One time in the middle of a horse show, it seemed like our horse Harper was about to fall over and and take a much needed nap. As she was standing there, she began to lean towards one side, thankfully towards me, and I pushed on her a bit until she seemed to wake back up to catch herself before falling. We would have been fine with this, except that my daughter was tacked up and sitting on her.
This instance made us want to know if the rumors about horses sleeping standing up with their eyes open were true, or if they lay down to nap. We wanted to answer the question …
Do horses sleep standing up with their eyes open?
The short answer is yes horses can and do sleep standing up with their eyes open. Many horses doze most of the time standing up but will lay down a few times at night to relax and get into a deeper REM sleep. They will sleep on average for 3 hrs each day. In order for a horse to go into a full deep sleep or REM they must be laying down and all skeletal muscles must be relaxed. A horse’s sleep cycle is only 15 minutes!
Now that the brief answer has been given, let’s take a more in depth look at how horses sleep.
Do horses sleep standing up?
Yes! Horses have the ability to lock one leg in an upright position to help prevent them from falling while resting. As they do this, the other legs can rest for a few minutes, until it’s time to lock a different leg.
The mechanism in their leg that helps horses do this is called a “stay apparatus.” It is a group of ligaments, tendons, and muscles that lock the knee to have one leg supporting all the weight of a horse.
In what many of us have come to call “The Circle of Life,” horses are prey animals and will rest while being upright so that if an animal comes to attack they can wake up and run away.
Can a horse lay down to sleep?
Yes, a horse can lay down to sleep. And in fact, in order to go into a deep sleep a horse must lay down. They do not require near as much sleep as a human does, but they do need deep sleep in order to give their bodies a true rest.
They usually won’t lie down unless there are other horses around them that will stand guard awake or dozing so that the entire herd is not put at risk.
Do horses sleep with their eyes open?
Yes, they horses can sleep with eyes open. They can also sleep with their eyes closed or even half open.
If the horse is in a deep sleep, it’s usually lying down with closed eyes to get the best sleep possible. Sometimes horses will even have one eye open and that comes from being a prey animal and needing to know their surroundings in case they need to make a quick run.
Do horses sleep at night?
In addition to casual, light sleeping during the day while standing, a horse will also sleep at night. In fact, that is when a horse gets a majority of its sleep. Overnight hours usually starting around midnight is when they sleep the best. It is the darkest part of the evening, and generally safest time.
The horse really only needs 30 minutes of sleep in a 24 hr period to function but they usually average about 3 hrs. Those three hours do not usually happen consecutively, but can be spread out. This also does not include the napping horses tend to do while standing.
Can horses be sleep deprived
Yes! As we learned with our horse, it can be easy for them to be over worked and become fatigued, barely able to hold themselves up.
It is dangerous for a horse to be sleep deprived. It is important for them to have a safe sleeping area where they can lay down for at least 30 min each night. If they get over tired they can collapse or sleep too long causing blood clots and other medical conditions.
Always make sure you horse is getting the proper amount of rest.
A horse also needs the ability to get up safely. It’s important to make the stall safe by not having holes where a hoof could get stuck causing the horse to injure himself.
Conclusion
Horses are fascinating animals that require only a minimal amount of sleep each day in order to function. Horses can sleep standing up, laying down, with open or closed eyes, and at any part of the day. Make sure your horse is comfortable enough to sleep so he doesn’t become fatigued.
I hope this answered your question: Do Horses Sleep Standing Up With Their Eyes Open
Has your horse ever been so tired he began to fall over? Let us know in the comments below.