Conference noted::equitation

    I had my horses turned out with a few cows with no problems except
    that once in awhile the cows would decide that it was fun to chase
    me when I went to catch my horses. They were turned out on grass
    and the horses were brought inside to stalls for feeding at night
    so there was no problem with arguments over dinner. I think that
    one thing you might want to look into is a certain kind of parasite
    which cows can get and it isn't a major problem for them but it
    affects horses more adversely.  I wish I could remember the name
    but I can't (sorry!)
    
    Good luck!
    
    Linda
    

    We have three horses (two geldings, one broodmare) turned in with
    four Black Angus breeder cattle in a 15 acre pasture.  They get
    along fine unless you try to feed the cattle with the horses in
    the pasture (the horses will chase the cows away).  Also, one horse
    OCCASIONALLY entertains himself by running the cows, so you might
    want to keep an eye on them for a while...
    
    My husband is a parasitologist - I'll ask him about the
    cross-contaminating parasite(s) and let you know in a future note.
    
    Claire

    I remember reading that keeping cows and horses together was a good
    pasture management idea because the cows would eat grass that horses
    would not.  For instance, horses will not eat grass growing around
    their favorite manure spots; the horse manure does not deter the
    cows.  Your pasture should have fewer blotches of high grass.
    
    The only bad experiences I've heard were at the same farm:  in both
    cases, a horse was gored by a bull.

    
    
    One other thing to remember about pasturing cows and horses together
    is that, if the horse will allow it, cows may tend to chew on the
    horses tails - leaving the poor horse's tails short and scraggly!  
    
    Just another thought....
    
    Jenny
                                                                     

    Sorry this is so late, I've only just got this far.  
    
    Horses and cows together are good pasture management, each will
    kill the others worms.
    
    But cows are prone to ringworm which is not bad for them but will
    affect the horses a lot more.  This is passed through contact and
    is very contagious.
    
    Mike.
    

My horse needs a companion.  It needs to be CHEAP to feed and care for, etc.  
I am afraid a goat will destroy our nearby organic crops.  So....
I am thinking of getting a sheep.  Does anyone have any experience with sheep as companions?
horse companions?  Where do you get them?  What should I be aware of.   I've 
seen a few pasture situations like this. Does it work? Any advice helpful.

Darlene

Ponies can be as easy to keep as a sheep. Don't forget sheep grow that lovely
coat, that does *not* shed, and gets pretty messy and uncomfortable if it is 
not shorn a couple times a year. I have also heard that sheep are capable of 
inflicting permanent damage to your grazing area (particularly if it is at all
limited). They graze the grass down to the root. This may be an old wives tale
but there is a sheep farm down the street from me that looks pretty barren.

Your horse might not consider another species as adequate company either. You 
can find ponies most anywhere, and they can be downright inexpensive if all
you are looking for is a companion (as opposed to something to show). And they
can be alot of fun if they drive, or if you ever have little kids over for a
visit! 

    We used to keep sheep. I can't recommend them as companions for horses.
    Sheep are easily scared and will run until they die of a heart attack.
    If your horse is feeling good one day and starts bucking and running...
    the sheep will run with it.
    
    We tried to pasture them with Ellie(Jan's mare) for a month one year when 
    my mare had a foal. All went fine until Ellie was rolling one day. She
    got up and jumped into the air and did her version of a capriole! You 
    should have seen those sheep scatter!!! A few minutes later, Ellie was 
    grazing and ignoring the sheep. I happened to be outside so I kept an 
    eye on them. I suddenly realized that Ellie was "eyeing" these sheep so 
    I watch to see what was coming. She grazed steadily towards the sheep. 
    
    When she got close, she jumped into the middle of them INTENTIONALLY 
    scattering them!!!!!!!! Apparently, she found the sheep to be incredibly 
    dull company and decided to "liven them up"!!!!!!!
    

    We used to have a lamb at my old barn.  She had free run of the place.
    She was cute, but a pain in the butt.  She would always share my mares
    hay (standing between her front legs) every day.....that was real cute
    to see.
    
    Her coat got real thick and dirty, it was tough to care for.  She was
    given to a 4Her for a project because she hated being confined and
    there was too much high calorie food around to eat - she'd even chase
    the dogs from their food.....but she was cute.

    Having had sheep as a kid, I can tell you that they eat as much as
    a small pony.  You do have to hire someone to shave them, although
    you can sell the wool.  I agree with the others, go for the pony,
    unless you are considering a sheep for other reasons, like the wool.
    
    I haven't heard of any free sheep, but you can always find a free
    pony!!
    
    Caryl

    I vote with the pony, too! My friend Megan just recently got a sheep
    as a companion for her horse. What a silly thing it is! It's very
    skittish, but adores the horse! When she rides and leaves the sheep
    behind, it goes nuts crying for the horse. It's rather cute, but 
    quickly becoming a royal pain, and , well, not to offend any
    sheep-lovers, but it's awfully daft! Runs fast, though, I never knew
    before that sheep could run! :-)
    

    Sheep, er, don't smell all that, er, nice, either! (:
    
    

    
    \
    	I'm late but I get there!!!
    
    
    	Never had sheep or pony.  Did have a Hog named Harley.  He used to
    chase the horses for a while then the horses would chase Harley.  What
    makes this all so funny is the grass was about four feet tall and you
    couldn't see the Hog but you could see the grass bending over where he
    was running.
    	I don't like goats with horses because they will eat their
    tails(horses) if they get a chance.  I think a pony would be best. 
    Hey, if you know how to care for a horse, you can care for a pony.
    
    
    virginia

�    	I don't like goats with horses because they will eat their
�    tails(horses) if they get a chance.

	Since I happen to be fond of goats, as well as of horses, I 
	want to add a few comments about goats as companion animals.
	Part of an ongoing effort to de-bunk goat myths.  :^)

	FYI - there is a goat NOTE in the file MEIS::SMALL_ANIMALS,
	if you have any experiences, stories, or wisdom to share, 
	or just a desire to learn more about caprans.

	Goats are herd animals, and they are used to a social 
	structure.  They are quick learners, adaptable to a wide 
	variety of conditions, and they co-exist well with other 
	species.  These attributes contribute to making them 
	acceptable companions for a lone equine.

	Goats DO NOT eat any(or every)thing, unless they are hungry, 
	but, as browsers, they'll 'check-out' everything by tasting.
	However, if your goat is persistently eating the horse's tail, 
	it may be for one of the following reasons: 1) poor diet, 
	2) a lone goat trying to adapt goat herd rituals to his equine 
	companion 3) the goat is jealous.  

	1) Goats are browsers, and they require a diet of high-quality
	LEGUME hay supplemented with bark, brush, dry leaves, and a 
	commercial sweet feed.  Carbonaceous hays, such as timothy, 
	are too low in protein for goats and will require more 
	supplementing with concentrates.  The bark and brush provide
	minerals missing from the hay - a mineral block is a good idea.  

	If the goat is sharing the timothy with the horse and has
	only green pasture as an alternative, it MAY not be getting
	proper nutrition.  If your goat is eating a lot of grass, 
	this is usually a sure sign of a hungry goat.  Goats are efficient 
	animals, and green grasses are not efficient feeds.  On the other 
	hand, take it easy on the sweet feed and keep it in a very secure
	container.  Overweight is a common problem with goats who are 
	equine companions.

	2) Tail biting may be a disguised battle for dominance of the
	'herd'.  If a horse is their lone companion, some goats really
	will not care that the horse is 10x bigger than them - they
	may try to dominate the horse.  And biting is one of a horse's 
	ways of showing dominance, right?  (Goats are more 'intelligent'
	than they look, and they pick-up on these things.)  Best to have 
	more than one goat, so that they can conduct goat rituals (such 
	as head butting and dining ceremonies) on their own, in a language 
	that they understand.  They're cheap to keep, anyway.

	3) Your goat(s) will probably do fine with very little care,
	but they actually enjoy attention as much as your horse.  They
	will appreciate an occasional brushing and some hand-fed treats.
	Regular hoof trimming is a must.  To be safe, brush the animal
	with the biggest ego first!