Resting a hind leg

Sandstone1 said:
Could you get a camera set up to see what he gets up to? Ive got a reolink go and its really interesting to see what they get up too.
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Isn't is just. I am very fortunate to have a camera on all of mine and have learnt so much about them. Knowing their routine is so useful and so helpful if they need vet care.

I can check the camera's and know what to expect now. At 10pm, the cob mare will be dozing on her feet and down at 11pm. She goes through the night with at least 3 down resting periods and at 4ish she will be on her side snoring. At 6am she goes outside and waits for me to arrive, I am convinced she has a watch !, it doesn't matter whether it is light or dark, she is out there waiting. The youngest horse will pick at hay and rest stood up until 5am and then he is down, flat out until the yard opens at 7am. The bonkers cart horse always goes to bed at 8pm and before I got used to his routine I was concerned he wasn't right. All the others are eating but he has gone to bed so early having barely touched his hay. They all dream, twitch and gallop in their sleep too.

All mine rest hinds and shift which leg is resting. They also all stand square a fair bit, I did catch one of them pointing alternative fronts which was an early indicator to foot pain. One was also caught standing like a hammock, all stretched out. A lot can be learnt from watching when they don't realise you are watching.
 
He is mostly asleep at 6.30 am when his next door neighbour and field mate’s owner gets up am there and horse goes out. He dosnt bother to get up ?.
 
Kamikaze said:
Going to be a bit cryptic and not say why I am asking, but is it good for them to rest a leg, or stand square? Rest both equally, or have a favourite leg to rest? What does resting or not resting mean?
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It is good to rest a hind leg.

We do it too.

However, if a horse always seems to rest the SAME hind leg, I would get suspicious. I wouldn't think it was coincidence because we tend to notice something after a while and if you say to someone, "Arthur always seems to rest his off hind," they'll say, "It's just coincidence. You just weren't looking when he rested the other one."

I tend to rest my right leg more than my left. This is because I had plantar fasciatis in my right foot for somewhere between 1-2 years. Becuase I was somewhat lame in my right foot, my left calf became a little stronger. Now, although my right leg is fine (no pun intended -- I hate puns) I automatically use my left leg as a post when standing about. I try to remind myself to use the other but it's very hard to remember.

So, a horse who favours one hind leg over the other (as a horse of mine did) I would guess it was due to either a pre-existing condition or something recent, but I'd be more inclined to think it was something long-standing.

Standing square is more for when a horse is keenly observing something. IME, horses, when standing, often rest a hind leg. It is a comfortable position for them and they can do it without thinking. (There's some sort of a thing that is looped over something which allows the leg to hang there without thought. The forelegs lock and it's quite easy for them. But I will never believe that a horse has a deep sleep while standing, a cat-nap, yes, but deep sleep, no.)
 
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