Go Horse – Is it true that horses sleep standing up?

It is true that horses are known for being able to sleep standing up but, like all equidae, they also sleep sitting or lying on their side, especially on fresh and clean straw, in which they love to roll.

The reasons why equidae are able to sleep standing up are mainly two, anatomical and neurological : As regards the first aspect, horses, having four legs, maintain their balance with less effort than horses bipeds. In addition, through special ligaments that lock the joints in a certain position, horses are able to lock their legs, further reducing the muscular effort required by standing. This position is therefore comfortable and easy to maintain. Discover now all our trips, tours, holidays and horse trekking. When they lie down, they cannot remain in this position for a long time, because they are too heavy and the mass of the viscera compresses the diaphragm, causing breathing difficulties.

From a neurological point of view, however, the horse is able to maintain control of the four limbs even when sleeping, a skill which, in the wild, allows them to always be ready to flee. Furthermore, the horse never reaches a state of deep sleep, thus never completely losing muscle tone and only entering REM sleep, therefore light.