Scary experience this morning :(

LaurenBay

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Got to the yard this morning and went to the field to check them all over. 3 out the 4 were laying down (including Ruby) so I went to sit with her and she was very cuddley, but then I noticed she was breathing very heavy and faster then she usually does. I looked at the others to compare and she was deffiently taking deeper breathes then them. So I decided to get her up as it was worrying me a little. She wouldn't get up! So I ran to the gate and fetched her headcollar and ran back to her, put it on her and tried to get her up an nothing. By this point I was so worried and called my YO to ask her to come up (she lives opposite) Ruby then laid flat out and it sounded like she was snoring (may have well been) the other 2 Horses had both gotten up and one came over to her, so Ruby jumped up!! Then she had a few coughs. I watched her closely and her breathing went back to normal and she is quite happily grazing now. Is that normal? Do Horses usually find it harder to breathe when laying down? She lays down everynight in her stable (not seen, but her rug and squashed poo's tell me she had been)
 

kildalton

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How old is Ruby? My daughter's 20 year old did a very similar thing a few months ago and frightened my daughter to bits. She had the mare blood tested and she was slightly anaemic, she's fine now.
 

Magnetic Sparrow

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I had a cob who used to eat himself to standstill then lay flat out, grunting and groaning, until he felt ready to eat some more. I got used to it after a while, but every so often people would come up to me thinking he was seriously ill including one who said (very politely) "Excuse me, but I think your horse may be dying". Could it be simple greed?
 

kerrieberry2

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yeh how old is she?

my 2 yr old has been laying down a lot recently, then crashes right out and doesnt get up for ages, even when i put his head collar on and try pulling him up! He also makes and snooring/growning noises, which my mare has done when she has colic but as soon as he is up he just has a bit stretch and is fine! this happened yesterday as well as a few times before hand.

just wants to scare me i think!
 

abitodd

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A horse's breathing does tend to be more pronounced when they are lying down,especially if they are having a snooze. Yes they snore. In fact my KnabstrupperX filly snores/groans and even seems to dream. Some dogs chase rabbits in their sleep. My filly(terrible twos and horrid at the mo!) does ears back,baring teeth and biting in her sleep,then when she wakes up she continues to do this to my big gelding. She also has more spots than the average teenager.;)
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emma.is

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My Y/O once told me not to worry about odd noises or slightly deeper or faster breathing when they're lay down because they're heavy animals.

Just find what's 'normal' for your pony. Mine does make little noises, but he never changes his breathing so I would be worried if he did
 

kerrieberry2

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A horse's breathing does tend to be more pronounced when they are lying down,especially if they are having a snooze. Yes they snore. In fact my KnabstrupperX filly snores/groans and even seems to dream. Some dogs chase rabbits in their sleep. My filly(terrible twos and horrid at the mo!) does ears back,baring teeth and biting in her sleep,then when she wakes up she continues to do this to my big gelding. She also has more spots than the average teenager.;)
fuji524-1.jpg


oh bless her, shes a beautie! sounds just like my 2yr old gelding! except the spots! haha
 

Patterdale

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My 3yo lays down and plays dead. He sleeps really heavily and won't get up/open his eyes properly, and snores.
Used to scare me but now I just shout at him and put my boot in his rump :D
 

LaurenBay

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She was lovely and cuddley though :) I did think it was due to them being so heavy and it hinders their breathing. But was very worrying. I took a photo of her before I noticed the breathing and then took another when I was sat next to her, excuse me, it was a dodgy angle as I took the photo!
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