healthy sleep patterns

[shawnaJ]

Ok, so how many hours a day should a horse sleep?? How do we know if they are getting enough sleep or right kind of sleep? Do they sleep in the day or at night?? Seems as though they never do.

[jacksgirl]

ok, so i'm not a vet or anything. I think i heard they sleep 2-3 hours a day. I would imagine more in a stable where there is less stimulus. I never really catch my horse sleeping,. Kinda like it never happens. ha.

[house elf]

Horses can sleep standing up when they "lock" themselves into their sleep position. Maybe you don't even notice when they are sleeping. I don't think they get rem sleep while standing, though.

[dillannie]

The Four Stages of Sleep

Understanding your horse's sleep patterns will enable you to recognize shifts in his habits that may indicate early stages of health problems. There are four observable stages that make up the waking/sleeping cycle of the horse, each with its own defined set of functions.

1.Wakefulness, is the stage in which the horse is fully conscious and is aware of all that is going on around him. Both the wild and domestic horse spends much if not most of this period consuming food. There will also be moments of play, particularly in younger horses that are housed together in pasture or paddock settings, and in the case of the domestic horse, part of that time will be spent serving some form of purpose for man.

2. Drowsiness (DR), is probably the phase in which most domestic horses spend the majority of their time. Unable to freely wander in search of their own food, the horse must wait for it to be provided for him and with such hectic schedules we humans tend to keep, we often find only exceedingly brief moments to spend with our horses. So, with no place to go and nothing to do, the stabled horse may drowse away the day. The common stance of the drowsing horse is relaxed with head and neck slightly drooping below wither height, eyes closed, ears gently laid back along the neck, and often standing with supporting weight on three legs with one hind leg cocked. These snoozers rely on the stay apparatus in their legs. This ability to lock his knees and stifles allows the horse to remain standing while not having to exert muscle effort as he nods off.

3. Slow Wave Sleep (SWS) earns its name from the reduced electroencephalograph (EEG) patterns in the brain which has been used to aid in distinguishing true sleep from waking. During slow wave sleep, the EEG monitored brain waves are slow and regular, indicating that the brain is not functioning at its most active level and thus has been said to be the stage in which the mind sleeps. Though the brain waves of DR and SWS are quite similar, it is believed that SWS is the first true stage of sleep entered and that a sleeping animal must first go through SWS before reaching deeper REM sleep. Although horses in SWS are able to use the stay apparatus in their legs to remain standing they will have to lie down before slipping into REM. At this point they will ordinarily rest in the sternal recumbent position by balancing on the breastbone with legs tucked under.

4. Rapid Eye Movement Sleep (REM) is also called paradoxical sleep due to the similarities in brain waves to that of waking. EEG patterns suggest that the mind is almost as active as waking, although in reality REM is actually a deeper sleep than SWS. Also during REM sleep the heartbeat rises slightly while the respiration rate declines. Unquestionably it is the most important stage in sleep and though not fully understood, it is partly responsible for both the mental and physical well being in all animals.

http://www.mirrorkbranch.com/article11.html

I was really curious after I saw the post!