# Running Sheep With Horses



## Auric (Jul 18, 2005)

I'll be picking up 3 lambs this week. I'm new to sheep and wonder if there are any issues with pasturing sheep with horses, or in this case, one pony. We have a 3 yr. old mare that is (human) friendly. I don't know how she'll respond to sharing space with the lambs, but I know to watch for that. I don't initially plan to put the Katahdins in with her, but I wondered if there is any health reasons that I should NOT eventually allow them to run together. Can anyone offer advice?


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## fordson major (Jul 12, 2003)

we have three horses out with the sheep. the mare hates dogs but loves her flock !! she is great protection . i would grain the horse seperate from the sheep and sheep can not eat horse mineral , other than that a graduel introduction to the sheep so she does not run them .


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## littlebitfarm (Mar 21, 2005)

My horses run with my sheep. I have not had a problem. Even foals and young horses weren't a problem.

Kathie


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## Celtic Herritag (Jul 14, 2005)

There are no health problesms in fact keeping a horse with sheep or other rummanient animal will keep your worm population down for each specie. The horse parasites are killed in the sheep stomach, and the sheep parasites are killed in the horse stomach. Sheep have a lower need for copper than horses so watch out for a sheep geting into a horses food and vice versa. As far as trace mineral blocks you can usually find one approved for horses and sheep. How old are the sheep? If they're about 80 pounds i'd say they'd be okay with a pony, but if you are going to have pregnant mommas and newborns i wouldn't mix the species. If you plan on introducing them I would advise separating them with a solid fence for a few days until they become bored with each other. Bring the mare into the sheep's paddock and lead her around the perimeter, she'll be reminded of the paddock's fences and areas, and you can watch the sheep and horse interaction. If it is posotive, no kicking or agressiveness, timidness is okay. Take her lead rope off and watch how they react, you should have no problems, but just keep an eye out. Good luck with your lambs.


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## quailkeeper (Aug 18, 2004)

Be extremely careful introducing your sheep to your horse. I intend to run mine with some colts one day but I would be leery of putting them with full grown horses who have never been around sheep before. I watched my mom's fully broke horses attack and stomp my dexter calf (about same size as young lamb) almost to death. They are as gentle as can be and are now buddies with my calves. If I were you I would tie your horse in a small pasture and let one lamb out with her. See how she reacts to close contact with the sheep (don't **** it on her). More than likely it will be lonely and walk right up to her. After a couple of hours untie the horse. I would leave her with only one for several days before introducing her to the others.


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## Slev (Nov 29, 2003)

When I contacted the American Sheep Institiute, I asked them for what animals were ranked as good sheep protection/livestock guardians. Their responce put horses at the very bottom of the list. 

When we bought our 7 year old mare, she had been raised with sheep, and is very protective of our flock. (Even our LGD's give yield to her when she is in protect mode. 

I will say this, I have seen her after she gets ticked off that the sheep went to another paddock without her, or that she could not go to -get "nippy" a bit at the wool on their backs, but nothing too dredful. She did kick our old "Big Momma" ewe that has survived even a cougar attack, but that was when the horse thought the old sheep was trying to eat her hay. 

I'd say, do it, but keep an eye on things for a few days. And you might even want to "create" situations so you can see different reactions the horse would have. My personal thought is you are going to have more poblems with the sheep accepting the horse than the other way around.

Good Luck...


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## LeahN (Oct 18, 2003)

Horses and sheep work great together in terms of parasite control. We had one horse that I wouldn't trust with any sheep other than the adult rams, as she killed a lamb and tore the ear off a goat. The other horses get along just fine (so here it was a 1/20 horses that didn't work out) and are in with the sheep, including newborn lambs.
Do not leave horse minerals or feed out for sheep to get, and don't leave a sheep mineral or feed containing monensin (for coccidia control) in with horses. 
Leah


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## Cat (Jun 19, 2004)

Most have already commented on the things that I would be concerned with. I can't remember having any problems with my niece's ponies & my sheep but the 3 donkeys I have had with them have ALL been extremely obnoxious with the sheep. There are enough similarities between the donks and the horses that I'd be leary about introducing them without being able to devote a good amount of time with an eye on the situation. Sheep (all the wool breeds/crosses I've ever raised, I realize some of the hair breeds are much more agile.) are not all that fleet of feet so when horses or donkeys decide to kick up their heels and run awhile they tend to run over sheep in the process, or just plain ol' run them. The donkey does this far too often and there have been more than one occasion where had I had a shotgun with me I'd have shot that so-and-so. They also tend to bite, whether it's just feeling nasty, trying to punish the sheep, or just investigating and I've had several sheep with clumps of wool torn off by the donkey. Anyway, that's my experience FWIW.


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## Joe in SD (May 11, 2002)

I have an older mare that runs with my sheep and steers. I have not had any problems at all. The mare is very protective of the sheep. When new born lambs arrive the mare will not let anything get close to the lamb except the mother ewe and me. We have a lot of coyotes nearby, but have never lost any sheep to them and I think it is because of the protectiveness of the mare.


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