Sleep deprivation in horses – strategy
Fixing sleep problems can sometimes be a simple matter, but other times it takes a multi-pronged and patient approach. Here is how to start.
Sometimes the solution can be simple, but sometimes it will take a whole horse rehabilitation to solve the sleep issue. Be patient.
With some horses, fixing sleep deprivation is simple. You give them enough bedding or make sure they have enough space to safely lie down, and they start sleeping again in no time. With others, the issue can be extremely difficult to tackle, so a multi-pronged approach is necessary.
Two main reasons why a horse isn't sleeping are not feeling safe and pain. It's important to keep that in mind and address each of them. Managing pain should be done via veterinary intervention. A very good and thorough veterinarian will be able to ascertain where the problem could be and come up with a treatment plan to eliminate the pain. Often, the treatment plan will include a whole horse rehabilitation, aimed at resolving the movement patterns that fuel chronic tension and creating healthier movement patterns. This might take a while, but it's worth being patient.
In the meantime, it's important to make the horse feel safe. How deep you need to go to do this will depend on the horse. First you can start with the basics – more bedding, a bigger space to lie down, less noise and less light during the night. Make sure the horses aren't disturbed during the night and try to establish a more or less solid routine during the day as well. Predictability is important for feeling safe. Next, observe herd dynamics. Does the horse feel safe with the horses he lives with? Does he have the opportunity to lie down without being hassled by any of the herd members? Some horses benefit from being put into a separate space during the night, just make sure it doesn't cause any separation anxiety. Making sure the other horses are there for support but that they don't disturb the horse's time of rest. This can take some creativity.
With some horses, being able to relax is a very hard thing in general, not only when it's time to snooze. These are the horses that are hyper vigilant, get stressed out by any change in routine and just generally seem like they are constantly scared for their lives. Making those horses feel safe can be a bigger project, but one that will go hand in hand with the physical rehabilitation. As the horse becomes stronger and as his muscles start to loosen their grip of tightness, the nervous system is able to start to let go. And the other way around. As the horse learns how to relax, his muscles will be able to let go of those habitual tension patterns and will be able to function well again. Here are some ideas on how to help a horse that is stuck in the sympathetic part of the nervous system. How to help overly alert horses.
The road to a good sleep can be a long and windy one or some horses. It requires patience and consistency, but on the way there I guarantee that you won't just be fixing the horse's sleep habits, you will be fixing all sorts of other things too. As the horse starts to feel better in his body, his mood will improve, he will be better at his job and he will stay sounder longer. So, we are not only fixing the sleep problem, we are fixing everything. We just need to be patient.