Unwanted Horse Behavior and Sleep Deprivation

When we say "horse" the initial image in our mind is that of the horse galloping through a field, or some other majestic movement. But there's also the aspect of considering the horse's mental and emotional state, and how that will affect his ability to learn and willingness to participate with humans.

At my summer base, many mornings after breakfast around 10am, as I'm working horses, I notice those still in the pasture tend to lie down for a mid-morning snooze. Although it may seem "cute," it is crucial feedback as to the horse's level of comfort and feeling safe.

The horse's interaction with humans can directly affect the equine's vulnerability. This may be reflected if he remains lying down as you head into the pasture; if the horse can acknowledge your presence, without re-actively bouncing up from his lying down position, he is not experiencing defensiveness or anticipation towards your presence.

I had to laugh because as I was writing this post I received a message from a remote coaching student in the southern tip of South America. She sent me pictures of watching both horses peacefully lie down after we did a coaching session yesterday. Her surprise was saying that in all the years of having them at her home, she had never seen such a response.

In all horses I meet, but especially in extreme behavioral cases, one of the things on my checklist is to assess if the horse is getting enough QUALITY "sleep" time. Many horses cannot let down enough lie down. Although horses can sleep while standing up, to reach a REM state, they must lie down. Without doing so, their nervous system goes into overdrive creating what are deemed as neurotic and dangerous behaviors.

Over the years I've found a major contributor to unwanted equine responses can stem from sleep deprivation in the horse.

Many fearful and anticipative horses cannot find a "safe" time/location to sleep; this can lead to a variety of dramatic and inconsistent behaviors that leave them unable to learn and retain new experiences.

In my experience, sleep is one of the most under-assessed and overlooked aspects of the horse's health and well-being.

If you have access or the opportunity to watch your horse sleep, think about when, how long or even if you see him lie down. It contributes to your horse's mental health creating uneasy, hyper alert, or a highly reactive horse.

The black and white photo was taken at a client's house... I had just arrived and was very happy to see her mares were napping. It initially took some experimenting and changes in her herd dynamics to help the horses find a balance to reach this point.

Questions for you:

How often do you see your horse lie down?

Is it always in the same location?

Is it the same time of day?

How long do they sleep?

I've lost track of how many horses I've seen transition into amazing equine partners once their health issues were addressed.