Raynham Horse Took a Nap But It Was His Legs That Fell Asleep

Have you ever seen a horse taking a snooze on the ground?

Unless you're on a farm or at a horse track, chances are you probably haven't, unless you saw George the Raynham horse try to get up after a nap.

The irony is, it was George's four legs that fell asleep, forcing the 1,400-pound draft horse to stay down despite his best efforts to try to get up.

Thanks to the Raynham Fire Department calling upon the Bristol County Technical Rescue Team and the Raynham Center Water District workers, George got a lift – quite literally.

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The first time I saw this happen, I was scared. It was at the Oaklawn Race Track in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and the horse on the ground was agitated and in a frenzy. There horse was not in pain, but it was getting swivel-eyed and upset.

You probably know the feeling, or more accurately, you probably know the numbness. Have you ever tried walking when one of your legs is still snoozing? The same way when we wake up with no feeling in our limb, a horse is no different, except for a ton of weight compressing its nerves.

Horses can fall asleep while standing up, but veterinarians think horses still need to lie down and sleep everyday, and that's what George did at Lonesome Dove Stables on Locust Street in Raynham.

The quick-thinking first responders called in large-animal equipment with a large harness and a front end loader. The teams worked together, lifting George back  to his feet.

George is fine today, thanks to the mutual effort of all involved.