Sleepy head
I rarely see my horse lie down. How much sleep do horses need?
Jane Armstrong
A Horse&Rider answers:
Horses spend up to a quarter of the day resting which, unlike humans, is taken in several small doses over a 24-hour period. In their hind legs horses have a group of tendons, ligaments and muscles called the ‘stay apparatus’, which locks to allow the horse to take the majority of his sleep or rest standing up. As prey animals, this ensures that there is minimal time to go from sleep to escape.