| Do animals have musical rhythm? Indeed they do. | | | | who have suffered mental and emotional pain |
| People aren't the only ones who love music. | | | | from grief, loneliness, abandonment, abuse or |
| Four-legged animals have a sense of rhythm too, | | | | trauma helps them to handle their painful feelings |
| and they often hold strong opinions about the | | | | more easily. |
| kinds of music they want to hear! | | | | When workers at the West Hatch Animal Shelter |
| When two staff members at the Bronx Zoo | | | | in England began playing music for their animals, |
| disagreed on whether or not animals are affected | | | | they discovered that the dogs relaxed to the |
| by music, they decided to test their beliefs by | | | | Baroque strains of Mozart but became nervous |
| playing different kinds of music to several | | | | and agitated when rock music began to play. This |
| different species of animals in their care. | | | | is actually a fairly common finding, and explains |
| Here's what they found:o Though initially wary of | | | | why many dressage riders love riding their horses |
| the record player, the elephants soon gathered | | | | to Baroque music such as Mozart and Bach. |
| round and began flapping their ears in time to | | | | Researchers have found that the consistent |
| ragtime music, occasionally raising their trunks to | | | | rhythms used by Baroque composers helps |
| trumpet a note or two.o The lions absolutely | | | | improve concentration and increase calm in |
| loved it. One even stood on his hind legs and | | | | people, so it's perfectly logical that animals would |
| punched the air with his front paws in time to the | | | | respond in the same way. Whatever the reason, |
| music.o While listening to "Get a Hoop and Roll it | | | | the shelter workers report that the atmosphere |
| Away" a tiger acted exactly like a housecat high | | | | in the kennels is definitely quieter now. |
| on catnip, rolling on his back with an expression of | | | | In a natural environment, loud, sudden or |
| pure ecstasy. When the music stopped, his look | | | | unexpected sounds usually signal danger. The |
| changed to one of disgust and he growled and | | | | dependable rhythm in Baroque music, which |
| walked away.o One of the camels-all of whom | | | | alternates between groups of two beats and |
| responded with obvious pleasure to the very | | | | groups of three beats, suggests peaceful |
| upbeat tune "The Campbells Are Coming"-literally | | | | conditions and encouraging relaxation and a feeling |
| wept at the sound of a sad ballad, tears | | | | of safety. |
| streaming down his huge nose during the entire | | | | Finally, a study done by intuitive animal |
| time it played. | | | | communicator Dr. |
| Playing soothing and beautiful music for animals | | | | |