{"id":4571,"date":"2022-07-29T04:12:58","date_gmt":"2022-07-29T04:12:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/petbrilliant.com\/?p=4571"},"modified":"2022-07-29T04:16:21","modified_gmt":"2022-07-29T04:16:21","slug":"how-long-can-a-horse-lay-down-before-it-dies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/petbrilliant.com\/how-long-can-a-horse-lay-down-before-it-dies\/","title":{"rendered":"How Long Can a Horse Lay Down Before It Dies?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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While lying flat, a horse’s internal organs undergo enormous pressure. Blood flow to specific areas is blocked, which prevents the organism from functioning properly. As such, the longer a horse lies down, the more risk it faces from reperfusion injury. Depending on several factors, a horse’s lying down period may last from a few hours to several days. Several factors may influence this period, including age, familiar surroundings, feeding habits, and transportation.<\/p>\n
Before the big day arrives, you must observe your horse’s behavior and REM cycle to know whether it’s healthy or not. A horse that is in deep sleep is not an emergency; it is simply taking a nap to meet its quota for the day. The REM sleep cycle lasts between two and three hours, during which the horse is in the REM stage. Horses lie on their sides during this phase of sleep, and they typically lay down for ten to thirty minutes at a time.<\/p>\n
When a horse lies down, the pressure it puts on its internal organs is tremendous, and the blood flow is restricted, preventing the organism from functioning. For this reason, the longer the horse lies down, the more likely it is to suffer a reperfusion injury, in which blood is not allowed to reach specific parts. Depending on the age of the horse and its surroundings, a horse may lie down for several hours or even a few days.<\/p>\n
To understand the importance of REM sleep in horses, it is important to understand what makes it so special. REM sleep is crucial for their physical and mental recovery, and horses require three hours of deep sleep each day to remain healthy. A horse may get only one or two hours of REM sleep per day, but can reach this stage at different intervals throughout the day. And horses will spend two to three hours each day in the REM stage, so you’ll need to monitor them closely to ensure that they get enough of this vital stage.<\/p>\n
Although horses can stand up and sleep, they do not like lying down while snoozing. While they sleep, they must remain alert to avoid predators. They can’t afford to spend the time on their legs or get off their backs to turn over. That’s why they prefer to lie down during the REM phase. If they do happen to stand up during this time, they’ll collapse.<\/p>\n