How do horses sleep while standing up? What anatomical features allow them to rest in this position?

Question

For us humans, it is involuntary that we lie down or fall down when we sleep. How can horses do it while standing up? Isn’t it tiring for them?

In: Biology

Answer 1

Horses have a special set of ligaments that humans don’t have that allow the joints to lock into place. This allows them to sleep standing up.

Horses also typically require about 20-30 minutes/day of lying down REM sleep.