Does anyone elses horse.......?

[Tangaroo]

Does anyone elses horse very rarely lie down? Mine hardly ever does and im sure it cant be good for him. He has rubber matting and shavings in his stable., and the stable is plenty big enough for him.

 

[Tia]

Some horses don't like to lie down in stables. He will be lying down somewhere though - probably outside. Horses have to lie down to be able to have REM's but they can catch these during a time-frame of between 30 mins and 2 hours.

 

[kildalton]

My daughter's mare never lay down on matting and shavings,but does on a nice big straw bed.

 

[RachelB]

Mine only lies down outside, she has a rubber mat and thick paper bed but I don't think she's agile enough to be able to get up and down in a normal sized stable tbh! She always lies down every night though when outside (she's grey so I can tell!)
If your horse lies down outside, I'd just make sure he has turnout as much as possible so he does lie down.

 

[pottamus]

My boy does not lie down in his field at all...even when he was out 24/7 in the summer he would go into his field stable (open access) and lie down in there at night!!! There was always a flat spot in his shavings and he would be covered in shavings in the morning!!! He has obviously got into the habit of 'going to bed'!

 

[eekmon]

Mine lies down quite a bit, he has a really thick straw bed though! ( He always has, even when he was young!) There is a horse at our yard who lies down as soon as she is turned out, she too is on matting. Maybe they don't like the feel of it?

 

[MagicMelon]

Depends on the horse. One of mine lies flat out EVERY time he's in his stable (rubbed matted, and only a little square of shavings to wee on). I know he does because he's grey...... or greeny brown should I say!

Whereas my others dont. One occassionally lies down but never flat out, my other never have.

 

[Tangaroo]

Thanks for that. What are REMs?? Sorry to be thick!

 

[Tangaroo]

he has lived out 24/7 all summer and doesnt seem to lie down out there either.

 

[k9h]

6 years ago I had a yard of 25 horses all on rubber matting with just a sprinkling of sawdust on to soak up the urine & they all layed down could tell my the rugs! Has to was all top rugs every day was first job when I went in with hay nets to take top rugs off & chuck them in passage then down to my wash room & get them all done for night. But I could have them all mucked out in 45min by myself!

Depends on the individual horse & these had the year before been on imaculate sawdust beds so were use to having a lovely big soft clean bed.

 

[JoBo]

Nope, my boys are lazy sods and lie down at least once everyday. They partially like using their poo as pillows!!!

 

[Pidge]

Pidge is on rubber matting and shavings and always lies down if in overnight, big patch of compacted shavings and poo for mum to muck out in the morning! Plus he always rolls in his box, new shavings in, slightly sweaty any excuse really

However Sunny (sisters horse) never rolls in the box but does lie down due to finding loads of shavings in his mane and tail.
In the field they occassionally lie down together but more often one lies flat out with the other standing guard.

 

[sojeph]

[ QUOTE ]
he has lived out 24/7 all summer and doesnt seem to lie down out there either.

[/ QUOTE ]

How can you tell? Many horses won't lie down until theres no-one around.

 

[Tia]

LOL!! Each and every single horse HAS to lie down at least once in every 24-48 period. They are incapable of proper deep sleep and the all important Rapid Eye Movement (REM's) standing up. If the horse did not do this then it would not survive for very long.....just as we wouldn't if we didn't sleep.

 

[GinaGem]

As JoElla said our two boys lay down in their stables every day without fail (i stay away from the stables between about 10 and 12 during the day as i don't like disturbing them). Our mare doesn't tend to lay down so much in her stable - she seems to prefer the field, usually she'll be laying down early morning. I'm quite glad of this though as we had to build her a bigger stable because she used to get cast - she hasn't done it in a long time now though which is good.

 

[vicm2509]

Ive had Baron for 5 months and only seen him lying down once. When I put him in a new turnout rug in may it was spotless for 3 days before he even rolled in it! You dont catch horses lying down in our field often though as its quite big with about 50 horses in it so no doubt they will feel a little vunerable if they lie down.

I know he lies down in his stable though, especially the night before a show as he is always covered in poo stains, bless him.

 

[rrose]

my horse does not lie down, except before rolling. lol weird horse.

 

[Tangaroo]

Thanks for the answers. Crazy Chestnut, does it affect your horse at all, not lying down? Does he ever get tired. Just wondered, cos it must affect them somehow. I do worry about my boy not getting the right sleep.

 

[S_N]

I friend of mine has a charming piebald cob mare, who NEVER lies down! She used to, before she was beaten to within an inch of her life by other mares at a previous livery yard!! This little mare was on the ground and still being beaten by one particular horse, when they were discovered and separated. If I remember rightly, it was touch and go for a week or two as to whether or not she'd survive - her hocks took a real bashing and now at age 16, she is stiffening in them. She has not been seen to lie down since. She is bedded on shavings and she never has them in her tail. She has white, white legs and they never show grass stains or soil/mud - ALL of her TO rugs are spotlessly clean (on the outside). Last I heard, she was improving with joint supplements, but has still not lain down....

 

[4whitesocks]

My boy always lies down on straw (you can tell because his coat is all 'wrinkled' in the morning - like people have when they sleep with their faces on something wrinkled if you know what I mean)....if he's pooped he'll have a snooze in the stable during the day...
Mind you have just moved to a new yard that has shavings so will let you know tomorrow if he lies down on that!

 

[4whitesocks]

Yup he does....

 

[debbielinder]

mine never lies down of a day but always rolls when i put her bed down but if u go up the yard really early in the mornin she will be lying down but jumps up as soon as she sees or hears you

 

[Happy Bird]

I have only seen Angel lie down once, but judging by the amount of green and brown poo spots over her entire body, neck, head (basically everywhere) I'd say she most definitely lies down every night. Oh the joys of a grey

 

[Happy Bird]

Meant to add my old boy never lays down. He stands in the corner and sleep standing up. His arthritis prevents him from even trying.

 

[PapaFrita]

I used to have a mare that I only saw lying down twice (and once was when she was foaling!) but she definitely DID lie down as she had poo on her rugs and there was always a flat spot in the stable.

 

[Tia]

I found an interesting and quirky little piece which may answer some questions about a horse's sleep pattern:

http://www.mirrorkbranch.com/article11.html