Why Horses Should “Hit the Hay”

We’ve all heard the phrase “hit the hay”. The importance of having a good night’s sleep is something most people are aware of, as it affects our health, mood and ability to function normally if we’re sleep-deprived.

This is relevant in the equine world too, as it’s just as important for horses to have a good night’s sleep. You may think “hit the hay” originates from the way horses sleep. However, this isn’t the case! It was first used in the early 1900s, when bed for a lot of poorer families meant a sack stuffed with straw or hay as a mattress.

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The American author, George Ade, described how a character in his 1902 novel, People You Know, “crawled into the hay at 9.30 pm,” after reading a book and smoking a cigar. A report in the Oakland Tribune in 1903 revealed how the Olympic heavyweight boxer, Sam Berger, described going to bed as “hitting the hay”.

The phrase is commonly used today, even though most people don’t know its origins and may associate it with stables. Ironically, horses don’t always hit the hay to sleep and can doze while standing up!

 

How do horses sleep?

Unlike humans, horses don’t sleep in one long nightly bout and they can also sleep standing up. Scientists have set up sleep-labs for horses, using brainwave technology similar to that used on people, to monitor their sleeping patterns.

A horse has two different sleep types: Slow Wave Sleep known as SWS and Rapid Eye Movement or REM sleep, the same as humans experience. The SWS can occur while the horse is standing, lying down on the sternum or lying completely flat.

When lying flat, the horse can then fall into a “deep sleep”. At this point, the SWS is replaced by REM sleep. The horse must be lying flat, rather than on their sternum, to experience REM, because all the muscles can relax completely at this stage.

This REM stage helps the horses to promote glycogen uptake in tired muscles to help them recover. This process takes twice as long in horses compared with people. The REM sleep enables memory processing, aiding the horses’ ability to learn.

Just like humans, horses’ sleep patterns can vary, depending on the season. For example, they may want to sleep more in winter, when it gets darker earlier and it’s colder outside. In summer, when dawn arrives much earlier, your horse may sleep less.

 

Does poor sleep affect a horse’s mood?

Studies of show-jumping horses found their performance deteriorated significantly when they had spent less time sleeping before the event. They produced slower rounds and more jumping faults in competitions.

Researchers estimate the effects of poor sleep are even more significant the higher the level of performance, such as among professional show jumpers.

As well as the physical impact of a lack of sleep, horses suffer a mental impact too, just like people. It can affect their mood and productivity. In fact, the symptoms have been wrongly diagnosed as the incurable, abrupt condition of collapse, known as narcolepsy, in severe cases.

Sleep deprivation can cause the horse to enter REM while standing up. Their knees may buckle or they may actually collapse, causing grazes on both front knees and fetlocks from the impact of falling.

A lack of sleep can have a severe impact on the horses’ mood. They may not feel like eating and there will be a reduction in other normal behaviour. Generally lethargic, they may not respond to regular stimuli. A sleep-deprived horse may also have a weakened immune system.

 

Why might your horse not sleep well?

Studies have revealed stressed horses are less likely to sleep well. Their anxiety can be caused by feeling isolated, or by having companions they don’t get on with. If they’re feeling stressed, it reduces the amount of times they feel comfortable enough to lie down and relax.

As a horse owner, you can help your horse to relax and sleep better by checking their stable layout and making sure it’s conducive to comfort. Often, standard stable installations could be inadequate for larger horses, as they may not feel comfortable enough to lie down. The floor space and bedding area can have a large influence on whether they will lie down or not.

Horses need a comfy and clean bed to sleep on. If they won’t lie down because they don’t feel comfortable, this means they will have only SWS light sleep and may never enter the REM stage. This is why many horse owners choose a comfortable stall flooring such as horse, animal and stable rubber matting. Adding insulation and a comfort layer to a hard concrete stable floor, this can improve your horse’s overall resting experience.

The other benefits of rubber stable matting include the fact it’s easier to clean and you’ll need to use only around 20% of your normal bedding.