Do horses ever just lay down?

Question

my new horse just layed down today. He was in this pose
http://snapshot.parade.com/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=287533&g2_serialNumber=2

And when i went out to check on him he acted fine, so should i be concerened about colic or anything? I listened to his belly but i didn't here any noise.
Thanks

Answer 1

Horses lie down to rest all the time. However if you listened to his belly and DIDN'T hear any noise you might want to be slightly concerned. There should always be rumblings and grumblings and gurgles in a horses belly. If the horse lies down rolls, gets up moves and lies down and rolls again and again and again without shaking off the dust you should call the vet.



It is perfectly normal for a horse to lie down to rest or have a good roll in the grass. Just be on the look out for abnormal amount of rolling or lying down for long periods.

Answer 2

Laying down is normal. Horses do it when they feel safe. They will usually not stay down for more than 20-30 minutes. If he was rolling and kicking at his belly, you would need to be worried about colic. Also if he nips at his sides. Usually, horses shake when they get up, if he doesn't it is another indicator of colic, though not a good one. You may want to refresh you knowledge of colic because a lack of gut noise as you described is the main sign of colic. Impaction or a twisted gut will have no noised whatsoever. Gas colic will have a 'windy' noise. Gurgling, 'pinging', and sloshing are all normal sounds.

Answer 3

In order to get REM sleep, or a deep, restorative sleep, a horse has to lay down completely- out on their side generally, in what is called lateral recumbency. A horse can rest and "snooze" while standing, but they can not go into REM sleep while standing. However, horses can only stay laying down for a couple of hours at most- they're bodies will literally crush their internal organs if they're down for too long. That's why you never want a colicky horse laying down- because once they're down, it's very hard to get them back up.



As a horse owner, I would expect you to know this- it's very common knowledge for any horse owner. Do you take care of your horse alone, or is there someone helping you?

Answer 4

They need to lie down in order to get deep sleep, which they don't get when they sleep standing up. Mine don't lie down for more than a half hour at a time, or less. But they can lie down longer without any ill effects. If your horse were to seem to be lying around too much, you might need blood work to see if all is well. Seabiscuit was famous for long naps throughout the day, which didn't seem to hurt him any.

Anyway, if your horse is lying down and rolling, and looking at his flanks, that is a sign of colic and the vet should be called after you get him up and moving.

Answer 5

Your horse is just resting, horses can only lay down for a short amount of time, if they are down longer than that specified amount of time, their internal organs will sag to the bottom of their chest cavity and their internal organs will begin to shut down. No you shouldn't worry about colic just yet. If your horse rolls nonstop for like 10 or so minutes then you need to get down to him and put a halter on him and just start walking him, when a horse gets colicy, they shouldn't be allowed to lay down or roll, they should keep moving.

Answer 6

laying down is quite normal. Wild horses lay down about 10% of the time, actually, so as long as he's not down constantly for more than a few hours I wouldn't worry. But if he's grunting or groaning, staring at/biting his flank, trying to roll, or seems in any pain, then you may want to ask a more experienced horse person to check up on him. if you have a stethoscope handy, put it in the groove where the cinch lays, behind his elbow and listen again. any kind of gurgling, or anything means he's probably fine.

You said he's new, correct? well, then i suggest you take his temp. and such, and write down what his average is, so that if he seems ill, you can check and know when he's out of the ordinary.

Answer 7

As long as it doesn't stay down for long periods of time. With colic, they're usually restless, getting up, going down, getting up, going down. Rolling is also included (and yes, some horses roll just for fun), as well as pain in the gut. Most horses will actually turn their nose towards the flank, kind of pointing out the pain.

Answer 8

Horses are prey animals so in the wild they are naturally alert as defence against danger which surrounds them. They will only lay down if they feel comfortable in their environment and are certain that there are no predators around. Mainly, a horse will stand during the night (as they cant see as well for camouflaged predators) and lay down at dusk. In a herd, it is common for multiple horses to lay down to rest, whilst others stand as defense.

Answer 9

He is most likely fine. I have had my horse for a year or so and she rolls and lays down all the time. Also every night she sleeps laying down. I guess she does not trust herself or maybe she thinks she will fall over during the night.

Answer 10

Yes, horses lay down, like a dog and even flat on their sides. They can lay down only about 2 hours, at any given time.(They have to get up to provide blood flow to their bodied, via the frogs), As long as they are not getting up and down and rolling, they are probably just napping. As for the gut noises..it's when they DON'T have sounds, you should start to worry.

Answer 11

my horse lays down all the time, when he's sleeping and just to lay down. But not hearing hoises in his gut isn't good. When horses colic, put your ear to their flank, and if you hear noises, then that's a good sign.

Answer 12

Yeah! my horse curls up in a little ball like a dog and sleeps in the sun, and sometimes he stretches way out and looks dead. haha it's so cute!

Answer 13

Don't worry about it. It is perfectly normal. I don't personally own horses but one of my friends does. When I saw one of her horses dong that I asked if it was ok and she said they just do that sometimes. Hope that helps :)

Answer 14

Yes if it is cold and the sun is out they will just lay down and sun themselves.

Answer 15

They lay down to have a nap, to sunbathe, etc. Perfectly normal.

Answer 16

yeah its fine he's probably just chillin'. but you probably shouldnt turn him out with the halter on. he could get a shoe or something stuck if he goes to scratch his head

Answer 17

Yes, but only for a certain amount of time.

Answer 18

yes lying dowm is fine , just make sure he has a nice big bed , with banks if he is stabled

Answer 19

Yes mine does it frequently. Guess he enjoys the sun.