Violinist Ray Chen plays a beautiful serenade for two horses

20 August 2020, 16:48 | Updated: 20 August 2020, 16:51

Watch these horses react to Vivaldi‘s ’Winter‘ from the Four Seasons

In a neigh-bourly act (sorry), Chen serenades horses in honour of “all the bow hairs I’ve broken”.

Violinist Ray Chen has posted a video in which he performs “a serenade to the horses for all the bow hairs I’ve broken”.

To start with, can we just applaud that caption? Not enough is done to acknowledge the time and emotion horses put into providing bow hairs, and to give solidarity in this way sends a powerful message. ‘Onya Ray.

^ We're not being glib here. For those of you, like us, wondering where horse hair for bows comes from – and more importantly if horses are harmed in the acquisition of bow hair – we're reassured by reliable sources that a) horses aren't injured when their tail hair is cut for bows (it's the same as getting a new do at the hairdresser) and b) most bow hair is gathered as a byproduct from deceased animals.

In the video, which has been viewed nearly 100,000 times on Facebook in less than 24 hours, Chen stands in the middle of a field and performs a solo version of the slow movement from Vivaldi’s ‘Winter’ from the Four Seasons to two onlooking horses – and their reactions are priceless. Watch the wonderful interaction in the video above.

The horse closest to us seems rather affected by the music, and after swinging its neck and pointing its ears to Chen’s sweet string strains, starts to nod its head as if in appreciation.

The second horse – a beautiful piebald with a striking white face – stares transfixed and even reverses in utter awe at one point. We can say with certainty that this one’s definitely been left, um, speechless.

By the hairs in our glossy manes and tails, we don’t deserve Ray – and we don’t deserve these beautiful horses.

Neigh-men (sorry (again)).