Post by Zadkiel on May 22, 2016 10:42:12 GMT
Horses sleep a lot. Contrary to popular belief, they not only do so standing up, but also lying down. A horse has the amazing ability to do most of her daytime dozing on its feet. However, for the few hours of REM sleep per day necessary for good health, it must lie down either flat on its side or sitting upright with its nose resting on the ground. Horses in groups tend to do a larger amount of their resting on the ground, rather than horses who are housed individually. This is because the other horses in the herd can act as guardians for the ones who are resting and alert the others to danger. Because horses are prey animals, they must be ready to quickly flee if danger is near. Due to their straight back, which does not bend, it is more difficult for horses to get up from lying down. Therefore, horses are usually seen doing more sleeping on their feet.
