Super Cute Horse Talks In Her Sleep

Have you ever seen a horse dreaming? Rarely do we see horses lying flat on the floor sleeping as this video's one does! They dream just like us, it's something that shouldn't surprise you, since every living body has needs, which can be adjusted to the animal's anatomy, or sometimes require some human similarities with which they can feel more comfortable. You have to see it! What will it be dreaming?Show more

Thanks to its "passive static apparatus" horses can sleep deeply standing without losing their balance, but in order to dream in the "REM sleep" phase the animals have to lie down or lie down. To be able to rest properly a horse needs in its stable an area of at least 10 square meters.

Many owners are unaware that their horses can sleep soundly while standing, but that they are only able to dream when lying down. During their resting periods the horses have between two and four sleep cycles, waking up between each other for short periods of time.

It is in the summer months when the high temperatures cause that the rest periods occupy more time in the life of the horses, although in an adult animal and that is in a good state of health the average rest usually oscillates between the 7 and 9 hours daily, although as it is logical in colts and young animals the need of rest is usually greater.

While standing horses enjoy deep sleep phases that help them to recover physically, although these rest periods do not usually last more than a couple of consecutive minutes, since during them there is an "impasse" in the perception of sensory impressions which means that during that time the animal is very vulnerable.

Only when the horses feel really safe is when they decide to lie down to enter what is called "REM sleep" (Rapid Eye Movements), during which time they manage to recover mentally and process all the impressions received. Although each animal has its own sleep-wake rhythm, adult horses generally only lie down for a couple of hours a day, a behaviour that usually occurs sometime between zero and six o'clock.

During the "REM sleep" muscle relaxation becomes total and for this the horse must be lying either on the side or lying on the chest. Curiously enough, if there is any danger of this phase, the animals can wake up much faster than from a deep sleep, which would explain why this last rest is done standing. In REM phase the eyes of the horses experience very fast movements - hence its name - and even some specimens move their legs as if they were running.

In some occasions the horses of advanced age or that live in reduced spaces and that therefore have difficulties to lie down can get to collapse during the dream REM by effect of the muscular relaxation, although in these concrete cases it is necessary to consult with the veterinarian to discard that it could be a pathological alteration of the dream or narcolepsia.

For the correct rest of the stabled horses, it is necessary that the animals have to lie down on a surface of approximately 10 square meters, since otherwise they will make all the rest standing with the problems that may arise in the long term. And it is then when it will be necessary to go to the experts who work with the sleep units for horses, which intervene in cases where the animals show problems when correctly performing their sleep phases. If we do not want to reach this point the best thing is that the facilities where our horses live and rest have an adequate surface.

Ever wonder what horses dream about? Check it out!