{"id":13546,"date":"2022-04-30T11:08:24","date_gmt":"2022-04-30T15:08:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/equestrianbootsandbridles.com\/?p=13546"},"modified":"2022-04-30T12:23:55","modified_gmt":"2022-04-30T16:23:55","slug":"horse-sitting-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/equestrianbootsandbridles.com\/horse-sitting-down\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Horses Sit Down? (And What Does It Mean When They Do?)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Recently, I saw a show by a renowned horse showman where the horses were all in a sitting position during the show. It made me wonder if a horse sitting down is normal and if horses sit or lie down for fun or some other reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While I know that horses sleep standing for the most part and that some horses lie down to rest, the sitting position (similar to how a dog would sit) is somewhat of a misnomer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s why horses don’t naturally sit down and what it means if you train a horse to sit or lie down on command.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Horses Prefer Being On Their Feet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Horses are prey animals, meaning they are constantly on alert for potential predators that may be out to catch and eat them. Most prey species avoid being in a vulnerable position like lying or sitting down. When a horse is not on its feet, they aren’t able to react quickly and escape danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    That’s why horses are able to sleep standing upright and rest on three legs. Young horses tend to sleep laying down since they are still developing and have older horses to protect them. For adult horses, a deeper sleep (like what may be needed when recovering from an injury, for example) may require that a horse lays down. Additionally, mares will of course lie down when giving birth as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But sometimes, adult horses might sit or lay down just because. Horses lying down in their pasture usually indicates they are at rest and feel protected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We often see horses basking in the sun, surrounded by their equine friends while they are enjoying a deep sleep and lying flat. Using a buddy system<\/a>, horses take turns keeping watch. One horse will stay alert so they can warn their herd of other animals approaching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"horses<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    The horse has developed a specialized set of muscles and tendons known as a stay apparatus<\/strong>, which allows the horse to sleep standing while taking turns to rest one of its legs at a time. Horses often rest their rear legs, one at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    By resting a leg, it can relieve some excessive pressure due to the adult horse’s body weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When horses spend too much time standing, they can’t enter REM sleep, which can cause sleep deprivation. We can tell the horse is in REM sleep when they experience rapid eye movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Horses have to sleep a few hours a day, but many horses have to remain awake for prolonged periods when in small stables where there isn’t enough space to use a lying position required for REM sleep. So, most horses can take standing naps by using their stay apparatus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Horses rest standing, but it may seem strange to see a horse in the seated position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Do Horses Sit?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \"horse<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    While horses can snooze standing, they don’t actually enter the sitting position<\/strong>. Instead, horses that seem to be sitting are actually about to get up from lying down.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Since horses have relatively thin legs compared to their large size, these land mammals place a lot of strain on their four legs during the process of getting up from a lying down position to standing. So in order to make the process a little easier on their body, horses sit for a brief period before getting all the way up.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    What Causes a Horse to Stand on Its Hind Legs?<\/a><\/blockquote>