Do you know how horses sleep? Horse sleep: how do these animals sleep, standing or lying down? Why don't people sleep like horses.

Many people have a question and it can be asked not only by a child, but also by an adult, how horses sleep. There are many assumptions about how sleep occurs in these animals. Therefore, it is necessary to find out exactly which of these statements is true and which is fiction.

How do horses sleep?

Many have noticed that these animals can stand for some time with their eyes closed, while moving their hind legs back. Because of this, there was such a conclusion that horses can spend time in a dream in an upright state of the body. The horse at this moment is calm, practically does not respond to anything, sometimes twitches its tail and ears. Because of this behavior, the conclusion is that the animal is in sleep mode. But this statement is not entirely true. Horses in a standing position enter nap mode, but not sleep. The knee joints in these animals can be fixed in the region of the ligaments and bones, thereby creating a block and immobility. There is a distribution of body weight on four limbs, as a result of which the muscles relax. The animal flexes lumbar, lowers its head, the lower lip hangs down and in this state the animal is half asleep. This position is not deep sleep.

Why do horses sleep standing up

Safety for these animals is the most important rule. Instinctively, the horse does not feel safe in the place where the person is kept, therefore, it takes measures that, at the slightest suspicion of danger, it is possible to quickly set in motion and run away, to protect itself from dangerous predators or other threats. Under natural conditions, such a threat pursued these animals constantly. The nap allows the horse to rest at any moment, get out of it very quickly and go forward. In the case of horizontal sleep, it would take more time to wake up and get up, which could affect the preservation of animal life. Therefore, horses choose to rest upright most of the time.

Sleep on your side

But this does not mean that horses sleep only while standing and can only rest in this state. No, they need to sleep on their side, since a deep nap does not allow the horse to fully rest. To make a decision to lie down, the animal needs to make sure that it is safe. Only reliability around will allow him to reach the deep phase. To do this, the horse needs to lie down. In this state, they know that in case of danger it will be difficult for them to escape from a predator. Therefore, lying down is a risky exercise, as they must be absolutely sure of their safety. Which is not easy to verify if the horse is alone, without relatives who, in case of danger, could warn her.

Horse sleep time

This indicator does not differ much from the duration of human sleep. In a standing position, sleep can last from 4 to 15 hours. In the prone position, horses can sleep from a couple of minutes to several hours. Full recovery of strength occurs only in the prone position. The sleep pattern of these animals is very sensitive. Even if it is in this state for more than 10 hours, then this time is divided into phases of several minutes. That is why such a standing dream allows animals to quickly wake up, react and influence the current situation. So why do they spend so little time sleeping? This is also due to the fact that animals have a large body mass and not thick bones, so the lying position for them does not last long. If the animal lies horizontally for more than 6 hours, this can lead to pulmonary edema. Therefore, the maximum number of hours is from 3 to 4, the rest of the time the animals doze while standing. If you watch a sleeping animal, you can see eye movements. But it is unfortunately impossible to find out what the horses dreamed about.

If you own a horse, make sure your animal sleeps on its side often enough. If not, then most likely it feels insecure and uncomfortable and cannot relax. In this case, you need to create the most secure space. In addition, animals must see that they are in an open space. An enclosed space causes a lot of stress for a horse. After changing these conditions, the horse will return to normal, relax and sleep fully.

Many people who grew up in the city and who had to communicate only with pets in the form of cats and dogs have no idea about the habits and lifestyle of larger animals. For example, they do not know how a horse sleeps - standing or lying down. There is a lot of speculation about this topic. However, it is worthwhile to understand in more detail which of them are true and which are mere fiction.

Is it true that horses sleep standing up?

Many believe that horses sleep standing up, based only on the fact that this animal can often be found with its eyes closed and with its hind legs tucked in. A person who has little contact with horses makes just such premature conclusions about the upright sleeping position. In this position, the horses practically do not react to anything, only occasionally they can jerk their ears or tails. That is why many believe that this position is typical for sleep. This is partly true, but not entirely. The state in which the horse stands with its eyes closed can rather be called half asleep than full sleep.

Due to the unusual structure of the knee joints in the animal, the horse has the ability to evenly distribute the weight of its body between the four legs. Due to this, the horse practically does not feel its mass during the relaxation of muscle tissues. That is why horses can doze in an upright position with a slightly arched back, lowered head and drooping lower lip. However given state, as mentioned earlier, cannot be called deep sleep.

But why does a horse sleep standing up? The main reason for vertical dormancy is that this position is necessary for the steed to maintain safety. Horses do not perceive enclosures or other protective measures created by man, as a defense. Animal instinct horses says that at the first danger you need to break away and run. Vertical slumber allows you to do this instantly. If the horse were lying down during a nap, it would take him a few seconds to get up and wake up completely. Such seconds could be fatal for a horse if some predator hunted it. It is for this reason that horses spend most of their time in vertical slumber.

Sleep on your side

Despite all this, sleeping on the side is necessary for horses, since it is he who is complete. Standing in a slumber, the horse can only rest and restore its strength. If the animal does not sleep lying down, then it will not be able to sleep in a standing position, which means that it will be difficult for it to escape from a predator while being sleepy.

How long can a horse sleep?

Now you can consider how long horses can sleep. It is immediately worth noting that the duration of a horse's sleep is very different from the duration of a person's sleep. If we take into account the nap in an upright position, then the duration of sleep is about 15 hours per day. If the horse is lying, then such a dream can last from several minutes to two hours a day. Dormancy in horses is very sensitive - if the animal naps in a standing position for 10-15 hours, this time is still divided into small naps of several minutes each. That is why horses can instantly wake up and instantly respond to any action that occurs nearby.

But why do horses sleep so little in a horizontal position? There are two reasons for this:

1. The body weight of horses is large, and the bones are thin, so they cannot lie down for a long time.
2. If the horse lies in a horizontal position for about six hours, his lungs may swell.

Do horses dream?

Horses dream the same way humans do. If you look closely at a sleeping animal, you can see how his eyes move. It happens that horses even twitch their legs in their sleep, as if they are running somewhere or from someone. If a person often and closely contacts with horses, then he will notice such details immediately. Well, what kind of dreams do these animals have - one can only guess.

How does a pony sleep?

The pony sleeps just like normal racehorses. The sleeping position does not depend on their breed. However, this breed has an unusual feature - the ponies sit very funny, like dogs. This is not often seen among race breeds of horses. As for the sleep duration of a pony, there are practically no differences from the sleep duration of other breeds. Ponies spend most of their time in an upright slumber. The duration of a full sleep in a pony is 2-4 hours just like a normal horse.

Professional equestrians and happy owners of these amazing animals, of course, know how horses sleep. However, for people who are far from equestrian sports and riding, this remains a mystery. Since horses spend most of the day on their feet, it is believed that they also sleep standing up. Whether this is true or a myth, we invite you to find out with us.

An adult horse can only lie down for a few hours a day.

Horses during the day, with the possibility of a quiet rest, fall into a state of light half-asleep. This is easy to see by observing the animal for a few minutes. Standing in one place for a long time or resting in a pasture, the horses relax their backs, often bend one hind leg under them and close their eyes. In this state, they can be from several minutes to half an hour. At the same time, the animal picks up all the surrounding sounds well and, as they say, stays in the attention.

However, the question involuntarily arises: why do horses sleep standing up if they can lie down? This feature of sleep is justified by nature itself. Under natural conditions, horses cannot afford to lie quietly on the lawn and sleep for several hours. Because of such an oversight, the animal may lose its life. In the wild, horses are easy prey for predators, and only a swift run helps to escape from an attack. Thanks to the rest on four legs, the steed is always ready to run.

Features of sleeping on your feet

When a horse sleeps standing up, another mystery arises - how does her legs not get tired? Yes, such a question is quite logical, because the average horse breed animal weighs at least 400 kilograms. It is known that the legs and especially the hooves of horses experience serious stress not only while walking, but also in a standing position. However, nature did its best here too, providing the horses with a comfortable rest on their feet. This is possible due to the process of "pinching" the joints: the horse evenly distributes body weight on all four legs and pinches the ligaments. Thus, knee joints are blocked, and the legs do not experience unnecessary stress and heaviness.

Due to the special structure, the legs of the horses do not get tired in their sleep.

The hooves have a very complex structure, where the arrow plays a special role. Having a soft base, it absorbs shocks and distributes the load on the plane of the hoof.

Sleep lying

Even though the horse spends most of the day comfortably standing up, like any animal, it also needs proper sleep. To do this, the horses lie on their side and plunge into deep phases of sleep. You can understand how a horse sleeps in deep sleep by watching the foals. IN childhood, feeling safe next to their mother, they sleep on their side. Deep sleep is required for proper development and body growth. However, for an adult horse, sleeping lying down is enough for several hours a day.

For adults due to heavy weight long stay in a lying position is dangerous to health. After 6 hours of lying down, pulmonary edema occurs.

Company and comfort - the key to a good night's sleep

Many horse owners say that they have never seen their horses sleep lying down. This is often due to the fact that the animal does not feel safe and comfortable in the stable or stall. It is important to understand that horses are herd animals, so they feel more relaxed when surrounded by relatives or other animals. Therefore, most often you can see how horses sleep on a common pasture. However, not only the company, but also comfort affect the rest of the horses. It is important that the stable is warm, bright, away from noise, the stalls are clean and dry, with good ventilation.

Surrounded by relatives, the horse feels calm and can take a nap

dreams

It's no surprise that pets dream. This statement also applies to horses. The ability to dream in horses occurs in the deep sleep phase. At the same time, a sleeping horse can move its ears and legs, imitating running, move its lips and nose, make a quiet neigh or snort. Also, in a position lying on its side, airways are often compressed, which causes snoring in horses.

Conclusion

The sleep of horses is fleeting and often resembles only a short nap. However, this feature has its own natural explanation: in the wild, horses are forced to always be on the alert in order to escape from a predator attack. At home, horses sleep either standing or lying on their side, depending on the situation. For proper rest, an adult animal needs 6 hours of light sleep and approximately 2-3 hours of sleep in the deep phase.

People who have rarely seen horses often think that these noble animals prefer to sleep standing up. Indeed, the spectacle of a horse lying on its side and in deep sleep is usually available to those who are engaged in horse breeding or use horses in their work. The question of how a horse sleeps, standing or lying down, is not so simple. Therefore, it is worth first deciding what is at stake.

Many have observed such a picture when the horse is standing, but her eyes are closed. At the same time, she brushes off annoying insects, barely moves her ears. It is this state that people take for sleep. Why does a horse sleep standing up?

In reality, in this way the horse only rests. At such times she is in a dormant state. This can be called superficial sleep. The skill to doze off for hours went to these animals from their wild ancestors.

As a rule, drowsiness is accompanied by the following external signs:

Standing sleep can be observed at the moments when the horses are grazing. When some of them frolic merrily or nibbling grass, another group of animals freezes and thus rest. In this state, horses can be 12 hours a day.

Despite the fact that horses and mares spend most of their lives standing, they have learned to relax in this position of the body. At the time of falling asleep, their weight is evenly distributed on all limbs, the knee joints and ligaments are blocked. After that muscles begin to relax. The horse does not feel its weight in this position and can take a nap, disconnect from external stimuli and relieve fatigue.

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Being in a state of sleep while standing, animals have the opportunity to wake up easily. At the same time, if nothing disturbs them, they can sleep for long hours. It was this condition that became the source of the myths that horses sleep standing up.

It must be understood that the drowsy state of an animal and real deep sleep are very different things.

Which animal sleeps standing up like a horse, you can see without leaving your region. Many people who love take Sunday walks with children in the parks, they have probably seen a close relative of horses, ponies sleeping. There is a whole list that lists which animals sleep standing up. Among them we can mention:

1. cows;
2. Goats;
3. Giraffes;
4. Elephants and others.

Why is this happening

Standing sleep came from the wild. Since the state of deep sleep often makes any animal defenseless against predators, horses try to rest in this way.

When a horse needs to sleep for real, he lies down on the ground, usually on his side. It is very difficult to quickly get to your feet while in this position. A in wild nature a predator attack can happen at any moment. Therefore, for safety net, the horses rest while standing. They have to be constantly on the lookout. This explains why horses sleep standing up.

Getting out of a drowsy state in case of danger is much easier than getting up, interrupting deep sleep.

There are situations when a horse cannot fall asleep while in its stall. For her safety, people build partitions, separate from relatives. This introduces the horse into a state of anxiety and does not allow him to fall asleep lying on his side. Such behavior driven by instinct. After all, if the animal feels danger, you need to be ready to immediately break away and run as far as possible. That is exactly what her wild ancestors did.

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But despite such security measures, the horse, like other animals, needs proper rest and sleep with take horizontal position and total relaxation. There is an intermediate option sleep for horses. He suggests that the animal lowers its chest to the ground and draws its legs under it. When it rises, it raises only the front of the body. At some point, the horse sits, but then rises sharply with the back of the body.

How do horses actually sleep?

Scientists claim that the most natural sleeping position for a horse is lying on its side. You can verify this by observing the behavior of the foals. Since they feel completely safe next to their mother, they fall asleep easily when they lie down on the ground. Adult individuals, when there is confidence that nothing threatens them, also descend on the sand or grass, lie down on their side and fall asleep.

Horses, like people, are able to dream and snore. Their limbs may twitch in this condition. But unlike humans, they don't need 8 hours a day to get a good night's sleep. Usually it is about 3 or 4 hours. And there is an explanation for that.

These beautiful animals have thin bones and big mass. If a horse lies on its side for more than 6 hours, it may develop pulmonary edema. Therefore, a real horse dream does not last long. In a day it turns out that nap takes about 12 hours and a few hours of deep sleep. This is quite enough to relax and restore your strength.

Many people know that a horse can sleep standing up. Some even say that healthy horses never lie down. But this is not true. Can such a dream be called complete? After all, the animal moves its ears, drives away flies with its tail, shifts from foot to foot. How does a horse really sleep? Of course, lying down. Only in this way the body is fully restored and rests. But nature endowed horses with the ability to doze off while standing. Otherwise, these beautiful animals would not be able to survive in the wild.

Not sleeping, but dozing

Horses have little to do. They either eat or play and socialize. to wild horses sometimes you have to run away from a predator, and domesticated ones have to work. In his free time, the horse usually takes a nap. This allows her to recuperate and be alert at the same time. In case of danger, drowsiness disappears, the horse can immediately assess the situation and, if necessary, run. A special natural mechanism helps to sleep standing up and not to fall. Her knee joints are designed in such a way that they do not relax or bend during sleep. The body of a horse is not as flexible as, for example, wild cats. Fixation in the knees allows you to relax and rest even in a standing position.

Why does a horse sleep standing up

In the natural environment, a herbivore has to constantly be afraid of predators. During sleep, the horse is almost defenseless. To get back on her feet, she will need time, which is quite enough for a predator to attack. Therefore, the horse allows himself a good sleep only if he feels completely safe. At other times, she stands and dozes with her head down, occasionally wagging her tail and twitching her skin.

deep sleep on side

A horse can really sleep only lying down, straightening his legs and stretching his neck. At this time, she does not respond to external stimuli and, one might say, lies unconscious. It is interesting to watch how the horse sleeps. A photo of an animal stretched out on the grass looks funny. The horse sleeps "without hind legs". Often her legs twitch and sounds like snoring break out. Perhaps she sees dreams (just like a person ... after all, the classic was right, stating that “we are all a little bit of a horse”), but this does not last long. Lying is hard internal organs constricted, breathing difficult. Yes, and the need for sleep in an animal is not as great as, for example, in humans. To sleep, the horse needs 3 hours. But now she wakes up for a long time, she needs a lot of strength to get up. The horse yawns and stretches, arching its back and putting aside its hind leg. Only after that it is ready for active movement.

How does a horse sleep in a wild herd? Trusting a sensitive leader and relatives. The inhabitants of the stalls, oddly enough, do not feel secure. They should touch each other's sides or at least see their neighbors. Indeed, in nature, these animals always live in large herds. But in stables, partitions interfere with natural contact. Therefore, it is rare to see a horse sleeping on its side. When a person appears, the dream usually stops. The horse quickly rises to his feet, but this does not always mean that he is afraid. Just a strong instinct that commands to be constantly ready to flee. If the horse does not get up at the sight of the owner, then he has earned complete trust.

For the leader, sleep is a luxury

A dominant male cannot afford even two hours of sleep. Not only the safety of the entire herd depends on his vigilance. As soon as the leader relaxes a little, young stallions begin to compete for mares. Someone can take his place. Therefore, the leader dozes while standing, but does not fall into a deep sleep. Sometimes he lies down with his legs tucked under him, not lowering his head and not relaxing completely. Only in this way can he take a little nap if everything is calm around him. For several years he does not get enough sleep and at the same time remains strong and hardy.

How a horse sleeps, standing or lying down, depends on the state of health. A sick animal often does not lie down because he does not have enough strength to get up. A healthy horse in natural conditions sleeps about eight hours a day: this is a standing nap, and shallow sleep with legs tucked in, and deep on its side. Foals can sleep as long as they want at any time. Well, what can I say, again, everything is like ours: children are children ...

Many herd animals are endowed with such an ability - to doze off while standing, as a horse sleeps. Giraffes, goats, cows, elephants have similar body fixation mechanisms. Nature took care of herbivores, protecting them to some extent from unexpected attacks of predators.