Random thoughts: napping
Didn’t get much sleep the other night, so around noon a nap sounded good. While driving out of town towards the country I finally spotted a barn next to a wide open field full of horses. I put my van in park, turned the key off and got out.
Walking out to the middle of the field I looked in all directions to make sure there were no predators. After I felt comfortable, I stood tall, closed my eyes and went to sleep.
Of course that’s not where I napped. I STOOD in the middle of my bedroom while sleeping??? Why go out in a field, right?
Horses are prey animals, so they need to be cautious where and when they get their rest. Because of their straight back they have difficulty getting up quickly from a lying position. To avoid an attack from a predator, most of their sleep is standing in the daytime not at night. They have the ability to lock their back legs and lean forward while sleeping.
A horse requires approximately an hour or less of REM sleep a day. That’s why on a sunny afternoon you might see several horses lying down, while one remains standing on guard watching for intruders.
Sitting is not a normal action for horses either, because of the pressure the position puts on their internal organs.
While we feel safe and comfortable laying and sitting in our own setting. A horse basically stands all of it’s adult life; and sometimes while someone is sitting on them.
Poor horses !!!
Thanks, Jim
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Yeah, I thought they always stood. I did a little research and it was said, they need five minutes to two hours of REM sleep every two days.
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Not often in our sight, but maybe at night
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How often do they lay down to get REM sleep. I had no idea about the REM sleep untill, I did a little research for this story.
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We understand our New Forest ponies sleep while they stand motionless.
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