A really great thing horses do is “get cast” which means they lay down too close to a wall or gate & then can’t get up and proceed to start dying bc they are crushing their muscles unless someone notices & risks their life to help a panicking 1200lb animal flail more effectively.

Do they learn from this experience? They do not.

Like, what the fuck, honestly? https://www.paulickreport.com/horse-care-category/cast-horses-what-to-do-and-what-not-to-do-to-help/

(Orion is not currently cast, he is happily lying in the sun, but I had to physically lift a gate off him a few weeks ago bc he managed to get stuck like this.)

“Could you run over quickly and see if Gluey is quietly dying or happily napping?” - constant barn refrain

Also complete strangers WILL knock on your door, grey-faced, to tell you your horse is dead in the field. “No, they’re sleeping or just chilling, if they were dead their legs would be against a wall, but I guess I’ll go check real fast just in case.”