Rest behavior.
Abstract: Behavioral and physiologic characteristics of sleep are described, with special attention paid to equids. Temporal organization of sleep and environmental influences upon this behavior in horses are reviewed. Anatomic and biochemical bases and function of sleep are discussed briefly.
Publication Date: 1986-12-01 PubMed ID: 3492247DOI: 10.1016/s0749-0739(17)30708-3Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
This research addresses the various aspects of sleep behavior, with a strong focus on horses (equids). The factors studied include the physical and behavioral aspects of sleep, how sleep is organized over time, and the impact of environment on sleep behavior in horses. The study also briefly explores the anatomical and biochemical basis of sleep, as well as its functions.
Behavioral and Physiologic Characteristics
- The study first delves into the behavioral and physiological aspects of sleep. This includes things like the stages of sleep, sleep cycles, sleep quality, and the physical changes that occur during sleep. For horses, this might also include sleeping positions and patterns.
Temporal Organization of Sleep
- The research paper also looks at how sleep is organized in terms of time, i.e., clock-based sleep rhythms. This could pertain to the periods of deep sleep, light sleep, and periods of wakefulness within a sleep cycle and how those cycles are spread throughout the day. Understanding this pattern is crucial to understanding sleep behavior in horses.
Environmental Influences
- Next, the study discusses how environmental factors can impact sleep behavior in horses. Things like light, temperature, noise, and other environmental conditions can significantly affect the sleep patterns of animals and humans alike.
Anatomic and Biochemical Bases
- No study of sleep is complete without understanding the anatomic and biochemical bases of sleep. This may include the study of the brain structures involved in sleep and the biochemical processes and reactions that take place during sleep. Here, the paper discusses this aspect briefly, which means it provides an overview but doesn’t necessarily delve into detailed analysis or findings.
Function of Sleep
- Lastly, the function or purpose of sleep is discussed in the study. This is quite a broad area and may consider things like restoration and repair of the body, memory consolidation, energy conservation, etc. The specific functions discussed would depend on the wider context of the study.
Cite This Article
APA
Dallaire A.
(1986).
Rest behavior.
Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract, 2(3), 591-607.
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0749-0739(17)30708-3 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Arousal
- Behavior, Animal
- Electroencephalography
- Horses
- Posture
- Rest
- Sleep
- Sleep Stages
- Social Environment
- Wakefulness
Citations
This article has been cited 17 times.- Mactaggart AG, Phillips CJC. Validating a Thoroughbred Racehorse Welfare Index through Horse Behaviour and Trainers' Reports of Welfare Issues in Their Horses. Animals (Basel) 2023 Jan 13;13(2).
- Turghan MA, Jiang Z, Niu Z. An Update on Status and Conservation of the Przewalski's Horse (Equus ferus przewalskii): Captive Breeding and Reintroduction Projects. Animals (Basel) 2022 Nov 15;12(22).
- Greening L, McBride S. A Review of Equine Sleep: Implications for Equine Welfare. Front Vet Sci 2022;9:916737.
- Kjellberg L, Yngvesson J, Sassner H, Morgan K. Horses' Use of Lying Halls and Time Budget in Relation to Available Lying Area. Animals (Basel) 2021 Nov 10;11(11).
- Kelemen Z, Grimm H, Long M, Auer U, Jenner F. Recumbency as an Equine Welfare Indicator in Geriatric Horses and Horses with Chronic Orthopaedic Disease. Animals (Basel) 2021 Nov 8;11(11).
- Kelemen Z, Grimm H, Vogl C, Long M, Cavalleri JMV, Auer U, Jenner F. Equine Activity Time Budgets: The Effect of Housing and Management Conditions on Geriatric Horses and Horses with Chronic Orthopaedic Disease. Animals (Basel) 2021 Jun 23;11(7).
- Contreras-Aguilar MD, Lamy E, Escribano D, Cerón JJ, Tecles F, Quiles AJ, Hevia ML. Changes in Salivary Analytes of Horses Due to Circadian Rhythm and Season: A Pilot Study. Animals (Basel) 2020 Aug 24;10(9).
- Murase H, Matsui A, Endo Y, Sato F, Hada T. Changes of lying behavior in Thoroughbred foals influenced by age, pasturing time, and weather conditions. J Equine Sci 2018 Sep;29(3):61-66.
- Burla JB, Rufener C, Bachmann I, Gygax L, Patt A, Hillmann E. Space Allowance of the Littered Area Affects Lying Behavior in Group-Housed Horses. Front Vet Sci 2017;4:23.
- Gravett N, Bhagwandin A, Sutcliffe R, Landen K, Chase MJ, Lyamin OI, Siegel JM, Manger PR. Inactivity/sleep in two wild free-roaming African elephant matriarchs - Does large body size make elephants the shortest mammalian sleepers?. PLoS One 2017;12(3):e0171903.
- Murphy BA, Vick MM, Sessions DR, Cook RF, Fitzgerald BP. Evidence of an oscillating peripheral clock in an equine fibroblast cell line and adipose tissue but not in peripheral blood. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2006 Jul;192(7):743-51.
- Schuurman SO, Kersten W, Weijs WA. The equine hind limb is actively stabilized during standing. J Anat 2003 Apr;202(4):355-62.
- Hämäläinen MJ, Brotherus IL, Wigren HM, Kaimio TE, Suomala H, Olbricht AM, Hänninen LT, Mykkänen AK. Effect of horse sleep behavior on performance in a field-side spatial reversal learning test. Sci Rep 2026 Jan 6;16(1):4265.
- Roig-Pons M, Bachmann I, Freymond SB. Impact of feeding strategies on the welfare and behaviour of horses in groups: An experimental study. PLoS One 2025;20(6):e0325928.
- Hayakawa S, Kataoka K, Yamamoto M, Asahi T, Suzuki T. DeepLabCut-based daily behavioural and posture analysis in a cricket. Biol Open 2024 Apr 15;13(4).
- Fenner K, Wilson BJ, Ermers C, McGreevy PD. Reported Agonistic Behaviours in Domestic Horses Cluster According to Context. Animals (Basel) 2024 Feb 16;14(4).
- Helmerich P, Bachmann I, Gygax L. Comparing lying behaviour of young riding horses on days in an individual indoor box, on an outdoor paddock alone, or in pairs and in the following night. Equine Vet J 2025 Jan;57(1):277-281.
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists