Last Updated on March 24, 2022
You may have heard that horses only sleep standing up and think when you see a horse down that there is something wrong with it, so how do horses sleep? Is it really true that they only sleep standing up? Let’s take a look at the real ways horses sleep and the different ways they do this.
Do Horses Sleep Standing Up
Horses are pretty amazing for many reasons. One reason is their ability to sleep standing up. This is something that the horse evolved doing since it is a prey animal.
The ability to sleep standing up allows the horse to quickly switch on and flee in the face of danger. Standing up allows the horse to rest and also not lose its range of vision. When it is down, it is much harder to see potential threats and takes longer to escape.
However, this type of sleep doesn’t satisfy its needs for the amount of rest it needs. To get a full deep sleep, the horse must lie down. More on this later.
How Do Horses Sleep Standing Up
Horses have a unique body system called the stay apparatus, which allows them to sleep standing up. The stay apparatus is a sort of hammock of multiple ligaments and tendons that allows the horse to lock his legs. In this position, the horse can sleep without falling over.
When the horse activates its stay apparatus, it can relax the rest of its body and take a snooze. It is also a way for the horse to simply rest, and not necessarily sleep. This is done so the muscles can relax and reduce fatigue.
Find more information Do Horses Sleep With Their Eyes Open?
Where Horses Prefer To Sleep
In the wild, a horse will choose a sheltered area to sleep. This offers some form of extra protection from predators. They will position themselves so that their haunches face into the oncoming wind or rain.
They will also face in the direction of their preferred escape route. You will notice domestic horses doing the behavior as well. In their paddock, they will face away from the weather. In their stable, they will often sleep facing the door, the way out.
When in a herd environment, wild or domestic, there is usually one horse that takes the role of a lookout. This horse will stay more alert while the others rest. The purpose is that this horse will notice danger sooner and alert the rest that it’s time to wake up and take action.
Do Horses Lay Down To Sleep
Horses lay down to sleep, in fact, they have to, or else they can suffer from sleep deprivation. A horse cannot sleep deeply unless it lays down. In this way, horses are similar to humans, in that they experience REM (rapid eye movement) sleep and SWS (slow-wave) sleep.
SWS sleep is when slow waves of electrical activity occur in the brain. During REM sleep, the waves become disorganized, and rapid, stuttering eye movements occur.
Horse Sleeping Positions
When a horse lies down to sleep, it has two positions. The first position it takes is on its chest with its head up. To get really deep REM sleep, the horse will need to lie out flat.
This can look concerning if you think that a horse laying like this means something is wrong with it. And sometimes it does mean the horse is sick. However, most of the time, the horse is just enjoying a deep sleep.
Many horses love to lay out flat to sleep in the sun. When in this position, you will notice that some horses dream. They will ‘talk’ in their sleep and even move their legs as if they are running. If we only could learn about what horses dream about! Some horses even snore!
Do Horses Sleep
Yes, as you can see horses do sleep. They do not need such long stretches of sleep as humans. Horses will often lay down to sleep more than once a day, especially if they feel very safe, and relaxed in their environment.
Horses spend most of their rest time sleeping standing up. This can take between four and fifteen hours of their day. When they lay down to sleep, they might only stay down for a short 15 minute stretch at a time.
Though this can last as long as a couple of hours. Foals and young growing horses will sleep more, especially lying down each day, than an older horse. Just like humans, children need more sleep than adults.
Horse Sleep Patterns
Horses thrive on routine, and this applies to their sleeping patterns as well. If you spend a lot of time around horses, you will notice the times’ particular horses lay down to sleep. This will vary for each individual horse.
Some horses that stay in their paddock through the night, like to come into their stable in the morning, and have a good deep sleep. Other horses will have certain times, such as after they have breakfast in which they like clockwork lay down to sleep.
If the barn activity is busy, the horse is less likely to lay down to sleep. You might notice that at quiet times around the barn, many of the horses are down sleeping.
Feeling Safe
As prey animals, horses are always on alert for danger. To sleep properly, they must feel safe. This is why some horses might only sleep when in their stall. However, some believe a horse in this position will actually feel isolated and not as safe.
It just depends on the horse. From personal experience, many horses enjoy coming into their stable to sleep and feel safe there. In a group, you will notice that they all lie down to sleep except for one horse.
The standing horse is keeping watch, so the others can feel safe enough to sleep. Horses within the group will take turns as the watcher, so every horse has a chance to lay down to sleep. Horses are herd animals, so always should have at least one friend.
The general consensus is that a solitary horse will not get as much sleep like a horse with a buddy. This is because they have no one to keep watch for them. A solitary horse will not sleep deeply, as it feels like it can’t keep watch.
Conclusion
As you can see horses sleep in a couple of different ways. Don’t get to alarmed if you see a horse laying out flat. It is more than likely that it is just getting deep sleep.
Sometimes very relaxed horses in adjoining paddocks will all lay down to sleep at the same time. This is slightly unusual, but a nice sign as well. These horses are clearly comfortable in their surroundings and safe to do this without a lookout.
Do horses sleep standing up or do they lay down?
Horses are amazing creatures and they can sleep both, lying down and standing up. But how is it possible for them to sleep while standing up?
They are able to do this because of their stay apparatus, a special system of tendons and ligaments that enable a horse to lock the major joints in its legs. The horse can then rest and not worry about falling because the system will ensure that the horse stay in place while napping. The stay apparatus is made up of ligaments, tendons, and muscles that work together to keep the horse’s legs locked. The ligaments are like springs in a door or gate; they allow the leg to move but also hold the joint locked in place. The tendons connect the ligaments to the muscles and attach them to the bones. Finally, the muscles move the bones and are attached to the tendons and ligaments.
Can horses lay down?
Yes, horses can lie down and they often do so. Horses will lie down to rest, relax, and sometimes they do so because they are in physical pain or discomfort. In most cases, horse lying down is a normal behavior, but it can sometimes indicate a medical problem that needs to be taken care of by a veterinarian.
Is it true horse never sit?
Yes, it’s true. It’s anatomically impossible for horses to bend their legs and sit on the ground. If they attempted trying to sit down, their weight would cause them to fall on the ground and the attempt would most likely result in an injury.
How long do horses lay down?
In average horses lay down for about 2 to 4 hours in a whole day. Those laying down hours are more common during the night in order for them to get some deep sleep. Same as with other mammals, young horses need more sleep than adults so you might see them laying down more often and for longer periods of time. They can sleep in either “sternal recumbency” (with legs curled under their body) or “lateral recumbency” (sleeping on their side).
During the night, they will usually go through several stages of sleep. The first stage is light sleep where they are still able to wake up easily. The second stage is slow-wave sleep (SWS) which is when most of their body is relaxed and they have the lowest heart rate. This is followed by a third stage of deep sleep where the horse goes into REM sleep. During this sleep phase, they are dreaming.
Why do horses lie down?
Horses can sleep standing up for short periods of time, but they need to lie down every now and then. When you notice your horse lying down, the first thing to ask is: “Is it sick?” If your horse looks tired or is acting weird, or if he has a fever, you may want to take him to a vet to be checked over as sometimes horses will lay down when feeling sick, or when in physical discomfort.
However, horses also lie down when they need deep sleep, or when relaxing. Just like us, horses need deep sleep to maintain and restore their good mental and physical well-being. While they can sleep standing up, that’s not a deep sleep but only napping. To get a proper rest, horses need to sleep laying down.
Michael Dehaan is a passionate horse owner, horse rider, and lover of all things equine. He has been around horses since he was a child, and has grown to become an expert in the field. He has owned and ridden a variety of horses of different breeds, and has trained many to compete in shows and competitions. He is an experienced horseman, having worked with and competed many horses, including his own. He is an active member of the equestrian community, participating in events and teaching riding lessons.
