Have you ever seen a horse asleep?What do you do when you usually feel tired, exhausted, or fatigued after a long day’s work? You take some rest or just doze off.Sleeping is perhaps the best way to rest and replenish energy. All animals need rest. Some engage in hibernation, while others exhibit unique sleeping habits. The duration of sleep also varies among birds and animals. One of the most important factors for sleeping is that it helps to restore the glycogen levels of the brain. Some animals, like rats, can even die when they’re sleep-deprived. Horses have the natural ability to take short naps while standing up on all fours. However, unlike many other animals, their sleep duration is not extended for a long period. Did you know that some snails can sleep for three long years? These snails enter hibernation or sometimes estivation (summer sleep) when the weather becomes unsuitable, and when there’s a lack of moisture. If you are intrigued to learn more about horses, then keep on reading!If you’re inquisitive to know about the food habits of some other animals, then don’t forget to check out what do coyotes eat? And what do cows eat?Why Horses Sleep Standing UpActually, horses can sleep in both ways, they can sleep lying as well as while standing. However, they can get severely injured when they lie down and sleep. That sounds weird, so let’s find out why.How can horses sleep while maintaining a standing posture? Do they not fall while sleeping in this peculiar way? The answer is no. Horses possess straight backs, due to which it takes quite some effort to get back on their feet quickly after lying down, and since they’re susceptible to attacks from predators, they mostly snooze in a standing position. Being a prey animal, it is the safest option for the horses to sleep standing, but do you know what keeps them from falling? Horses possess a stay apparatus, which is an arrangement of muscles, ligaments, and tendons that allows them to enter a light sleep without stressing out the muscles. Horses have evolved in such a way that with the help of the stay apparatus, they can lock the vital joints, that is, the ligaments and tendons present in the pelvic and equine thoracic limbs. That’s why you’ll never find a snoozing horse falling its stupor. However, a horse cannot get into a deep sleep in the standing position.Do horses sleep with their eyes open?Now that you already know about the sleeping posture of the horses, it’s time to speculate whether they sleep with their eyes wide open or like the humans with closed eyes.Are you aware that snakes doze with their eyes open? It’s simply because they don’t possess eyelids! However, it’s pretty different with horses. A horse remains ultra-cautious while they stand and sleep, so it can sleep with its eyes wide open or even half shut. This is to avoid getting surprisingly attacked by predators all of a sudden. However, during REM sleep, they normally keep their eyes closed, indicating that they’re in deep sleep, while they can snooze lightly with their eyes entirely open or half-open.How Long Horses Need To SleepUnlike several animals who need a considerable amount of sleep, horses can survive with minimal sleep. Let’s find out how long does a horse exactly sleep?The REM sleep among horses normally doesn’t last for more than two or three hours a day. Usually, a horse sleeps according to its daily routine. It might enter REM sleep during the bright hours of daytime or in the darkness of the night. The animal is neither nocturnal nor diurnal, but if it doesn’t feel protected or safe during the night, it might take short naps instead of a long, deep sleep. Adult horses sleep for shorter periods than foals. The sleep patterns of adult horses do not stretch more than a few hours. This is because they’ve adapted to the environment as a prey species, so they sleep according to convenience. A horse’s body is naturally accustomed to sleeping for a shorter period. Nevertheless, the animal can spend 4-14 hours sleeping without you ever noticing as it remains in a state of diffused drowsiness.What REM Sleep Is For HorsesA horse’s sleep cycle is also different from that of humans. It can undoubtedly stand and snooze for some time, but a horse cannot indulge in a proper deep sleep while standing.Even though horses possess the ability to stand and rest, they also need to ensure that their legs get adequate rest. To doze for a comparatively longer period of about two or three hours, horses need to lie down for the REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. This sleep is characterized by flickering movements of the eyes and rapid brain waves. Mostly, while a horse enters REM sleep, other horses stay vigilant so that it can lay for short periods without the fear of being attacked or devoured by wild creatures. During REM sleep, a horse usually lies down sideways with folded legs and its muzzle resting on the surface. So, the next time when you come across a horse stretched out on the ground with open eyes, don’t freak out. It’s natural. It’s sleeping soundly.Why Is It Injurious For A Horse To Lay DownJust like humans, a horse can indulge in REM as well as slow-wave sleep (SWS), but a horse cannot lay sleeping for too long. Here are the reasons why it is ideal for them not to sleep in a lying posture.It can be harmful to a horse to sleep lying, especially when it is for a longer duration. A horse’s body structure aids it in sleeping while standing on its legs. This is because they face severe health issues. Lying down for a longer span hinders blood circulation to the vital organs, including the limbs. It can cause permanent damages to the animal, sometimes to the extent that it loses its ability to stand permanently. You might come across a horse cast in a shed or stall as a result of spending too much time lying down.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for how do horses sleep then why not take a look at how fast can a bear run, or horse facts pages?
Have you ever seen a horse asleep?
