SLEEP is often overlooked in horse management, yet new research suggests it may have a significant impact on both welfare and performance. A recent study published in Scientific Reportsfound that horses receiving less rapid eye movement (REM) sleep showed reduced motivation and persistence when faced with challenging learning tasks. Horses that achieved more than around 30 minutes of REM sleep per night were more likely to keep working through difficult exercises, while those with shorter REM sleep tended to give up sooner, despite being otherwise healthy and showing no obvious sleep problems.

Like people, horses rely on sleep to support brain function, mood and learning. While they can doze standing up, the deeper REM phase, associated with memory, learning and neurological recovery, only occurs when the horse lies down. Adult horses typically sleep for just two and a half to five hours in total each day, with only a small proportion spent in REM sleep. That makes the quality of their rest particularly important.