Horses prefer classical and country music over most other genres. Studies measuring heart rate, breathing, and behavior consistently show that horses relax when listening to slow or moderate-tempo music with steady, predictable rhythms. Rock and jazz, by contrast, tend to stress them out.
Classical Music Has the Strongest Evidence
Classical music is the most studied genre in equine research, and the results are remarkably consistent. Horses exposed to classical music show reduced alertness behavior, increased relaxation, and lower physiological stress markers. Racehorses in particular appear to enter more positive emotional states when classical music is playing in their stables.
The physical effects are measurable. Horses listening to moderate-tempo music show a drop in heart rate, which reflects a shift in their nervous system toward the “rest and recovery” mode. Slow-tempo music produces a decrease in respiratory rate, meaning the horses breathe more deeply and slowly, the same pattern you’d see in a calm, resting animal. These aren’t fleeting changes either. Horses maintained lower heart rates and slower breathing for at least 30 minutes after the music stopped, suggesting the calming effect lingers well beyond the playlist.
Country Music Works Too
Country music is the other genre horses respond to positively. In a study at Hartpury College involving eight Thoroughbreds stabled for eight hours, horses listening to country music displayed calm, relaxed behavior similar to what researchers saw with classical music. The genre’s relatively steady tempo and simpler instrumentation likely explain why horses tolerate it well. That said, one student-led study found that neither country nor rock music significantly affected heart rate after exercise, so the calming benefit may be most noticeable in resting horses rather than ones already physiologically aroused.
Rock and Jazz Increase Stress
The same Hartpury College study observed clear signs of distress when rock and jazz were played. Horses stomped, tossed their heads, snorted, and vocalized more frequently. They also snatched at their food rather than eating normally, a behavioral sign of agitation.
The likely culprits are volume, complexity, and unpredictability. Rock music tends to be loud and layered, with multiple instruments competing for attention at once. Jazz is rhythmically irregular, with sudden shifts in dynamics and tempo. Brass instruments like trumpets produce sharp, piercing tones. For an animal whose survival instincts are tuned to detect sudden loud sounds, these qualities create an unsettling environment rather than a soothing one.
Why Tempo and Rhythm Matter Most
Genre labels are a useful shorthand, but what actually matters to a horse is tempo and rhythmic predictability. Horses are rhythmic animals by nature. Their walk and trot follow an isochronous pattern, meaning each footfall is evenly spaced in time, like a ticking clock. Even the canter, their most complex gait, follows simple integer ratios (1:1, 1:2, 2:1) rather than irregular timing. Music with a steady, predictable beat aligns with the rhythmic patterns horses already produce and respond to in their own bodies.
Moderate-tempo music (think a relaxed walking pace) lowers heart rate most effectively. Slow-tempo music has the strongest effect on breathing rate. Both work, and combining the two in a playlist that stays within a calm, steady range gives you the best of both effects. What you want to avoid is anything with sudden tempo changes, heavy percussion, or unpredictable bursts of sound.
Horses Hear More Than You Do
Horses can detect ultrasonic frequencies up to at least 25,000 Hz, well above the roughly 20,000 Hz ceiling of human hearing. Their large, mobile ears are designed to pick up faint sounds from a distance, which means they’re also more sensitive to volume than we are. Music that sounds moderate to you in a barn aisle could feel intense to a horse standing a few feet from the speaker.
Noise assessments at Flemington Racecourse, where concerts are sometimes held near horse stables, recommended that sound levels in stabling areas not exceed 65 decibels. That’s roughly the volume of a normal conversation. Fireworks and other sudden loud bangs were specifically prohibited. If you’re playing music in a stable, trailer, or arena, keeping the volume at a comfortable conversational level is a good rule of thumb.
Practical Tips for Playing Music Around Horses
If you want to use music to help a horse relax in the stable, during grooming, or while trailering, a few simple guidelines will serve you well:
- Stick to classical or country. These are the two genres with the most evidence behind them. Soft pop or acoustic folk with a steady beat is a reasonable alternative, though less studied.
- Choose slow to moderate tempos. Anything that feels like a calm walking pace. Avoid fast, driving beats.
- Keep the volume low. Aim for no louder than 65 decibels, about the level of a quiet conversation. In enclosed spaces like trailers, even lower is better.
- Avoid sudden changes. Skip tracks with dramatic crescendos, heavy bass drops, or abrupt transitions. Consistency is what calms a horse down.
- Watch your horse’s response. Relaxed ears, a lowered head, soft eyes, and slow chewing are all good signs. Head tossing, stomping, snorting, or pacing mean the music (or volume) isn’t working.
The calming effects persist after the music stops, so you don’t need to run it constantly. Even 20 to 30 minutes of the right music can leave a horse in a noticeably more relaxed state for some time afterward.