HELP YOUR HORSE SLEEP BETTER
Just about any working adult appreciates a good night’s sleep, and a whole industry has grown up to help us achieve that goal: From custom-stuffed pillows to white noise machines, there’s no end to the products and services designed to ensure restorative slumber.
Concern about sleep rarely extends to our horses, however. We know that rest is important to equine health but pretty much leave it up to our horses to get the sleep they need. And that can be a problem. Bustling modern barns and equestrian facilities aren’t always conducive to normal equine sleep patterns, and it can be particularly difficult for horses to get rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.
The deepest and most restorative phase of slumber, REM sleep is vital to a horse’s well-being. But to achieve REM sleep, a horse must lie down---either in sternal recumbency or flat out on his side. That means he won’t get enough by dozing while standing in the paddock or in a trailer between classes at a horse show.
