What about sheep and horses together?

Will it work? Do they get along? Is there something in the diet of one that will damage the other? Inquiring minds want to know!

Miniature horses or regular sized horses?

My folks used to put their ram and their miniature stud together in the off season. They kept each other company, and got along fairly well. They were roughly the same size.

Depending on how much you like your sheep, I might hesitate to put them with a regular sized horse. One kick in the wrong spot and it's mutton for the coyotes that night.

What about a guard donkey? I have seen sheep and donkeys pastured together a lot.

It would be a small horse or large pony.

I am finding I am really missing my horses. However, I recognize I don't have the skill or bouncability any more for a young one. Nor do i have the time or ability to train and work with a young one. I am contemplating finding an older horse and providing a home for his retirement. I would like to go out for the occasional slow, short ride. Most of all I miss hugging, grooming and watching a horse.

So...it would be an old, sedate, easygoing horse. I would like to keep him with the rams when they are separated from the ewes. He would eat what the sheep eat and live with the sheep.

Will this work?

Ohhhhh I need to introduce you to the fun of driving a miniature horse! Seriously. I used to be a snobby horse RIDER but then my BFF introduced me to driving miniatures and hot damn, is it ever a lot of fun. Plus you can still hug, groom, watch, spoil, and smell the horse breath. My kid LOVES driving, too. /hijack

I don't think I could say "this will work" without reservation. It would definitely depend on the personalities of the animals involved.

Long time ago when i still rode ponies, we had two welsh ponies that were sisters. One hates sheep and had killed one and would charge through the fence as soon the power was off the hotwire to try and murder more sheep. The other could go in with the sheep no problem. Both horses were pretty well equally nice temperament, so you just dont really know how they respond. You would have to just watch them for a bit and make sure they know that they are in the same pen with "other" and judge from there.

I have had my sheep with my horses since they were wee lambs. They had no choice they were able to go everywhere. I have 4 a 11hh pony, a middle aged broodmare, an old broodmare and my crazy young huge warmblood. So far no incidences. They were afraid of them the 1 st few nights then the mare figured out they were babies. Now they all graze side by side and the sheep go between pastures and the different groups. They are actually good as a natural dewormer as they each eat the eggs off the grass from the other species and the worms cant finish their life cycles in the other animal so they die. Helps keep worm loads down.

We brought home sheep and our poor horses went nuts and a couple jumped the fence to get away and one went through the fence. They had never seen sheep before that. Needless to say the sheep went in the freezer the next week as we could not keep our horses home! They never bothered the fence before or after! Lol. I think it would all depend on the horse!!

I wouldn't say it would be a big issue. But it would definitely be better to try it carefully first. As mentioned, it would all depend on the horse. We have one horse that lives with the goats, because he kicks the crap out of any horse that gets near him, yet he let's the goats even eat his dinner with him.
And Piet, Welshes are little bastards to begin with LOL.

Well, I have 7 different paddocks that a horse can be segregated into if any sheep kicking or biting begins. I thought a sheep might keep a lone horse company. Last time I had horses they were bound to each other and this made riding either one a huge clash of wills so one horse is enough for me, thank you!

I suppose I could get one and if he hates the sheep he doesn't have to live with them.

Beings you already have the sheep introduce the horse slowly so they dont freak out the horses here do fine with sheep and the llama also depends on what the horse was around also

When we lived up on the ranch my sheep were constantly escaping through the horse fields which they regretted (if sheep can do this) because the horses would chase them and corner them.

My cutting horse is TERRIFIED of our sheep. Fall down, scared to death!
The others don't seem to care. I think with many things it would be how you introduced them.

Our horses(15-16 hh beasts) don't seem to care, and neither do our cattle. But then again the sheep are free range and the horses(3)/cows(8 ) have a 60 acre pasture and most of the time they don't mingle(they like to graze near them -safety in numbers- but not actually mix).
Our Stud did pick one of our ewes up 4 yrs ago by her spine and shook her when she dared to stick her head into his grain bucket. She was ok, a bit shaken up and she never even looks at the horses grain buckets since.

In the winter the horses, cows and sheep get fed Hay together, and we never have problems, the sheep are very aware of the horses being bigger and will vacate a hay pile if the horse puts back just 1 ear.
Did have a ram get his face broken by a horse a few winters ago. Him and another ram were going at it head-bashing and never noticed they were backing into one of our mares. She voices her opinion on those shenanigans real quick when they ran into her legs and startled her......... His face healed, altho a bit crooked.

Only ones I ever had problems with was bottle babies, they seem too social and just run up to the horses... lost a goat kid cause he got away from me and thru the fence and wanted to say hi to the horses. Ran inbetween the horses legs full tilt, startling it, the horse panicked when she kicked it in her spook and it hit her in the hind legs so she just started kicking out wildly trying to get the scary thing to go away....

I have seen Fuzzy's crew all living peacefully together. It's wonderful training for the horses to have sheep bouncing around. Fuzzy has a very fancy warmblood gelding and yes, even he is sheep proof!