I guess I'm just old. I ride a bunch of horses every day and I don't keep a phone on me nor do I listen to music. I really enjoy listening to the birds and wildlife. I also want to hear my horse's foot fall and how he's breathing. I want to feel how he's moving and responding, whether I'm out checking cattle, ponying or I'm in the arena. I also do a lot of "soaking" (just sitting on the horse after they've done something good ), I can't read and feel my horse accurately if I've got earbuds and music in my ear. 
That's just me though, I'm not normal anyway ;-)

I'm the same, I love nature and when I'm riding I just want to soak it all in and love the sound's that my horses make, I'm just in my own little world. Nothing can take the place of nature in my books, heck I dont even listen to the radio much when I'm driving, I just have alot going on in my mind and dont need any more things swimming around in my head, lol. 

And edited to add: I want to know whats going on around me, being from McAllen/Edinburg I have learn to pay attention to my surroundings and be on alert.. 

1000% Agree!!!

If you like to sing with the music while riding make sure that none of the music has a word that sounds like WHOA !!!! Trust me----it can get ugly when a horse slams on the brakes completely unexpected while I am enjoying my jam. LOL

I listent to music or podcasts all the time while riding. I usually just play it over my phone and have my phone in my pocket.  If you wanted to use headphones, get a pair of Afterschokz brand.  They are more expensive, but sit on your ears, not in your ears, and lets you hear all the outside noise at the same time. I use them for running, and can hear the cars and everything around me. 

I quit using earbuds and just listen to Pandora on speaker.  Occassionally, I won't listen to music at all.  Those horses know the track around the 25 acre pasture so well that any little thing out of place, and they alert me. Even before their ears perk up, I can feel when they are on alert.  We let a neighbor keep 8-9 heifers there but otherwise it's just typically a little boring routine. If a donkey suddenly pops his head out of the brush next door, or a rabbit runs, or something like that, it will get a little exciting for a second or two, but I can tell what's coming a split second ahead of time, even with music.  

Yep, I live about 100 miles north of Edinburg. We are surrounded by farm land and on the west side of us is a little subdivision. I have seen drug mules walking my fence line to the neighborhood. About a mile away is a little creek with brush and you see cars parked on the bridge waiting to pick up illegals early in the morning or late at night. A friend even had one of the illegals wave a bandanna at him thinking he was a coyote. So, no music for me. Lots of drugs and illegals are moved through our surrounding little towns. 

Ditto... we have geese and deer, and sometimes even coyotes.. I just like to hear things too... but I do listen to my music from my pocket.. it's loud enough I can still hear everything else, but can sing along.. 

One of my horses is more relaxed and less looky with music playing over the phone speaker. He has his own play list with the kind of music he likes. 

I would just do one ear bud or listen from the speaker on your phone.  Then you can be more aware of your surroundings.  I let my son listen to music while conditioning (he is 12) if he has it on speaker as long as he can hear me.  I listen to music a lot when I ride.