✨ Horses don’t need lots of sleep like us but they do need to lie down. Most horses only sleep around 3-5 hours in a 24-hour period, much of it standing up. But REM sleep, the deep, restorative kind can only happen when a horse lies down.💤 If a horse isn’t lying down at least once every 24 hours, something isn’t right. Environment, safety, pain, stress, herd dynamics, or physical discomfort can all prevent it. Lack of REM sleep doesn’t just affect rest, it impacts learning, emotional regulation, soundness, and overall wellbeing. In extreme cases, sleep deprivation can even cause collapse. I witnessed this once in a horse that was standing in cross ties, it was a mess and if I can be honest, preventable! Therefore seeing or knowing your horse lies down regularly is one of the clearest signs they feel safe enough to truly rest. Some questions, you don't have to answer all, is just for fun: 1. What signs do you look for to know your horse is getting enough quality rest? 2. Before today, did you know horses need to lie down for REM sleep? 3. Do you know what signs to look for with sleep deprivation? 4. Are there any factors in your horse’s environment which might affect whether they feel safe enough to lie down? For example here in certain parts of the Netherlands we now have a Wolf epidemic - quite the prooblem as you can imagine. Love to hear your thoughts, Zoë 🐴✨🫶

✨ Positive energy isn’t fluff, it’s biology - I call this ‘survival intelligence’. Horses are exquisitely tuned to our body, breath, tension, and hormones. They feel the calm before we speak and the worry before we move. That sensitivity isn’t magic - it’s how they stay alive. When we arrive grounded, regulated, and open, we don’t just feel better to them, we make sense. And when a horse feels safe, learning becomes possible. Question: What about regulation would you like help Getting Good at next? Zoë 🐴✨🫶

✨ A horse reflects truths no human ever will - not to punish us, but to teach us. Honestly, what we experience, only becomes a hard lesson depending on how we choose to look at it. Resistance doesn’t have to feel personal - it can become information. Confusion doesn’t have to feel frustrating - it can quietly show us where we’re ready to grow. 👉 This is part of our responsibility as horse people and horse owners: to listen instead of defend, to learn instead of blame, to become better, or better still, just learn how to get good.😉 Question: What lesson is your horse helping you Get Good at right now? Zoë 🐴✨🫶

✨ The Horse Filter - a simple tool when emotions run high When we care deeply about our horses, it’s easy to blur the line between loveand load. This is a simple grounding tool I use and teach, especially with sensitive, expressive or “complicated” horses. I call it The Horse Filter. Before you act, pause and ask: 🔹 What does the horse need right now to feel safe? 🔹 Do I need to bring more clarity or more softness in this moment? 🔹 Am I regulating myself…or asking the horse to regulate me? This isn’t about becoming cold or distant. It’s about species-appropriate empathy - understanding what a horse needs, not what a human heart wants in that moment. Strong relationships are built on clarity, consistency and calm - not on absorbing each other’s emotions. If you have a sensitive horse, this filter can change everything. For you and the horse, always. Zoë 🐴✨🫶

✨If it feels hard, ask what you’re missing - not what the horse is doing wrong. When we shift the focus from blame to understanding, the horse stays softer, safer, and more willing. Clarity creates confidence. Confusion creates resistance. 👉 Question: What have you noticed when this kind of clarity is missing? For the horse, always. Zoë 🐴✨🫶