Sleeping on the Job

I am exceptionally well equipped for sleeping.

I can curl up in my snuggly little cat bed. Stretch out in a patch of sunshine in the barn aisle. Make myself comfortable on a saddle pad. Curl up under a bush when it gets really hot.

And then there’s the hay cart.

I can get very comfortable in the hay cart.

Now that treats have apparently been banned around here, I might as well devote more time to one of my greatest talents.

Sleeping.

Which got me thinking about the horses.

They sleep standing up.

Standing up.

I feel a little bad for them.

It turns out, though, I may have judged their sleeping arrangements a little too quickly.

Horses actually sleep both standing up and lying down. A special system of tendons and ligaments in their legs called the “stay apparatus” allows them to relax and doze while standing without falling over.

Very clever.

And there’s a good reason for it. Horses are prey animals, so being able to rest while standing means they can move quickly if they sense danger. But standing sleep only gets them so far. When horses need deep, dreaming REM sleep, they have to lie down.

Now that makes more sense to me.

Horses generally lie down for shorter periods of time, getting the deep sleep they need before getting back on their feet. So while their sleeping habits look very different from mine, it turns out horses are actually pretty well equipped for sleeping, too.

I still say I’m better at it.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, there goes the hay cart.