- The horse, named Little Star, likes to lie completely on its side and appear 'dead' and fool its owners
- The Corolla Wild Horse Fund said horses prefer REM sleep while lying on the ground and take short naps while standing.
A North Carolina horse was caught on camera playing a naughty prank on his owners and scaring them.
The horse, called Little Star, prefers to lie completely on its side and appears 'dead', but is soon back on its four legs.
A Facebook video of the horse being caught red-handed was released last week by the Corolla Wild Horse Fund and has been viewed thousands of times.
The video was subtitled: 'Little Star (who lives on the farm) likes to sleep in the winter like a beached whale in the sun.
“She's always done it, but it's still completely disturbing every time we see her like this. All winter long you'll randomly hear us say “Star!” call. just to make sure we still get an ear twitch or an irritated look in our direction.”
The horse, called Little Star, likes to lie completely on its side and appears 'dead', but is soon back on its four legs
According to Meg Puckett, manager of the fund's herd of more than a hundred wild mustangs, horses like to take short naps while standing, but prefer to get REM sleep while lying down.
She wrote in the Facebook post: 'Horses have a ligament in their hind legs that locks in place, allowing them to nap while standing, but they can only get REM sleep when lying down.
'In winter you often see them lying down to keep warm, especially when the sun is shining. Horses, like humans, can develop health problems from lack of sleep, so it's important that they feel safe enough to get those deep Zzzzz's on a regular basis. They need between 30 and 60 minutes of REM sleep per day.
'We are happy that Little Star feels so comfortable with us that she can sleep like this every day, even though it often gives us heart attacks.'
According to Meg Puckett, manager of the fund's herd of more than a hundred wild mustangs, horses like to take short naps while standing, but prefer to get REM sleep while lying down.
Little Star joined the Fund in 2017 with a small group from Dews Island in the Currituck Sound
The Corolla Wild Horse Fund ensures that horses are removed from the wild for health or safety reasons.
Little Star joined the Fund in 2017 with a small group from Dews Island in the Currituck Sound.
The Corolla Wild Horses can be seen on the northern beaches of Corolla and Carova and this area is only accessible by four-wheeled self-driving vehicles.
Visitors are prohibited from feeding the horses, and the Fund recommends that spectators remain at least 15 meters away from the horses.