How do horses sleep?

How do horses sleep? - Find out!

Like most herbivorous mammals, horses are not characterized by spend long periods of time sleeping, but the base of the dream and its characteristics are the same as the rest.A good rest is essential for the proper development and maintenance of the body.A being deprived of the necessary hours of sick rest and, most likely, will die.

In this article of Animals and Pets Online, we will discover how horses sleep, if they stand on their feet or if the horses go to bed.Find out below!

The physiology of sleep

In the past, sleeping was considered a "state of consciousness", defined as a period of immobility in which individuals did not respond to stimuli, so it was not treated as a behavior, or part of the ethology of a species.We must not confuse rest with sleep, because an animal may be resting without being asleep.

In the studies of sleep in horses the same methodology is used than with humans.Three parameters are measured, electroencephalogram to measure brain activity, electroculogram for eye movement and electromyogram for muscle tension.

There are two types of dreams, slow wave sleep or not REM and fast wave sleep or REM.

Non-REM sleep is characterized by slow brain waves and has 4 phases that are interspersed at night:

Phase 1 or numbness : it is the first phase of the dream, not just ap Arece when an animal begins to fall asleep, but may appear throughout the night, depending on the depth of sleep.It is characterized by waves called alpha in the brain.The minimum noise can wake the animal, there is a record of muscular activity and eyes begin to turn down.
Phase 2 or light sleep : sleep begins to be deep, brain and muscle activity decreases.Theta waves appear, slower than alphas, and the appearance of the spindles of the dream and the K complexes.This set of waves causes the dream to be deeper.The K complexes are like a kind of radar that our brain has to detect any movement to our around while we sleep, and wakes us up if it detects danger.
Phase 3 and 4, delta or deep sleep : in these phases delta waves or slow waves that correspond to the dream predominate deep brain activity is greatly reduced but the muscle tone increases.It is the phase where the body really rests.It is also where I dream most, night terrors or sleepwalking occur.

Fast wave sleep or REM dream: the most characteristic of This phase is the rapid eye movements or rapid eye movements, in English, which give name to the phase.Also there is muscular atony from neck down, that is, the skeletal muscles are totally relaxed and increases brain activity.It is thought that this phase serves to consolidate memories and learning during the day, likewise, in growing animals it serves for good brain development.

Do horses sleep on their feet or lying down?

As in the rest of animals, routine changes or stress can interrupt the natural course of the horse's sleep phases, having consequences on a day-to-day basis.

A horse can sleeping on your feet or lying down, but you can only enter the REM phase when you lie down, since, as we said, this phase is characterized by muscular atony from the neck down, so if a horse enters the REM phase of standing, it would fall.

The horse, like other animals that sleep on its feet, is a prey animal, that is, throughout its evolution they have had to survive multiple predators and, sleeping, it is a state where the animal is defenseless.Therefore, in addition, the horses sleep very few hours, usually less than three.

How should a horse's block be?

A stable for a horse of standard size should not be less than 3.5 x 3 meters, with a height greater than 2.3 meters.The bedding material that must be used for the horse rest properly and can meet your needs is straw.Although some equine hospitals prefer to use other inedible materials, free of dust and more absorbent.Since, in certain diseases, consuming large amounts of straw can cause colic.On the other hand, straw is not desirable for horses with respiratory problems.

Environmental enrichment for the rest of the horses

If the physical and health conditions of a horse permit, this should not spend many hours within the block .Walking and shepherding the field greatly enriches the life of these animals, reducing the possibility of appearing unwanted behaviors such as sterotyps.In addition, good digestive health is favored, reducing the risk of digestive problems due to lack of movement.

Another way to enrich the A horse's resting area is to place toys , one of the most used is the balls.If the stable is large enough, the ball can roll on the ground while the horse is chasing it, otherwise , the ball can be hung from the ceiling, so that the horse hits it or, if the diet allows it, be filled with some appetizing treat .

Of course, a calm environment At the right temperature, deprived of acoustic or visual stress, it is crucial for the good rest of the horse .

If you want to read more articles similar to How do horses sleep? , we recommend that you enter our Curiosities section of the animal world.

Bibliography

Clarke, A.2017.Environmental enrichment for the resting horse.Equine Health, 34: 1-4.
Dallaire, A.1986.Rest Behavior.Veterinary Clinics of North America, 2 (3): 591-607.
Health Guide.2015.Annex 1.Sleep physiology.Dream characteristics.Available at: http://www.guiasalud.es/egpc/TSue%C3%B1o_infado/resumida/documentos/anexos/anexo1.pdf
Pedersen, GR, SÃ¸ndergaard, E., and Ladewig, J.2004.The Influence of Bedding on the Time Horses Spend Recumbent.Scientific Papers, 24 (4): 153-158.

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