How to manage a napping horse

out the cause of the napping and deal with that problem.
Horses predict discomfort and anxiety so will want to avoid this and thats where we see horses that nap. They learn from previous experiences to avoid situations that could potentially be harmful. Many horses will nap because they do not want to leave their friends. Having equine company is really important to horses and we often dont realise how crucial this need is. If your horse is happy to hack out in company or go to the field with other horses but starts napping when on their own this is the likely cause of that behaviour.
The same is likely to happen in any situation in which you try to take them away from their friends such as leading in from the field taking them away from the stables going towards the arena wash bays or any other area where they know they will be on their own. Horses are very quick to learn when this will happen and will nap to avoid doing so. This may be accompanied by high pitched whinnies as they try to locate their friends once they can no longer see them.
different approaches we can take depending on the cause of the napping. Its vital to identify the cause in order to be able to apply the best method of modifying that behaviour. Horses that nap due to pain and have the pain resolved may still nap because they still anticipate pain. We need to go slowly and allow them time to realise that there is no pain anymore.
Reassuring a fearful horse will build their trust in you so if you feel the tension levels starting to rise stop and allow your horse to process the situation scratch them at the withers to reduce heart rate and encourage them to relax and then when they are calmer encourage them to move forwards again.
A great way to let a horse know they are doing the right thing is to give them food for doing so. That reward will become more important for them to focus on than whatever may be causing them to nap. This will gradually desensitise them to stressors build a better relationship with you and help them to cope with other potentially stressful situations.
Leaving other horses
We can also use this technique for horses that nap when leaving other horses. We can separate them for short periods of time and use distractions in the form of food enrichment items and reassurance in the form of scratches grooming and other positive activities that teach the horse that although they are being separated good things will happen.
Its important to increase the time separated gradually think seconds then minutes then longer periods so they know that they will get to see their