Minis doing the "cat stretch"/bowing

[targetsmom]

I have to say it puts a smile on my face every time I see one of them do this, but this morning 5 of our 7 minis bowed/stretched like this, with three of them doing it as if choreographed!! When I opened the door to go outside to feed, first Sox (9 months pregnant so her belly hit the ground preventing her from going any lower), then Fizz, then Mira each did the stretch/bow, with noses touching the ground between their front feet. Then when I fed the stalled minis, Buckshot bowed just as I dumped his grain in his bucket and then Princess did the exact same bow just as I dumped HER grain. What are they trying to tell me??? It's spring???? (We are having a lovely warm spell of 65-70 degree temps during afternoon).

I don't recall seeing big horses do this (or maybe rarely?) but I have 2 minis that do this almost every morning and I wonder if they taught the others????

 

[krissy3]

I like to see that too. My guess is that with this spring weather they are playing more in the day, and having a good restful sleep at night after a long day of playing . To me that means they had a good long relaxed sleep.

after i see that i look in the barn to see how they slept , sure enough I see 4 imprints of bodies in the shavings.

 

[Matt73]

All three of mine do that, too. It's just a good stretch is all it is

 

[RhineStone]

When we go to shows, we keep our horses in a small corral next to the trailer (which we sleep in) under the awning. Horses don't sleep all night long like humans. They basically cat nap. (I usually don't sleep the first night of a show b/c of nerves, but I have to lay still to not wake up the boys in the trailer with me...

) I have seen the horses sleep longer in the sun during the day. I have also been out in the barn at 2:00 a.m. or so, and they are wandering around just like during the day (usually some horse is banging on the barn which wakes me up, and then I worry about who's stuck somewhere, so I have to go out to check them

). Yes, they will lay down at night, but probably not more than an hour or so before they are up and wandering around again, and never all at the same time. One has to stay "on guard". It seems like they will lay down more towards morning, just before sunrise or at least after midnight. Rarely before. (Got to love that with a big white pinto. We almost always sheet him at the shows or you will wake up to a big green spot on his side!

I've been out in the corral picking up piles in the middle of the night at shows to avoid having to clean up his belly in the morning! Can't sleep anyway, might as well do something!

)

Our Amer. Shetland pony stretches like this very often in the morning.

 

[Genie]

I have heard it's a sign of a healthy horse

 

[hobbyhorse23]

They've finally realized who's The Queen?

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Both my boys do it too, usually after their mid-morning naps, and I always figured they were just stretching out in a way that felt the best. I thoroughly approve of the practice as it keeps their shoulders flexible!

Leia

 

[shoegirl]

I love to see mine stretch. As soon as I get into the barn to feed breakfast 2 on my minis and my big pony do this every morning. They say we can learn a lot from our pets and stretching in the morning is a very good thing for any living creature 2 legs or 4. LOL

 

[Mominis]

They've finally realized who's The Queen?

ROFL!

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

My Sunny does it frequently in the AM. I always bow back....

He's only stretching....

lucy

 

[minie812]

Pony Yoga