Podcast Summary: "But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids"

Episode: Why do horses sleep standing up?
Host: Jane Lindholm (Vermont Public)
Release Date: October 3, 2025
Special Guest: Sonja Nowak, Owner and Riding Instructor, Hestasnild (Horse Genius) Riding School, Iceland

Episode Overview

In this lively and informative episode, host Jane Lindholm travels to Iceland to answer kids' many questions about horses—including the central mystery: why do horses sleep standing up? With the help of Sonja Nowak, an Icelandic riding instructor and horse expert, the show explores everything from horse history, breeds, and anatomy, to sleeping habits, unique Icelandic gaits, and how horses communicate with humans. The answers are guided by curious kids’ recorded questions, making for a fun, accessible, and fact-packed exploration for young listeners (and adults, too!).

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Special Story of Icelandic Horses

• Unique History
  • Icelandic horses were brought by Vikings over a thousand years ago and have been kept as a pure breed ever since.
  • Quote:
    • "All Icelandic horses that leave Iceland, they may never come back. So it's a very pure breed and probably the purest breed in the world." — Sonja Nowak (04:46)
• Adaptations
  • These horses have thick fur and manes for surviving harsh Icelandic winters.
  • They're small and sturdy—"but most Icelandic people would be annoyed if you called them ponies!" (06:15)

2. Horse Anatomy: Why Do They Have Tails, Manes, and Hooves?

• Tails & Manes
  • Primarily for protection: tails swat flies; manes and thick coats keep out rain and cold.
  • "The tail is very important for the horse to push away the flies...and when horses bite each other, it is giving kind of protection." — Sonja (09:24)
• Hooves
  • Structure: bones, tendons, ligaments, with an outer wall of tough keratin (like fingernails).
  • Hoof care: wild hooves wear down naturally, but domestic horses often wear shoes to avoid injury.
  • "Their shoes are metal and just go right around that hard outer wall of the hoof. They help protect the horse's foot, especially on pavement or other surfaces..." — Jane (12:11)
• Legs
  • Horses actually "walk on their toes"! The joint that bends on their lower legs is more like an ankle than a knee.

3. Eating Habits & Digestion

• What Do Horses Eat?
  • Mainly grass and hay; some get extra supplements or vitamins.
  • "They eat mostly grass and hay, which is, of course, dried grass. That's what they eat mostly." — Sonja (13:21)
• Grass Digestion
  • Horses have a different digestive system that allows them to get energy from grass—humans can't. (14:02)
• Tasting
  • Horses can taste sweet, sour, salty, and bitter.
  • They love sweet things, but avoid bitter (and potentially poisonous) plants (14:26).

4. Movement, Strides, and Gaits

• Galloping & Jumping
  • Galloping helps horses escape predators and have fun.
  • Not all horses love jumping—it's often personality-dependent.
  • "With the Icelandic horse, we don't jump much...some of them just love it." — Sonja (18:22)
• Swimming
  • Horses can swim, and some even enjoy it! Swimming is good for their joints and rehabilitation (19:08).
• Unique Icelandic Gaits
  • Icelandic horses can perform special gaits—the "tölt" and "pace"—in addition to the standard walk, trot, canter, and gallop.
  • Tölt: smooth, always at least one foot on the ground, "like sitting on a slightly moving sofa." — Sonja (26:21)
  • Pace: extremely fast, often used in short bursts on straight runs.
  • Live demonstration in-ring by Sonja and her horse Krumi (29:54).

5. Horse Senses, Fears, and Safety

• Snakes & Ground Dangers
  • Horses are naturally afraid of snakes—or anything around their feet—because foot injuries threaten their survival. Their eyes also leave them with "blind spots" in front, below, and behind, so they can't see everything near their feet (23:12).
• Different Breeds
  • Wide breed diversity is due to adaptation to climates, humans’ selection for specific traits (work, riding style, etc.), and varied landscapes (23:53).
  • The most popular horse breed globally is thought to be the American Quarter Horse (24:50).

6. Communication and Training

• Non-verbal cues
  • Tools like whips aren't for hurting, but for extending the rider’s reach in gentle communication.
  • "It's more thought about being a longer hand. For me...that I can help the horse to understand what I want." — Sonja (20:08)
  • The best horsemanship is so subtle observers "don't see what the rider does and the horse does a lot of stuff" (21:42).

7. Central Question: Why Do Horses Sleep Standing Up?

• Answer:
  • Horses sleep standing due to a special ability to "lock" their legs, allowing them to rest without falling.
  • This adaptation lets them quickly escape predators, as lying down makes them vulnerable.
  • For deep (REM) sleep, horses do lie down briefly. In a group, some horses stand watch while others rest.
  • Quote:
    • "It's also very important for them that they could run away very fast when some predator would come...when they really want to sleep and get REM sleep, they need to lay down for that, and that's mostly for a short time." — Sonja (15:24)

8. Fun & Notable Moments

• Jane’s banter with Twister the horse:
  • "Twister would like to eat my sweater and the microphone." (04:19)
• Horse shedding:
  • "They shed like a dog."
  • "Yes, more. You could probably do a pillow out of it." — (10:25)
• Icelandic pride:
  • "I think it's very important...I really like them all. They are very, very different characters. And I want them to be. And it's okay to be different characters. That makes it so fun." — Sonja (25:35)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Icelandic Horse Breed Purity:
  "All Icelandic horses that leave Iceland, they may never come back. So it's a very pure breed and probably the purest breed in the world."
  — Sonja Nowak (04:46)

• On Tails as Protection:
  "The tail is very important for the horse to push away the flies...and when horses bite each other, it is giving kind of protection."
  — Sonja (09:24)

• On Communication with Horses:
  "It's more thought about being a longer hand...it's just helping us to communicate. Exactly. And that of course, always it's the goal for us to have and do as little as possible."
  — Sonja (21:42)

• On Sleeping Standing Up:
  "It's also very important for them that they could run away very fast when some predator would come...when they really want to sleep and get REM sleep, they need to lay down for that, and that's mostly for a short time." — Sonja (15:24)

• Fun with Horse Personalities:
  "Everyone has its qualities, like people."
  — Sonja (25:59)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:50] Introductions at the Icelandic riding school, meeting the horses
• [04:46] Icelandic horse history and breed purity
• [06:32] Adaptations to Iceland’s climate
• [08:01] Why are horses so big?
• [09:20] Purpose of tails and manes
• [10:41] How do horse legs move?
• [12:11] What are hooves made of?
• [13:21] What do horses eat?
• [14:02] Why can horses eat grass?
• [15:24] Why do horses sleep standing up?
• [18:04] How and why do horses jump?
• [19:08] Can horses swim?
• [20:08] Do whips hurt horses?
• [23:12] Why are horses afraid of snakes/ground dangers?
• [24:50] Most popular horse breeds
• [26:21] Demonstration and explanation of Icelandic gaits (tölt and pace)
• [29:54] On-location riding demonstration: trot, gallop, pace

Conclusion

This episode provides an accessible yet thorough look at everything kids want to know about horses, with vivid stories and enthusiastic answers from someone who knows horses inside and out. Whether it's about standing-up sleeping, unique breeds, or how to communicate gently with a horse, Sonja and Jane’s infectious curiosity and warmth make the world of horses come alive for young listeners.

Stay Curious! If you have a question, send it in—maybe you’ll be featured on a future episode.