Horses do not lie down to sleep at night
It is an inherent quality in very active animals such as horses to stay alert in every situation, even during a nap. In most cases they do not lie down, like other animals, when they are sleeping. But the question is: why do sleeping horses stand during the night?
Horses are prey to some animals. When a herd of horses is attacked by a predator, precious time would be lost just by stopping. As a result, the horses sleep standing up, thus fleeing quickly when they are attacked.
The habit of horses to stand while sleeping is also seen in animals found in domestic herds. It is an instinct in them to sleep without lying down.
Horses cannot get up quickly if they are lying down. In order to be vigilant for possible attacks by their enemies, they remain in the standing position, even asleep.
Horses sometimes take naps lying down for short periods during the day, in order to rest their legs. They are also found stretching their bodies in these brief periods under the sun. However, when they sleep at night, they will always be found on their legs.
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It is an inherent quality in very active animals such as horses to stay alert in every situation, even during a nap. In most cases they do not lie down, like other animals, when they are sleeping. But the question is: why do sleeping horses stand during the night?
Horses are prey to some animals. When a herd of horses is attacked by a predator, precious time would be lost just by stopping. As a result, the horses sleep standing up, thus fleeing quickly when they are attacked.
The habit of horses to stand while sleeping is also seen in animals found in domestic herds. It is an instinct in them to sleep without lying down.
Horses cannot get up quickly if they are lying down. In order to be vigilant for possible attacks by their enemies, they remain in the standing position, even asleep.
Horses sometimes take naps lying down for short periods during the day, in order to rest their legs. They are also found stretching their bodies in these brief periods under the sun. However, when they sleep at night, they will always be found on their legs.
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