Grazing horses and sheep together

dressagelove

dressagelove

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Can you do it? I always had a stigma about doing it, but my dad has let the local farm lad chuck a load of sheep and lambs in with my horses.
Do I have to worm anything special?
 
I never have and mine always used to live with sheep. They are very good at eating the things horses leave.
 
Sheep actually help keep the worm population down, the only thing I'd be worried about is horses attacking the sheep, have they got a safety fence they can duck under?
 
Brill, thanks guys for putting my mind at rest.

ridefast said:
Sheep actually help keep the worm population down, the only thing I'd be worried about is horses attacking the sheep, have they got a safety fence they can duck under?
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Yes they do, but it was quite amusing yesterday when they got turned out and the sheep got thoroughly chased back under it. I think they have learned to co-exist by now though! :)
 
We have always run a few sheep through every couple of years, it cleans the grazing, clears up non-horse bits and they have different internal parasites to horses so doesn't interfere with your worming programme. You should have harrowed it first unless you poo pick, then possibly rolled it, I have never had a horse attack a sheep, in fact They get quite friendly and theohorses often look for them for a few days after they're killed.
 
Good to know it's ok because I was 'told' in very definite terms that you shouldn't graze horse's after sheep without leaving a 6 months gap! Didn't believe her but wasn't up for a disagreement :rolleyes: had always read that it was a good thing, as previous posters have said, so was confused why an experienced horse person told me this :)
 
Didn't horse and hound have an article a few months ago about sheep keeping worm population down? Bud was fine with the demon sheep (used to headbut me all the time) although they did have a habit of eating his tail. My grey mare used to kick them if they did it to her though. So keep an eye on tails!
 
I'm the same as hay in a manger - I follow one with the other but not in the same field at the same time. Partly because one of my horses would definitely kill sheep, but also because the worm benefits are greater if they are used in rotation, not co grazed simultaneously. It's still better than nothing having them in at the same time but it's even better if they are rotated.
 
The downside is horses seem to love rolling in sheep poo so be prepared for stinky horses! :-D Also, make sure to not put mineral licks out that contain iron as not good for sheepies!
 
Yeah, those red ones. Ooh, have I got the wrong metal? Had iron on my brain! Anyway, just avoid putting the red licks out!! :-)
 
Better as far as worming is concerned but can be quite unfair on the sheep if a horse fancies a "game". We use to manage this by having a white taped section that the sheep could get under and cheeky ponies couldn't, not ideal if your horse is sheep terroriser but ok for an occasional frisky moment.

Agree that it's copper you need to be careful of with sheep as they're prone to copper toxicity.
 
Was it three summers ago that we had the great drought? I had always grazed my 8 pet sheep with a couple of my horses. We had so little grass and so much sheep poo, there wasn't enough grass for the horses. We muck out daily, and I found myself picking up the horse manure and the sheep poo. Since then, I have given the sheep their own field and the horses have their fields to themselves. The sheep also have their own small field shelter, which they use in driving rain. When they were in with the horses, except for my sheep-loving Clydie, the other horses would never share their shelters with lowly sheep.
 
As sheep farmers, we graze the horses with the sheep as apposed to the sheep with the horses if you see what I mean?
I have only ever in 23years for co-grazing once had a problem, when a visiting mare took umbridge at a ewe helping herself to a hay pile.
The ewe had a flying lesson, the mare left with a mouthful of wool, and both decided on discretion being the better part of valour and hey avoided each other for the remainder of the mares stay.

My old mare will share the shelter and hay with a sheep more readily than my filly, and loves lambs!

Mel x
 
ridefast said:
Not all horses attack sheep but some do and when they do the sheep normally comes off worse
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We had a horse here on livery a good few years back; owner assured us it was OK to turn out with sheep.

It wasn't :( Blimmin thing started chasing after the sheep and striking out with its forelegs, then when it had managed to ground the poor sheep and it was on the ground it still kept on banging away at it with its front legs. Luckily as soon as this happened the owner arrived - and retrieved said horse. Sheep was OK.

But I'd thought that ALL horses are OK with sheep and you can turn out the two together without any problems. Nope, no so unfortunately.

Current horses are both fine with sheep, which is a relief!
 
We let our friend put her elderly pet sheep in with our horses and my sisters Shetland broke its leg, so it was put to sleep.
 
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