By Jon Conklin • Updated • 6–8 min read
Horses sleep in short bursts, nap standing, and only grab REM when they lie down. When travel, pain, or barn chaos steals those minutes, performance slips. Here’s how to recognize sleep debt and tune your routine for better rest and recovery.
Many healthy adult horses rack up several hours of light sleep across 24 hours and a smaller amount of REM (often under an hour total) in short, lying-down bouts. Foals and seniors may need more.
Provide dry, comfortable bedding and enough space to lie flat. Reduce overnight noise/light changes and stabilize turnout groups before big weeks.
Keep feeding times consistent. Avoid late-night schooling unless you’re matching show hours. Plan quiet blocks after hauling.
If a horse rarely lies down, rule out pain (back, hocks, stifles), ulcers, or footing problems—and loop in your veterinarian as needed.
Comfort drives rest. After heavy work or travel, use sensation-free, show-safe topical care to keep post-ride routines calm. Gentle hand-walking and a predictable cool-down help the nervous system settle, making lying down more likely later.
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They doze standing thanks to the stay apparatus, but they need to lie down for REM sleep. Provide safe footing and quiet time so they’ll lie down.
Watch for knee-buckling dozes, attitude changes, reluctance to lie down, and slower recovery after work. If in doubt, consult your veterinarian.
New neighbors, bright lights, late classes, frequent announcements, and pain from heavy work or hauling. Control what you can: routine, comfort, and calm post-ride care.
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