Few horse owners hang around the barn long enough to really learn their horse’s habits. Many horse owners arrive at the barn to ride, and once they are through with their work they leave their horses alone for the rest of the day. Others are more involved, working to feed their horse and clean the barn. But again, they are not around simply observing their horses throughout the day and night. Some people might wonder, when exactly do horses sleep?

The truth of the matter is that horses can sleep at any point throughout the day. Horses, like many herd animals, have the ability to rest while standing up. If you watch your horse long enough, you will probably catch him drifting into a nap while standing on all four legs. Herd animals of flight have this capability so that they are able to get rest while still maintaining the ability to run from predators if the need presents itself. Horses may stand in rest for a few minutes at a time, or even hours at a time. Generally horses will stand and nap for a few hours a day to nearly half the day.

However horses need more than standing naps. Nevertheless, they do not need a full night’s sleep like humans. Instead horses need only a couple of hours of deep sleep. Horses do lay down for this deep sleep. They must lay down in order to reach the essential REM sleep. A horse who does not get the required two to three hours of deep sleep each night will become fatigued and unhealthy.

Because horses are creatures of flight, they must feel completely secure and comfortable in order to lay down for rest. It is important that you are certain that your horse feels safe enough to get his essential few hours of sleep each night for his health and happiness.