Horse trainers have been known to play classical music for their animals in the hours leading up to a big event. That “event” could be as simple as a visiting Kindergarten classroom field trip, or as big as the Kentucky Derby.
Classical music has been shown to improve performance and just make the animals feel at ease. If you are a person who enjoys wagering at the best horse racing picks by TwinSpires, you might wonder if a specific horse has pedigree. It might have a strong record and excellent prospects. But how does it feel about Bach?
It sounds a little folky—like singing to a plant to make it grow—but the science is real. Why does classical music calm horses? Find out below.
Classical Music Benefits Overview
Classical music is beneficial to horses because it reduces cortisol levels in their brain. Actually, almost any time you hear about a hack for stress management—be it directed at humans or equines—you are probably learning about a cortisol reduction program of some kind. Cortisol, paired with adrenaline, is the chemical behind the fight-or-flight reflex. It alerts the body that there is a problem and, when levels spike high enough, strongly encourages it to do something to change the situation.
Cortisol is not exactly a bad thing. It’s even necessary to wake up in the morning. But when the levels accumulate high enough, it can trigger feelings of stress or anxiety even when nothing bad is happening. Horses can benefit from soothing activities like classical music before and after a stressful event.
What a horse considers stressful might be very different than what makes a human anxious or worried. It’s important to keep in mind that they live in an eternal present of sorts, with no significant expectation of what is to happen in the future. When their norm is disrupted, even by something small—a dog barking, a child showing up to ride it—that can be stressful. Being transported to a race is stressful. Being placed in an arena with 150,000 people shouting is stressful. That last one is probably enough to make most humans feel off-kilter, too.
When stressors are introduced, classical music is an easy way to help bring the horse back down to its emotional baseline.
Improved Recovery
Horses that are listening to classical music also recover physically from stressful situations faster. The same studies that have shown classical music reduces stress in the animals also indicate that it helps lower their heart rate faster. That might sound trivial, but extreme exposure to stress has been shown to have long-term or even fatal consequences for horses. In 2024, a horse died from stress caused by 4th of July fireworks. Even when an accelerated heart rate does not lead immediately to death or serious consequences, it puts a lot of stress on the body, which can have a cumulative effect down the road.
These physiological benefits translate to improved performance over time, particularly for competition horses that face frequent stressors. Additionally, horses exposed to classical music regularly show better immune function, which helps prevent common stress-related illnesses.
This is an indirect benefit of reducing stress. Cortisol, though helpful in context, is meant to spike only in bursts. When it’s active for too long, it can suppress immune function and result in higher levels of illness and disease.
Does it have to be Classical Music?
Yes. The studies that have confirmed the benefits described to this point specifically highlight the benefits of classical music. This, because the softer, quieter tones activate the body’s parasympathetic nervous system in ways that rock or rap do not. This article about horses listening to Bach is getting more scientific than you expected, isn’t it?
The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for what experts call the “rest and digest” response. Basically, the opposite of “fight or flight.” It’s time the body needs to reduce unnecessary stress, calm the heartbeat, and digest food.
Naturally, to say that all classical music is perfect for this application would be incorrect. Some classical songs are loud and fast-paced, not at all arranged with stress reduction in mind. Might those songs really be better than, say, soft indie folk? Maybe not. On balance, though, listening consistently to classical music has been shown to be more effective than any other genre.
All of this said, listening to classical music for horses, or for humans, is not a perfect cure-all. However, in an age of “wellness,” when so many stress reduction strategies involve total lifestyle overhauls, this recommendation is pretty accessible.
The key to happiness? Live like a horse. Eat oats. Run fast. Seek open pastures. And at the end of a day filled with cortisol, give your parasympathetic nervous system a little love. Turn on some classical music, rest, and digest.