This might be an extremely dumb question, but recently my mare has been laying down oddly. She doesn’t do this all the time, and I have never seen another horse do this. I’ve come home on a couple of occasions to find her stretched out on her side, like she has rigor mortis, and completely out cold. But as soon as she hears me, she rolls over and lays like a normal horse. She doesn’t have any health problems to my (or my vet’s) knowledge, and she’s never colicked. It absolutely terrifies me every time I see her out in the pasture like this with the other horses standing around her, and I didn’t know if there was a logical reason that she in this particular terrifying way.
She can’t reach REM sleep laying sternal. She needs to lay lateral to reach a deep sleep.
When they lay out flat like that it’s usually to get their REM sleep. They don’t get REM sleep resting on their chest.
My horse sleeps with his eyes open so he looks particularly awful when he’s stretched out flat. Bonus points for when his teeth are also showing. :eek:
I’d think she’s finally comfortable enough (feeling safe) to actually sleep! As the other posters noted, that’s the position they actually “sleep” in. Not really unusual at all.
My almost 23 year old does this and sometimes it freaks people out! He chooses a spot in the sun (we have sand here) and goes flat out in his warm sand box. When he breathes deeply, we can sometimes see a bit of sand blow up in the air. That is an indicator that he’s still with us.
As another poster said an added bonus is when he sleeps with his teeth showing.
They snore too.
[QUOTE=ReSomething;8947668]
They snore too.[/QUOTE]
Sometimes they move their legs like they’re running, that’s my favorite thing they do while asleep!
Yes, it just means she’s getting her full sleep. Maybe sneak up on her and see if she’s whinnying and running in her sleep! That’s the cutest!
My old mini was sleeping like this one day when the vet was out (for another horse). She made me go get him up. I have to say, he did look particularly dead. LOL
My friend was super worried about my new horse because a few days after he got here she saw him laying flat out on more than one occasion, and for 45 min to an hour each time. He was eating, drinking and pooping well, with solid gut sounds, so I wasn’t too worried. He has since reduced his time down to normal levels. I think he was just catching up on sleep after 10 stressful days of travel. (Oregon to Cali to Hawaii via a 5 day boat trip) Poor guy was just tuckered out. It took him a day or two to settle here as well. He didn’t start laying flat out till day 3.
[QUOTE=ReSomething;8947668]
They snore too.[/QUOTE]
The littlest horse in our barn has twice daily naps, and all but rattles the stall/run when she’s snoring!! :lol:
[QUOTE=ReSomething;8947668]
They snore too.[/QUOTE]
lol! My horse snores!
My three do this every morning around 10am. One time I looked out and my older gelding was flat out in the opening between two fields – half in one field half in the other. THAT was odd. I ran out to the field in a panic and, you guessed it, when I got about 20 ft away he sat up and looked at me like I was crazy.
I caught my horse jumping in his sleep once. I so wish I’d had a video, it was great!
He was running like normal, then snapped his front legs up and kicked out with his hinds. He then took a deep, sighing breath and woke up. Blew me away.
I’ve had barn managers call me because they think my horse might be dead. He does this routinely, for HOURS. He apparently really likes his sleep!
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My horse sleeps with his eyes open so he looks particularly awful when he’s stretched out flat. Bonus points for when his teeth are also showing. :eek:[/QUOTE]
Ha! Mine too! The first time it happened I thought for sure he was dead. He’s retired now at a friend’s farm and they always have to warn farmsitters so they don’t panic…
I got married this fall, and we stayed downtown in a hotel and had a farm sitter for the night. The next morning, I came home and walked out to see my horses.
I walked out and saw not one, but BOTH of my horses, passed out flat on their sides not moving. I had just moved them home, so this is the first time I saw them like this and I started to panic. I ran towards the pasture and jumped the fence with my heart racing.
My older gelding swished his tail. Whew. My 4 year old? Didnt flinch until I walked up and tapped him.
I guess I wasnt the only one who partied hard the night of our wedding.
I lost my forever horse last April and apparently also lost my ability to keep calm in certain situations. Especially since the new horse that I purchased had a several near death experiences within two weeks of being home…
So a couple weeks ago I walked out to find my new guy laying on his side in his field (in the sunshine). He didn’t move when I whistled, called for him, or opened/closed the gate. I mean, his blanket and mane were flapping in the wind. I was CONVINCED he was dead.
I called a good friend in sheer panic (who had witnessed his near death experiences). Told her I didn’t want to go poke him because …well, what if he was dead!!!
By the time I hung up with her and turned around to look at him he was sitting up looking at me like “Hey, Mom!” …rat bastard… 
[QUOTE=islgrl;8948158]
Ha! Mine too! The first time it happened I thought for sure he was dead. He’s retired now at a friend’s farm and they always have to warn farmsitters so they don’t panic…[/QUOTE]
This is how tired mine was during his first ever horse show outing. :eek: He’s completely out cold.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/vkzlc1kz2zmfwmp/File%20Nov%2023%2C%2011%2059%2053%20AM.jpeg?dl=0
The snoring is adorable…my mare was having a VERY rough few weeks physically finally said she needs to sleep in tonight rather than stay out (nature of the issues made being able to move better than being in). Checked in her mid night she was flat out snoring, I wasnt panicked but after I gave her a pat she woke up and after a moment or two of blinking and yawning got to her feet took a few bites of hay, sips of water passed manure then looked at me like “see mommma I OK lemme go back to nappie”
