# How often does your horse lie down?



## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

I have a bit of a hang-up about my horses lying down due to some sad past experiences. So now I see my 6 year old Stdbd lying down during the day and I get all nervous about it. I keep telling myself: It's a good thing. She's relaxed. Don't fret it... but I do. Other than that, she seem fine. So I think I just need some input from other horses to calm me down. Surely there are other horses that just love to relax as much as she does?

So the 6yr old lies down, oh, 1 - 3 times a day. The other one, 9 yrs old, lies down maybe, *maybe* once a week.


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## Ryle (Jul 13, 2007)

Horses should lie down and sleep daily--they need REM sleep just like we do and they can only get this while laying down. It is not uncommon at all for horses to lay down at least once daily and often more than that if they are full, content and feel comfortable in their surroundings. 

I know that if I go out at 11 am daily my horses will be laying down and napping unless it raining at that time.


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## PalominoStarsky (Dec 18, 2008)

I am very paranoid about that. We lost our last horse this past year from colic, so when we got Starsky, we freaked out the first few nights we had him. He lays down all the time, especially in his stall at night. My husband or I will go out 30 minutes and an hour after we feed since we are so worried about him. Nothing is wrong with him, he just is the type of horse who likes to lay down and roll.


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

Both my horses lie down, but I know what you mean about getting nervous. Sometimes, especially in the summer, one or both will be laying down for a while, totally on their sides and enjoying the warmth. I always think the worse until they finally get up. 

I'd say they probably lay down 2 - 4 times a day.


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## brittany (Nov 9, 2008)

My two babies love to lay down every morning and sunbathe...I get paranoid about this as well, but since they do it every day and they're babies I just figure they like to take naps a lot


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## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

In the summer, mine sunbathe a lot, but during the rest of the year they don't lie down often at all, just to sleep for a bit every day...


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## My Beau (Jan 2, 2009)

You might just not be seeing your other horse lay down, maybe he prefers laying down at dusk/early morning/or a time when you are normally sleeping. The standardbred just perfers late morning, a time when you are around.


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

Gee, I feel better already... I *know* I'm paranoid now, but still nice to hear. Maybe I should be paranoid about the one who I never see lying down LOL!

Anyone else?


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

northernmama,

Mine also love to roll at least once a day, especially in fresh snow.
First the mare, who rolls all the way over, then the gelding rolls in the same spot, only he never rolls all the way over, has to get up and switch sides. It's just part or their normal behavior. I've accepted it now.


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## minihorse927 (Aug 11, 2008)

I know mine are all asleep at about 1-2 in the afternoon and then again they sleep at various times throughout the day. If I feed extra early for some reason then I catch all of them very blurry eyed and asleep.


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

Walkamile -- it's not the rolling the bothers me. It's the lying down. And as I keep telling myself, I *know* it's a good thing, I've just got to get over it. I used to get such peace watching the horses soaking in the sun, but now I just stress over it. Maybe after this summer I'll be all good again. I do feel less paranoid already just hearing the other horses lie down to sleep three and four times a day too.

Ryle -- I just realized that Jade tends to do this in the late morning too -- just as the sun is starting to warm up... about -- 11 AM!

OK. OK. I'll get over it already! Thanks everyone!


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

mine lay down in shifts. There will be at least one up while the rest lay down... but they seem to take at least 2 naps a day, one a couple hours after breakfast and then a late afternoon one. At night they will lay down and sleep too...


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## babyruth1984 (Dec 15, 2008)

my mare poops in the center of her stall so that durring the day she can lay down and sleep with her back against the stall. She sleeps for a few hours durring the day and then is wide awake at night. The BO sent me a video message on my phone a couple nights ago of my horse and 2 others running and playing like they were foals again, this was at 1 in the morning.


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## Dumas'_Grrrl (Apr 2, 2008)

Dumas and Twister would lay down nearly EVERY morning at 10:30, like clockwork!
(this was their BIG SLEEP) They would lay down again around 7pm, like an evening nap.

Then if you went out really late, like 1-2am, they would be laying down again.

You're a good mommie!!!! It's ok to worry a tad, just remember they need naps too!!!


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## Jubilee Rose (May 28, 2008)

Oh my goodness! I know exactly how you feel. Ever since Jubilee colicked a month or two ago, I get nervous too. I'm not really sure how many times she lays down because I'm not there all the time to see, but I know she loves to sunbathe. I just hate seeing her lay down because all the horribleness about colic comes flooding back to me. :shock:


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## Lucara (Apr 5, 2008)

Sammy would lay down periodically at night. This was the major reason that I was adamant about having him stalled at night. He always looked so innocent when he was sleeping..and then he woke up...and tried to eat me..repeatedly. Ahh I miss my baby!


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

Yeah, it is normal for them to lie down from time to time.  I can understand you getting worried about it, though. & that's not always a bad thing- it's good to be prepared!  Daytona doesn't lay down that much, though.


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## kchfuller (Feb 1, 2008)

Maddy sleeps laying down .. i only know b/c she is so dirty in the am lol


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

Thanks everyone. 

I keep watching for stiffness or pain. Everytime I see her down, I wait around until she gets up just so I can watch! Today she lied down twice that I saw. Still haven't seen the other one sleep since about a month ago!


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## PiggyPablo (Jan 17, 2009)

The only time mine lay down (when it's not an emergency that is) is when they are sunbathing, taking a rest early in the morning (when I see my big guy laying down) and that's about it.


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## peace love and paints (Nov 10, 2008)

all of my horses lay down in the mourning at about 11:00 including my neighbors so when i look outside and see a ton of sleepy heads. my horses and the neighbors tend to sleep all together on either side of the fence. later on throughout the day the babies sleep. usually the older mares just stand around watching the babies or sometimes they'll take a nap with them. 


before i sold my stallion i'd wake up every mourning at about 6:00 and find him asleep in some uneaten hay.


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## G and K's Mom (Jan 11, 2008)

Ours lay down every night in their stalls. Once in blue moon one of them will have an afternoon nap, but not often.


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## toosexy4myspotz (Oct 7, 2007)

I know how you feel about them lying down because i was always told that it is very unatural. However I have found out threw the years that if a horse feels like it is safe and there is another one watching out they lay down alot more frequently. Poco lays down the majority of the night in his stall and during the day its not uncommon for me to come to the barn and he ge lying down. At the old place I used to board at we had kind of a ditch in the field where there used to be a creek. It took me forever to find Poco one day. I could see him anywhere, he wasnt coming to my whistle, which is not like him whatsoever. He was laying down completely flat in the ditch. He was zonked. I was literally right up on him freaking out before he even realized I was there and then he just looked at me like "uh, you woke me up for what?" It took me a long time before I got used to him laying down alot. He also does it if he gets cold or runs out of hay.


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

Ha, Jade was so funny today... she was napping and her nose kept falling into the snow as her head dropped. Everytime her nose hit the snow, she'd wake up -- like one of those old mockingbird toys! 

See I'm getting better -- I can see some humour in this now. Thanks again all.


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

Just a word of caution... Make sure it is normal for your horse to lie down. My arab was very sick recently, and we only picked up on it because he was lying down during the day. It turned out he had kidney stones, and mild colic because of the stones. Numerous call outs and 3 nights spent at the vets house later he was finally ok. So just make sure that its normal behaviour for your horse.


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

Ya, uh huh... that's what I needed to hear. Trust me. I've been through that already... hence my paranoia. There is no "normal" for her yet... she came off the track about 8 months ago. Seems like every third day there is something new still. This is her first winter in the "real" world.

I don't see any stiffness in her movements; her personality is the same; she frolicks; eats well; drinks well; has started putting on a bit more weight again (not that she's terribly thin, just needs some "rounding"). I can't tell about her under saddle because she hasn't had a lot of time under saddle and that only at a walk 90% of the time. Occassional trot and never cantered yet under saddle. So, I've gotta just be still dealing with issues... I appreciate your concern, but that's just put me back to where I was at the start of this thread. I'm SUCH a dough-head!


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## Dumas'_Grrrl (Apr 2, 2008)

Something I was going to add earlier... My horses didn't sleep at night much( they weren't stalled) We have too many night creatures for them to sleep comfortably (like oodles of coyotes) so they slept more during the day. I was just thinking that you're girlie may not be too keen on the owls and other night critters so she's nodding off during the day more, well that and it's colder at night, so she may be busy keeping warm by moving about. Then she gets sleepy in the sunshine of the day and naps.

The snow thing is SO funny!!! I can just imagine! :lol: that sleepy eyed look like, huh? what? every time her nose touched the snow!!! :lol:

She's doing great!!! Be patient, spring is coming and she'll be fetlock deep in lush green grass and loving you to pieces!!!


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

Oh i'm sorry northernmumma :[ I didn't mean to make you paranoid again...

Maybe I should add that we have had that horse for 7 years and that is the first time lying down was anything to be concerned about, and never in any of my other horses.

I feel bad now!!!


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

Wild_spot -- that's OK... you are right though. My fears come from the last horse that I had that laid down often. Ended up he had osteo-arthristis and sesamoiditis. I felt incredibly bad for not picking up on it sooner.

Dumas' Girl -- you might have something there -- we ARE in the bush and we had bears and wolves around in the fall. Only wolves now, but we don't hear them much -- could well be that Lisa sleeps at night and Jade doesn't.


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## Paintlover115 (Jan 29, 2009)

yep i get really paranoid about this as well. we had an old mare that would offten lay down in the summer and one day i saw her out there lying down and didnt think much of it, but an hour or two later i saw her in the same place and decided to go out and check on her and she had passed away... :-( my 3 year old little sister came out with me, you try telling a 3 year old why her fav horse wont wake up... :-( so now when ever i see one of the horses laying down, even if its not my own i alwat check on them. witch i see them laying down everyday, not so much now because of the snow but alot in the summer.


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## kershkova (Jun 25, 2008)

my baby lays down at night and around 11:00 every day like wheni show up at 3 in the morning for a show hes laying down.


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## lacyloo (Jul 1, 2008)

See why im always A nervous wreck.. HAHA farah was really sleepy while I was out clipping the goat's hooves...She decided to lay down. Silly girl


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

That's a cute pic, Lacyloo -- looks like Farah was trying to make a snow angel in the sand!


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## qtina626 (Jan 14, 2009)

I don't see my *white* horse lay down, but I know he does it every night in his stall because of all of the dirty marks all over him :lol:

Why do the white horses always like to roll and make a mess of themselves?

My younger horse seems to lay down about every other day.


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## randiekay215 (Feb 6, 2009)

Just 3 days after I brought my new gelding home I found him cast in his stall...scared the living daylights out of me!!!!!!  So from then on I always worry if he's still standing in his stall at night. There for a while I was going out to check on him probably every 30 mins or so. But he's been fine ever since and hasn't done it again. I've never seen him lay down during the day while he's in the pasture (he's too busy eating or chasing cows lol) but I know for a fact that he lays down in his stall at night. He always seems to smell like poo poo when I turn him out in the morning-It's from him laying in his stall in his own piles! I too am a worry-wart and tend to be paranoid about these kinds of things, but horses do need to relax. Just because they lay down or roll around doesn't mean they are going to colic. My horses love to roll! There's nothing wrong with worrying, just don't worry TOO much! Take care


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

qtina626 said:


> Why do the white horses always like to roll and make a mess of themselves?


Just because they're white


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

My horses come in at night and everyone will lay down at least once during the night.

They all MIGHT lay down once during the day.

That being said, two years ago my then 19 yo TWH started laying down a lot in the early spring.

In my infinite wisdom I thought he was laying down to take in the warm spring sun and that he was getting older and just wanted to lay down. All my current horses have historically had extra lay down time in the spring warmth.

That was NOT what was happening with my 19 yo. He was sick with Equine Metabolic Syndrome. It took him losing around 80 pounds in 6-8 weeks time for me to smarten up and get the vet out. Fortunately he never foundered.

He is now 21 and is back to lying down his normal amount of time but, like you, I am a nervous wreck and I time how long he lies down if I am home. 

I think I should probably work every day instead of part time so I don't monitor his rest time. It would save me from needing a salt lick full of Zanex:shock:


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

I totally understand WITW -- I guess we'll find a balance.


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## Summer08 (Dec 5, 2008)

My stdb slept 45 minutes every day around 11, and in the summer again around 1:30 he made the appaloosa stand gaurd. I only every caught her sleeping in her stall at night. I can only echo the advice you're getting. Horses do need rest. And it is a good idea to moniter how often, and generally when. You don't really have to worry unless it changes. 
Things you can keep an eye on is rolling after sleeping, or wanting to run around and jump after rolling resting. Those activities combined with seeming to be annoyed with their stomachs can suggest trouble. Try to watch and make sure they are not wanting to roll soon after a heavy meal.
Real young and older horses naturally lay down more than others. And most importantly, remember colic can be beaten if caught early. Know the signs and know what to do, and keep them drinking water.


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