This horse loves headbanging to Slipknot, Pantera and Ozzy Osbourne
“She will literally headbang to the music. She’s on beat almost every time!”
![[L-R] Slipknot's Corey Taylor and a horse](https://guitar.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Slipknot-Horse@2000x1500.jpg)
Credit: Carlos Castro/Europa Press via Getty Images [L], Justin Casterline/2024 Getty Images [R]
While heavy metal might not float the boat of every beast in the animal kingdom – like the bear who couldn’t be ushered out of the tree by playing Black Sabbath loudly from a drone – some develop a strange affinity for the genre.
Take Pretty Runaway, for example, a Canadian racehorse which has developed a keen interest in anything with distorted guitars and hard-hitting drums, headbanging on cue whenever she hears them. Groomer Autumn Purdy has been documenting Pretty Runaway’s Rock Horse reviews on TikTok, and it seems when it’s not rock or metal, she’s not bothered.
In a recent interview with CBC News‘ The National, Purdy explains how she discovered Pretty Runaway’s affinity for metal. “We picked a common modern country song versus a pretty well-known Pantera song and we did a test to see which one she’d like better,” she recalls.
@emilyautumnmoto Replying to @Alex Hooft inside for our routine vaccines (the abuse i know 🙄) Sorry @morganwallen , @Pantera WINS
“We played the country song and she physically turned her butt to me and didn’t have a care in the world, ate her hay,” she explains. “We carried on and played some Pantera, she turned right around, instant headbang. Stop the music, she stops. Turn the metal back on, headbang.”
She goes on: “We’ve had a super great reaction to bands like Slipknot, Pantera and even some Ozzy Osbourne, like super-heavy bass, lots of guitar, lots of rhythm,” Purdy says. “She will literally headbang to the music. She’s on beat almost every time!”
@emilyautumnmoto Slipknot is 100/10! @Slipknot
Slipknot seems to be Pretty Runaway’s favourite metal band of the bunch, earning a mighty 100/10. Elsewhere, Motörhead and Rob Zombie both scored a hearty 10/10.
But not every metal band has it easy. Elsewhere, Disturbed got a shaky 6/10. Rage Against The Machine are currently bottom of the barrel, getting a rather disinterested 4/10.
@emilyautumnmoto Maybe the chorus is better #rockhorse
Some may dispute Pretty Runaway’s harsher opinions, but we’re sure her critical insight will be valuable for metal bands the world over.
“As far as I’m concerned, the most reputable way of reviewing music is through this Rock Horse!” Purdy insists.