Can Horses Sit? (Revealed!)

Yes, horses can sit. However, they will only take a sitting position on their own when they are getting up from lying down. They will not get into a sitting position on their own without assistance and training.

I knew horses do at least occasionally lie down, but I had no idea sitting is such a foreign concept for them.

It is even more intriguing that they can be taught to sit with some training, evoking more questions, like do they like to sit?

Read on for more answers.

Why don’t horses sit on their own?

The truth is, horses are not anatomically conditioned for sitting.

They can not bend their back legs to lower themselves to a sitting position, they simply have too much weight to bear in that position and would likely crash to the ground rather than lower into their hind end.

That, of course, is not a good situation for anyone.

Even if you see a horse in what looks like a sitting position, they only get into this position on their own if they are moving from lying down to standing up, never in the opposite direction.

The usual way a horse stands up is to prop themselves on their outstretched front legs while swiveling their back legs underneath them.

This is when you might find your horse looking most like it is sitting down, but remember they are actually getting ready to stand up!

From there, the horse will shift forward and come up onto their hind legs as well.

It is important to give a horse some room to execute this – you don’t want to get bumped or stepped on as they move their weight around!

When do horses lie down?

Contrary to popular belief, horses will lie down to sleep.

They can sleep standing up, but they will also lie down for deeper sleep or REM sleep when they feel it is safe.

Horses need about two to three hours of REM sleep per day, which they get in short naps while lying down.

Because horses are a prey animal with a strong flight instinct to protect them, horses will only lie down to sleep when they feel it is safe.

Often this means another horse is nearby, effectively keeping watch.

Horses may also lie down when they are experiencing discomfort or pain.

Lying down, for example, is one sign a horse is experiencing colic, a serious gastrointestinal upset that can result in death if not treated appropriately.

On a happier note, horses will also lie down for comfort!

They will lie down and roll around for a good stretch and to have some fun, particularly if there is a perfectly sunny spot to enjoy the warmth, or even a tempting mud puddle for the playful ones, much to their owner’s chagrin.

How do horses relax?

Horses do not have to sit, as we know, or even lie down to relax.

They can even sleep standing up.

They do this by locking 3 legs with what is known as their “stay apparatus” and resting the fourth to give it a break.

This stay apparatus also makes the horse more stable – meaning there’s less risk they will fall over and hurt themselves while resting a leg or sleeping!

One sign a horse is relaxing is when you see them licking and chewing.

This happens because they have experienced a change in their system that gave them a stress release and stimulated their saliva production, prompting them to lick and chew.

Yawning, just like humans, is another good sign that your horse has relaxed.

If you are paying close attention to your horse’s behaviors and habits you will quickly catch on to how to tell that they are beginning to relax, even if you never catch them lying down.

How do you teach a horse to sit?

Teaching a horse to sit can be a long process since it is not a natural stance for a horse.

It is important to be patient as the horse learns what you are asking them to do, particularly because you are asking them to get into a vulnerable position.

An established trainer, equipped with ample treats and plenty of time, will begin to teach a horse to sit by backing them against a secure object, like stacked bales of hay, a bit lower than the horse’s hind end while standing.

Over time, with positive reinforcement and plenty of breaks, the horse will learn that they can lean their weight against this object.

Eventually they will trust the trainer and object behind them to rest their weight on it and take a sitting position.

This is an advanced trick that fights a horses’ instincts, so definitely consult someone who has done this work before and test out teaching other tricks to your horse before trying this one!

Do horses like to sit?

Generally, an animal trained via positive reinforcement, treated well, and rewarded accordingly will derive some satisfaction from completing a task they are given.

Beyond that, it is hard to say whether horses in general like to sit, at least once they know how.

Each owner will be the best judge of whether their horse enjoys any particular task or trick.

Because horses are not made to sit and do not sit on their own our best guess is that horses don’t mind skipping out on sitting.

They may not know what they are missing, but we do know they have plenty of other ways they can rest, relax, and have fun!