Horses laying/resting flat out

[LittleRibbie]

A Big horse farm that I pass daily on my way to work always seems to have about 4 horses laying flat out every day when I pass the pasture. Not having any horses that do that ( mine are always just laying down/sitting up) my stomach is always in knots when I pass that farm. I always have the urge to jump the fence, call out here "horsey horsey" or throw little rocks

to make sure all is well. How about everyone else....does it make you nervous. Gosh forbid when we have a foal here.....I'll never let the poor thing sleep...I hope she sleeps not laying flat out!!

Heidi

 

[targetsmom]

I think this is when it pays to know your horses. I have one that lays flat out like that, and most of the time it just means she is sunning herself or napping so I don't worry at all. But she did it last week in the pasture (unusual) and moved to near the manure (defintiely odd) and not only was I worried, but my foal and gelding would not leave her side at that point. She was checked for temp, gut sounds, appetite, gum color, and everything was normal. A little banamine made her more comfortable. She was back to normal the next day when I got her Lyme Disease results back that she still had Lyme. She is now back on meds and not laying flat out like that.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

[SIZE=8pt]There was in interesting article in a recent miniature horse magazine about sleeping. Flat out sleeping is a sign of relaxation, and they only do it when they feel safe. They go into rem sleep then. According to this article, the boss horse sleeps first while others keep watch. But I have seen all 3 of mine flat out before. It certainly gives me a wierd feeling so see them looking "dead"![/SIZE]

The scariest one for me, was going out in the morning and seeing one laying flat out. I banged the barn door and the feed buckets. The other horses went out, and that one still was flat out. I was just starting to think about how I was going to deal with a dead horse, when he raised up and looked around--Oh, is it morning??? He was a VERY good sleeper!

I got a new hrose recently, and I was so pleased to look out this past week and see him sleeping flat out. I believe that means he is finally feeling safe and comfortable in his surroundings.

 

[Horse Feathers]

When I first got back into horses (had them as a child) about 6 years ago, I KNEW horses never lay flat out for any length of time. Then I got Ice(15 hand paint mare), after freaking out the first couple of months, I have learned she will lay down and take a 1-2 hour nap. The one time she coliced I knew she felt bad by where she was laying and her position, its like having kids(you can tell if they are hurt, sick, or mad by their cry). So yes you sorta get used to it.

 

[Karin - NaKar Miniatures]

My horses lay flat out all the time. Not unusual. I find that when my prego mares get into their last trimester that they spend more time laying flat out. They love to lay that way when the weather is nice.

If I see feet in the air, then I watch to to see if they are rolling for fun or because of a tummy ache.

 

[lilmiraclesfarm]

No it never gets easier to see. I have a gelding about 15 yrs and he always sleeps. My heart drops when I see him in the field laying flat out. I think its easier to see the babies out there sleeping than it is the adults. None of my other guys sleep flat like he does. I lost my other gelding to colic. Found him laying on his side.

 

[maplegum]

That's how both Bailey and Willow sleep. They like to lay flat out on the hill top and it's always around 11am taking in the morning sun.

 

[End Level Farms]

5 out of 6 of my minis do it. My large paint mare and our paint stallion both do it.

VERY SCARY. Even though I KNOW they do it. I keep peeking out the window and checking on them. They only get about 15 minutes if I can see breathing if I cant see breathing I go RUSHING out there.

 

[loveminis]

I love it they mine lay flat out, I know they are happy and comfortable. Ours do it all the time.

 

[Ashley]

I only have one that regularly does it. She is around 30 years old, she also doenst respond when you call her until you get out there. HOwever, I seem to know when something is not right by looking. ONly once have I found her and new something wasnt right, and headed to the barn.(I can see all my pasture from my house).

the other ones only lay out like that in the nice sun in winter or early spring.

 

[MindyLee]

My minis do it all the time, I just yell out to the pastures "DEAD HORSE!" And they all lift their heads a little or hurry up and get up. lol I love messin with them while they sleep.

 

[Humhill]

No, it never gets easier. You'll always have that little stomach drop. Some are awfully heavy sleepers too!! It's funny when they wake up and look around like "What? What? Sleep? Nah, of course I wasn't sleeping...."

 

[ErikaS.]

It ALWAYS freaks me out...for a moment. My three guys are fat, happy, lazy bums that enjoy a snooze in the sun when they can. I've even watched as one of my goat kids hopped up and down on one(he wasn't flat out though) and he barely noticed. For fun I'll try to post the video of that on the photo forum.

 

[SampleMM]

Lying flat out is a common position here.

I'll take that over what my mare Katie does.

She sleeps standing up and then while standing she trips and almost falls repeatedly. This happens

all night long and you could swear that she's going to fall and kill herself.

 

[dannigirl]

First couple of months that we had minis, not one of them layed flat out. Then one morning I go out and one of our favorites is flat out. She even has the top two legs in the air a bit. I call to her--nothing. I go up to her and call from a few feet away--nothing. I can't see her breath or anything. Finally I think--darn, now what do I do? I reach down and grab a leg.

She jumped up, I fell backwards and needless to say, I learned something. Scared the living beegeebers out of both of us. Would have made a funny video.

Now I see them lay that way all the time. Just watch cause usually they will move within 15 minutes or so. If they don't, then I will walk out and see.

 

[barnbum]

Ooops--I wanted to reply on Heidi's other post... sorry!

 

[Connie P]

I have many "flat out" sleepers. I love to see them so comfortable! On the other hand, when hubby is horse sitting he will not allow anyone to lay flat out. He says "no way" Not on my watch. LOL He doesn't get the fact that they are fine - just sleeping.......................

 

[Annabellarose]

I find it incredibly sad to read so many replies from people that claim to deliberately disturb a horse that is laying flat out! That means that a horse feels comfortable and safe in their environment and your disturbing them repeatedly only teaches them not to feel safe. I agree that if your horse doesn't quite look right you check on it and thus disturb it, but, every time? Horses only truly get to their deepest of deep sleep when they are laying down. We don't consider a horse to feel "at home" here until we see it laying flat out.

 

[ropenride]

Both big horses and minis here sleep flat out. They are almost always down around noon. Usually it's the 2 or 3 boss horses first, and then all the rest. Many times there will be one big gelding standing and EVERYONE else flat out, even the minis. That's scary...seeing 20+ horses all flat out!!!

I usually check back in 20-30 minutes. We do have a couple that will sleep flat out for about an hour tho. I am always glad to see that they feel relaxed enough to sleep that way. Just like people, each horse needs different amounts of each sleep stage, and some sleep deeper than others.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

That means that a horse feels comfortable and safe in their environment and your disturbing them repeatedly only teaches them not to feel safe. I agree that if your horse doesn't quite look right you check on it and thus disturb it, but, every time? Horses only truly get to their deepest of deep sleep when they are laying down. We don't consider a horse to feel "at home" here until we see it laying flat out.

Ditto. The idea of someone even thinking about purposely throwing small rocks at a sleeping horse to "make sure they're okay" made my eyes do this

. I know it's always startling to see, but honestly! From the horse's perspective there they are, finally relaxing and getting some much-needed deep shut-eye, and this human comes out of nowhere and startles them awake. On purpose. Repeatedly. Every day. You know there are torture methods based on never letting someone get a deep sleep, right?!

Horses are fairly nocturnal critters who spend much of the night awake so it is only natural for them to get most of their shut-eye in the middle of the day when they can most easily see predators approach and feel safest.

We too have the joke of "dead horse" at our house- Kody always lays flat out in the sun at the same time every day and I saw Turbo flopped in his stall for the first time two days ago. So cute!

Leia