Horses don’t sleep like we do. They like to rest for short periods during the day more frequently, not necessarily for long stretches of eight hours like humans. They’re neither nocturnal, nor diurnal – they sleep whenever needed. And sleep behaviors change with age.
Understanding all of this when it comes to snoring helps to put everything in context. If your horse likes to moan, groan and snuffle while he sleeps, it’s probably nothing to worry about.
Your horse may not even do it, and if he does it might not be very often – nor loud. Part of that is because of the aforementioned sleeping habits, but the fact is they rarely get into a deep sleep, especially if people are around.
They usually get their sleep while standing and only sporadically lie down to sleep when they feel content and secure. True, it sounds strange to us, but the build and function of their forelegs and hind legs allow them to rest and relax. Lying down is more demanding for a horse than standing because they only do it when they’re feeling really safe, but also because their own weight causes pressure on internal organs.
If they get so relaxed they will lie down, and possibly twitch and snore. If you’re not around horses all that often, the noise might sound strange, perhaps even like they’re dying. If you haven’t noticed anything unusual that could indicate a compromised respiratory tract, and if he hasn’t sustained any injury, there’s probably nothing to worry about.
If your horse lets you approach and touch him while lying down, you’re lucky because he probably trusts you. If you surprise him, he might jump up and kick you by accident, so be careful when near him.
Snoring may not be something you expect to hear from horses, but we all know horses are surprising creatures.
