it when I ride. I tend to do it more when I'm jumping than anything else but I do occasionally ride with my ipod in (Yes I know..) but I do find it helps though.

 

[Bert&Maud]

"The Grand Old Duke of York" is great for settling an irregular trot!

 

[Natch]

Anything that can be sung at the top of my voice and out of tune usually works to scare off any small children and unsuspecting dog walkers in the area

Christmas carols of course, went through a phase of vengaboys and take that. Nowadays tend to stick to the more boring "can-ter, can-ter, can-ter" "woah, woah, woah" or "sheeeeeeeeeetttt you're strong today you little *********!"

 

[brighthair]

I make my own words up to songs!!!

like "Oh pony, you're being such an idiot, la la la!!!"

 

[Gorgeous George]

I sing when I am hacking if there is anything scary/ spooky as it keeps me calm and probably terrifies George into behaving!! It's usually christmas carols even in the summer as it's the only songs I know the words to!!

 

[puddleshark]

I was told that singing out loud helps stop you holding your breath, and that if you hold your breath, so does the horse!
I sing Irish folk songs to my mare on spooky days & the way her ears go backwards and forwards is comical - I suspect she's wincing when I hit the high notes...

 

[a_e_d]

I mostly sing Cant Take My Eyes Off You, adapting the words to fit Andy!! I do widen my repetoire at times, and Andy seems to quite like most of it, except when I screech - he particularly took offence to Loving You (the high bits)!!
It relaxes me, and also relaxes him I think and it takes our minds off all the sitting trot we have been doing lately