Mares watching over their Foals

Great question. I know my little herd would take turns keeping watch while the others laid down. You'd never see them all down at the same time. No babies in the herd, though. I imagine the babies would stay in the center where it's safer.

It's normal for at least one horse to remain standing when others lie down to sleep. They are very vulnerable while down. The standing horse may doze but is easily alerted. I think I have only seen every horse lying down one time in my entire life (and I'm really old). Evidently your mare 'trusts' you to stand guard. :^)

I have seen mine lay down all together especially if Hidalgo(father) is there they all lay down including him...maybe he is just a bad guard. Usually 8-9 pm or super early morning. Before when it was just Frisky and her foal they would lay down together 7-8 am in the morning. But if Frisky, Sahara and the foal, usually one is up but occasionally will find them all out on the ground again 8-9pm. Maybe they do consider me as the guard. They don't mind me approaching and joining them. If you approach them as they lay down do the get up? Clyde however would get really angry if I bothered him and would bit the ground in front of him. Just wondered because I think if my horses were to suddenly be moved to a place with predators they wouldn't last very long. XD Another thing I noted is when I am resting outside on a table, yeah i'm weird like that. Frisky will stand and have her head over me. Hidalgo just stands next to me but will occasionally rest his head on me. Sahara seems to position herself with bum to me and if i move, she repositions herself.

Before I got to old to want to deal with a bunch of foals, I would notice the bell, or herd mare would be standing 50 feet or so from the herd while they slept. She would be relaxed, but not asleep. The foals would be playing, trying grass and whatever babies do while mom is asleep. Once any mare stood up, the herd mare would then *** a back leg, lower her head and doze off. The only time I would see her lay down flat and sleep is if all mares were up . and one of them watched her foal. It was always interesting to watch the herd dynamic.

That is interesting.I haven't seen that. They usually sleep at the same time but in the same area near the house or car, maybe declared the car the gaurd haha. What predators do you have where you are?

Predators: dogs (had some feral dog packs where I lived before), coyotes, bears and cougar (mountain lions).

0_0 cougars...bears...glad we don't have them here... We have dogs but tamed and they are tiny and are very afraid of the horses. Horses know that haha.