No more tranquil music for horses
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A woman who plays classical music to her horses to keep them calm has been told she must pay for a public performance license.
Rosemary Greenway has been playing passages of opera and orchestral symphonies on the radio to the animals at her stables for more than 20 years, convinced that it helps soothe them.
But at the Malthouse Equestrian Centre in Bushton, Wiltshire, England there will be no more music, and perhaps some very nervous horses now residing there.
Because her stables employ more than two people, she received a telephone call from the Performing Right Society which has been targeting stables as part of a drive to get commercial premises to pay for the music played around the barn.
In defense, a spokeswoman for the society said: “Of course, we don’t ask people to pay for music played to animals. “Mrs Greenway was only asked to pay for music played for staff, like any other workplace.”
The radio is now turned off except for Sunday when there are no staff at the stable yard.
It has long been thought that music helps to calm anxious animals.
Last year a study at Belfast Zoo found evidence that playing Elgar, Puccini and Beethoven to elephants helped reduce stress related behaviours such as swaying, pacing and tossing their trunks.
Perhaps the Malthouse Equestrian Centre might consider purchasing some soothing CDs to calm any horses that have become anxious over this “no radio” ruling.
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Link: Have A Spooky Horse? Try Tchaikovsky!
Okay, this is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. She’s just got to get the CD’s instead. Wonder how they could even enforce this nonsense, isn’t a radio supposed to be listened to?
That is just ridiculous!! Honestly, whose the joker who makes these rules. It will be interesting to see if there are any obvious changes in the horses.
I almost cant even believe that stuff…no-really..is she gonna get a ticket?
We play classical and ride to it all the time..it is very soothing..Oregon has NOT gone THAT far yet!
KacyK
I wish that they’d contact our barn owner in England, who plays a dreadful radio station best suited to truckers and factory workers non-stop! Some classical CDs would be much nicer, and would calm the horses (and riders) so much more than blaring pop music separated by adverts for car dealerships and discount consumer goods.
But it’s true that such moneygrabbing is absolutely normal in Britain where corporations are determined to extract every last cent from people during a recession. We’ve spent three months now trying to get the phone company to repay $300 that they overcharged us. All the shops charge more, yet at work I’m told that there is “deflation” so we’re lucky not to get our pay cut!
Let the music spread around ..especially to please our pets ……..