Headbanging horse rocks out to heavy metal and people are loving it
"Now that's a rocking horse!"

This horse knows how to rock.
There are rocking horses, and there are horses who ROCK. And Pretty Runaway, the racehorse-slash-headbanging-heavy metal-fan from Ontario, is definitely the latter.
Pretty has been going viral for her love of bands like Rob Zombie, Motörhead, Rage Against The Machine, Slipknot, Rammstein and Drowning Pool—as indicated by her vigorous head bobs anytime her caretaker, Autumn Purdy, starts to play one of their songs.
As for her favorite band…that honor might belong to Shinedown.Just take a look at what happens when Purdy turns on the speaker and the music begins to play. There’s no denying it, Pretty is groovin’.
@emilyautumnmoto @Shinedown is 1000/10 @Lauri Norris we have your horse 🤘🏻🐴 #rockhorse ♬ original sound - Autumn Purdy
“She goes hard,” one viewer wrote on TikTok.
“Someone bring that horse to a Shinedown concert,” another added.
A third wrote,, "now that's a rocking horse!"
Horses might bob their heads up and down for a variety of reasons. According to Strathorn Farms’ website, it could have a negative connotation, such as head bobbing to alleviate pain. But it can also indicate excitement and enthusiasm. As Purdy suggests, it’s good to take the individual horse personality into the equation when making an assessment.
It wasn’t long before Pretty’s viral fame made her the star of several news segments, where Purdy shared that music is often a part of morning chores at the stables. And one day Purdy noticed the horse showed a definite preference for rock. The harder and heavier, the better.
“She will literally head bang to the music. She’s on beat nearly every time,” Purdy tells CBC news.
Pretty soon, fans and bands alike began requesting that Pretty “review” songs, which Purdy jokes is the “most reputable way of reviewing music.” Couldn’t agree more.
Purdy says she’s tried other genres, like country. But Pretty always responds by turning and giving her butt.
@emilyautumnmoto Replying to @Alex Hooft inside for our routine vaccines (the abuse i know 🙄) Sorry @morganwallen , @Pantera ♬ original sound - Autumn Purdy
Funny enough, Pretty might be an outlier among her species on this one. A study performed by researchers at Hartpury College in England found that horses preferred the calmer sounds of classical and country more than they did rock and jazz.
Overall, the jury is still out on just how horses perceive music. While a few studies have been done to determine whether or not horses could pick up a beat, there isn’t enough to reach a full scientific verdict. Still, those who deal with horses seem to have no trouble believing that their equine companions do understand rhythm. And just looking at Pretty, it sure seems real enough.
To keep on rockin’ out with Pretty, follow her on TikTok here
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."