Pony on a Moon Swing coloring page

About this coloring page

This moon swing pony looks ready for sweet dreams, and real horses need their sleep too, though they get it in a surprising way. Much of a horse’s rest happens standing up, with eyes half closed, head drooping and one hind leg resting on the tip of its hoof.

They can do that thanks to a clever system of tendons and ligaments called the stay apparatus. It locks the big joints of the legs so a horse can relax its muscles without falling over and without using much energy. If danger shows up, the horse is already on its feet and ready to run.

For the deepest kind of sleep, the REM sleep linked with dreaming in people, horses have to lie down. They do it in short stretches, usually when they feel safe, and in a herd one horse often stays standing on lookout while friends nap.

All in all, an adult horse sleeps only a few hours a day, split into many little naps. A horse that never feels safe enough to lie down can become sleep deprived, so a comfortable, calm place to rest really matters.

• pony
• moon
• stars
• bedtime
• kids