Ok so when I first got my newest horse, it was like the third day I had him and I went out in the morning to feed all the horses. Everyone came running in as usual, but he was just laying flat out not moving at all. Of course I'm freaking out and I'm absolutely terrified. I run out to him and nothing. I'm standing over him and finally he looks at me extremely annoyed, gets up and sighs very loudly, then walks to the barn very slowly. He does this everyday. I thought it was cute after I realized he was ok, so I took a picture and put it on Facebook. Someone commented extremely pissed off saying how I was such a horrible and disturbing person for putting up a picture of a dead horse. Yes because I would definately do that?? On a side note, I am exercising this pony for a lady at my barn, and he realized that if he laid down as soon as he was done his breakfast and just stays there all day without moving, I won't ride him then. But the little genious didn't realize that I could just ride him at night. Silly ponies.
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Willem was laying there quite dead for real, and I wasn't ready for that final Godspeed and Thank You and Goodbye when - this really happened - a fellow boarder came up and said "Oh Coreene, are you waiting for the vet to come and put him to sleep?" Hey, ya had to laugh! Poor man, I felt terrible for him.
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If I looked out my window right now, I can guarantee at least two of our four miniature horses would be flat out asleep. They do this in all weather, and our chestnut pinto (with a lot of white, naturally) chooses the muddiest spot, or if it's dry, a pile of fresh manure.
When we brought our first home, I had been around horses all of my life, but had never owned my own. I looked out the window and saw my colt lying flat on his side. I raced out to the corral, certain he was dead, but when I opened the gate he lifted his head and made it clear that, if he had fingers, the middle one would have been lifted.They're not miniatures, they're concentrates.
Born tongue-in-cheek and foot-in-mouthComment
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Okay. Given these wonderful stories that tell me how true it is...
It's time for me to trot out one of my favoritest discoveries from the Internet. I take no credit for this, other than sharing it (and it's well worth sharing)
YOUR HORSES ARE ON FIRE
© Baron Tayler
Published in ANVIL Magazine, August 1993
Much as I love shoeing horses, my business interests have led me to design, patent, and manufacture machinery for farmers who work with draft animals.
Since the farmers and teamsters who use my machine work with draft animals almost exclusively, I acquired a few Percherons. They're the kindest, gentlest, most easygoing creatures on earth, but owning them created a problem for me. I had only ten acres of pasture; that's a little more than three acres a horse - hardly enough to feed three 1800-pound horses year 'round without haying.
Luckily, a nearby farmer has a large pasture that he hasn't used since he retired. I moseyed over and asked if I could use the pasture for the Percherons during the winter when I'd run out of grass. You should have seen his cataract-clouded eyes light up! He told me he'd just turned 91 years old and had mourned the day he had sold his last team and converted to tractors. Yes, he said, he'd love to have the horses in his pasture.
October rolled around, and the horses finally ate the last stalk of grass in their field. I walked them down the road and let them into the large pasture which was knee deep in lush forage. They were in horsey heaven.
January arrived, and the horses had grown long, thick winter coats. The weather had been cold, but little in the way of snow. The field had a clump of trees in the middle and when it snowed, the horses snuggled up under a huge pine and slept.
With the first big snow came trouble. I was sitting at the breakfast table when the phone rang. It was a lady who lived in a house next to the pasture. She wanted to know if I owned the big horses. I told her that I did and asked her if there was something wrong. "The horses have no building to go into to get out of the snow," she said. I explained that they had the big trees to stand under, and that their dense coat was an excellent insulator. I assured her that the horses were quite comfortable. Semi-satisfied, she let me return to breakfast.
The following day the woman called back, and in a firm voice told me she was sure the horses were cold. I asked her how she knew this. "Because they look cold," she replied. "And, in what way do they look cold?" I countered. Silence. Not a word for 30 seconds. Finally, she said, "I just know they're cold!" "Okay, okay," I replied, "Why don't you meet me in the pasture in five minutes and, if the horses are cold, I'll take them into a barn." She agreed.
We met five minutes later. "Will they hurt me?" she asked. "Do they kick or bite?" It started to dawn on me that this woman was a busybody do-gooder who knew absolutely nothing about horses. With time on her hands, she probably decided that my horses needed rescuing and appointed herself their savior.
As soon as we entered the pasture, the horses trotted over looking for attention ? three 1800-pound "puppy dogs." After she watched me pet them for a few minutes, I asked her if they looked cold. "Well, no," she replied, "But it's hard to tell with all the hair." "Why don't you put your hand on one and see if it feels cold to the touch?" I asked. It was obvious she had never touched a horse before. Hesitantly, she reached out and touched one. "Well," she said, "I have to admit that they do feel warm, but I still wish they had a barn to go into."
Just then one of the horses dropped a big, steaming pile of manure on the snow. She stood looking at it, quite puzzled. "What's wrong?" I asked. No reply at first. Then she said, "Why isn't the horse standing in the pile?" "Why would he do that?" I asked. "Because it would keep his feet warm," she replied. That snapped it! I was trying to talk logically with a certified nut case! I left her standing in the field.
The snow melted a few days later, and I heard nothing more. Then another storm hit that promised to be a keeper. With the temperature staying well below freezing, I knew the snow wouldn't melt for a while, which meant I had to start feeding bales of hay until the snow was gone. Since my daytime schedule was hectic, I found it easier to feed at night, usually around midnight. Two days after the snow had stopped falling, the old farmer called me. He said the woman was bothering him again, claiming the horses were not being fed. I assured him they were and told him of my nightly ritual.
The local animal protection society called the next day, explaining they received a report that I was starving my horses. I invited one of their inspectors to come out and see for himself. When the inspector arrived, I showed him the hay scattered over the field and explained my feeding schedule. I told him about the woman who believed horses should stand in their manure. I asked him to confirm my nightly feedings with a neighbor who had seen me feeding the horses. He did and was satisfied that the woman was, in his own words, a "Looney Tune."
A few weeks went by and along came another dusting of snow. The temperature hovered just around freezing, the snow melting as it hit the ground. The local animal control officer called. He was laughing so hard it was difficult to understand him. "Could I come over?" he asked.
Fifteen minutes later he arrived, still laughing. His face was as red as a beet! I thought he was going to have a coronary on the spot. Finally, calmed down to a mild chuckle, he told me that a woman had reported my horses were on fire!
The officer apologized for the inconvenience of his visit, but it was office policy to investigate each complaint. I was too busy laughing to even notice. Regaining control of myself, I climbed into the officer's truck, and off we went to check on my "roasting" horses. When we arrived at the field, the sun was just starting to break through the clouds. Three gorgeous Percherons were standing there, contentedly munching on grass. Thick columns of steam rose off them as evaporated moisture in their coats condensed in the cold air. The officer and I were awed by the beauty of it, but soon the spell was broken. We both started chuckling again, almost rolling on the ground. "Your horses are on fire!" the officer roared.
I never heard from the animal control people again. However, the woman continued pestering the old farmer with a myriad of oddball complaints. I felt so sorry for him that I took the horses back to my place a month before I'd planned to. The farmer was sad to see them go. He still enjoys telling the story about those horses that were on fire.
Author's comment: This story is humorous, but it also portrays a serious and growing problem.Comment
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Thankfully I dont have neighbors like some of you but yes, I catch mine laying down, esp in the winter. "Baby horse" (now 3) LOVES his daily naps and will lay flat out and snore.
One afternoon, after being inside eating hay, I let them all out (3 of them total) in front of the barn. I started cleaning the stalls and about 5 mins later, turned to look, and ALL 3 were flat out on the ground! FREAKED me out as usually there is one who is standing while the other 2 sleep.
baby horse doing what he does best
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r.../IMG_0182a.jpg
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r.../IMG_0186a.jpg
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r.../IMG_0161a.jpg
my mare
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...1/12260910.jpg
giving me the stink eye for waking her up
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...1/12260911.jpg
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r...e1/1226097.jpg
And I with you guys that I find it so strange that people dont realize that horses lay down! I just got off of a plane and the flight attendent and I were talking and I mentioned the horses and she wanted to see pics. I pulled out my phone and had the one of my mare laying down in her blanket and she was just so shocked that they lay down and was concerned about how they got down and if they hurt themselves.~~~~~~~~~
Member of the ILMD[FN]HP Clique, The Florida Clique, OMGiH I loff my mares, and the Bareback Riders clique!Comment
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JeanM - what a funny, and interesting story! Many non-horse people are innocent enough.Comment
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A friend of mine had a pinto that was mostly white and had one REALLY RED chestnut spot on his flank. He used to get people stopping in all the time to tell him that his horse had been shot.Oh, well, clearly you're not thoroughly indoctrinated to COTH yet, because finger pointing and drawing conclusions are the cornerstones of this great online community. (Tidy Rabbit)Comment
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The grooms at the barn I ride at braid every (jumper) each time it shows. BUT sometimes my guy is not braided (the only one, ever, I have seen unbraided, in the 10 years I have ridden at this barn). I was kind of pissed that 10th time or so he came to the ring unbraided. When I asked, the head guy said, he sleeps so hard he looks dead. When the side with the mane is up, we braid him sleeping. When it's down, we can't. I almost died!!! Now I love it when he comes to show unbraided. At least I know he got a good nap
When the boogeyman goes to sleep, he checks the closet for George Morris. -mpsbarnmanagerComment
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I am just LMAO at this thread, ALL of mine just go out flat...dead flat...three or four times a day. I have people stop all the time
I Loff My Quarter Horse & I love Fenway Bartholomule cliques
Just somebody with a positive outlook on life...go ahead...hate me for that.
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My college's equestrian team had a pony that had to take naps every day.
His naps involved going flat out in his stall with his leg splayed awkwardly, his tongue hanging out... and occasionally his eyes would be open.
He scared many people over the years!Comment
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I grew up on a quiet county road. We let our horses graze loose in the lawn, sometimes dragging a rope, sometimes not. They were wise old horses, they weren't going anywhere. A few times a week, some diligent motorist would catch our "loose" horses and triumphantly return them to the barn. We would thank them, wait until the car was out of sight, and let the horses go back to their grazing.Comment
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Hempt Farms used to have a field right next to I-81, and every spring it was full of mares and foals.
And every single day, they'd get a ton of phone calls from about 11 AM to 1 PM about a field full of dead horses.http://www.tbhsa.com/index.html
Originally Posted by JSwan
I love feral children. They taste like chicken.Comment
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Well I have had nappers in the past but the joke was on me one day when i came home and both horse are layed out flat in two different parts of the field - neither one of these guys ever lays down during the day - they are hard core stall sleepers. I drove down the driveway, past the field, nothing, through the gate, nothing, got out of the truck and let the dogs out - still nothing. Had to go into the house to change clothes and the whole time I am looking out and both are still out flat so at this point I am trying to think who might have shot both of these poor horses dead!
When I got down to the barn I called to them and DD's horse finally raises his head, gets up and walks over to the other and stands there with his head hanging over him - still no movement there so now I am really worried. Had to go out and stick my foot under his tail before he moved a muscle - then got up and was fine - end of story.
Never did it before and haven't done it since so who knows what was going on but it had me a bit stressed for a while!Comment
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Very amusing stories... definitely made my morning!
My trainer's 3yo does things like this... she likes to take a nap in the afternoon sun in her paddock. Flat out, in the sand. Thankfully, the sand patch is blocked from the road by a pretty thick stand of trees, so we've never gotten any frantic calls about dead horses.
However, the sand patch can be dangerous. One time she accidentally took a nap on an anthill... which led to her whole belly being bitten up by red ants, and the bites promptly became infected.
She was ok, but she still insists on taking naps in the sand patch... fortunately the ants seem to have gone.
Different flavors of crazy, but totally NUTS. You know its true. - GreyHunterHorse
http://showertimecontemplations.blogspot.com/Comment
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I am simply howling at these stories - KrazyTB, your pix are priceless, especially the drooling loose lips close up of that chestnut.
I have always loved seeing a hard-core, flat-out, sunbathing napper, they crack me up. Even better if they're such deep sleepers that they dream and move their legs.
It's a sign of a true champion in my book (like having dopey floppy ears)
because it tells me that the horse has some appropriate priorities in life. Would be worth the hilarity factor even if you do have to put up with overly concerned folks wondering if they're dead.
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My palomino gelding is a professional at flat-napping. He usually drops with a groan, too. We even had the sheriff think he was dead one time. And when the county was paving our road, I came home one afternoon and one of the road workers, who spoke minimal English, came up to tell me with great concern that the palomino horse had colic, every day around lunchtime. I did appreciate the concern, but assured him he was not colicking, just sleeping. He *really* didn't believe me and I'm sure he thought I was an idiot who didn't care about her chronically colicking horse! He told me I should call a vet anyway. And I did also have a nice, non-horsey neighbor ring my doorbell one afternoon to tell me the "yellow horse" looked "sick." I said, "Does he look like this?" -- and stuck my arms straight out in front of me and lolled me head to the side. Why yes, he did, she said. I assured her I'd go check, but again, said I was sure he was sleeping. And he was. It's nice to know people care, though!! He even plays dead in the middle of the arena while I ride another horse around him. One afternoon, I was riding another horse all around the "dead" one, and a neighbor who DOES have horses walked by with her dogs and asked me if I was planning to "ride the dead one next" because she wanted to go riding with me. LOL. Can you imagine what some people must think, me callously riding all around a dead horse in the middle of my arena??Comment
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He even plays dead in the middle of the arena while I ride another horse around him.
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When my silver boy, only he wasn't silver yet, was born a couple of years ago, I was out snapping pictures like crazy of his first morning. Put together a "foal montage" birth announcement with highlights of his first day and emailed it off, including to a few not-so-horsey friends. The pictures were titled things like New Foal, Mother and Foal, Hungry Foal, Wobbly Foal, Frisky Foal, Exploring Foal, Dead Foal, etc.
Sure enough, I got a reply back from a friend expressing her sincere condolences. She said she was practically in tears for me, knowing how much they meant to me. She was glad that one of the twins had survived at least, but it was SO sad about the other, and if I wanted to talk, she was available.
Obviously, to me at least, the same foal in all shots. Still, it's nice to have good, if sometimes clueless, friends.
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2nd place for me...
I THOUGHT I won, but then I saw KRazyTBMare's baby pic and LMAO.Originally posted by KrazyTBMare View Post
So Boomer comes in 2nd.
Our HORSE neighbors are even freaked out by his naps. They go on for hours...
snoring and drooling, complete with flies too.
The donkey might be at fault...
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p...orface004b.jpghttp://kaboomeventing.com/
http://kaboomeventing.blogspot.com/
Horses are amazing athletes and make no mistake -- they are the stars of the show!Comment
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I def think the donkey did it! What a great pic!
Yes, baby horse is a character thats for sure. When I posted that pic, even my husbands friend who liked Rex made that his picture on FB and his desktop! lol~~~~~~~~~
Member of the ILMD[FN]HP Clique, The Florida Clique, OMGiH I loff my mares, and the Bareback Riders clique!Comment
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