Grazing horses with cattle / bulls

Ashgrove

Ashgrove

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I'm on a 210 acre beef farm
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my horse and pony are VERY VERY good doers
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. Last summer they had the use of 2 acres split between 3 paddocks, they wore grazing muzzles this worked OK. All winter they've had pretty much free run of the whole place (with grazing muzzles on) and I can't believe how much better they look for it, still a bit over weight, but good for them
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, it must be the moving around that's working for them. In a few months time the cattle will start to come out to the fields.
Does anyone else graze horses with cattle?
How about with a bull?
We have 2 bulls, obviously these would never be together
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, neither have horns. Both are fine with me, very friendly, both have seen my horse and pony, but never been in the same field.
Does anyone have any experience of grazing a bull with a horse.
I don't ride as often as I'd like to because of 2 jobs and 2 young children, although I know this would also help keep the weight down. (mine and theirs
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)
 
Not an expert but as far as I know the main problem is that cattle can kick. I used to be on a livery yard where they turned out cattle and horses together, but they used small groups, i.e. a couple of horses and a couple of cows with calves (the calves did not seem to make the cows more aggressive). I would worry a bit about the bulls in case they are naturally more protective. Can't top up a larger section of your field so that they have room to run around but less grazing?
 
We have red polled cows that have been in with the horses. All out horses move the cows out of the way, even the bull submits and moves over willingly. Never had a problem with the cows, just their slippery cowpats LOL
 
Graze horses with cattle inc bulls & calves all summer every summer with no problems at all (different cattle most years) - one gelding did become so attached to a particular calf that the mum couldn't get near to feed it so we had to take horse out!
 
We turn some horse out with cattle , but not with a bull..as i am sure you are aware bulls tempremants can change with the seasons & i wouldnt risk it they are big powefull animals and iv seen a quiet bull in the breeding season chase my boyfriend who handles him every day out of the field.

I wouldnt be allowed to turn out sharp horses out with cattle, as farmers dont like the cows running about if the horses start charging about.

Hope this helps...x
 
We have cattle at our yard every summer. Mine have been out with a herd of young dairy cows (all girls) and that is fine. However last summer there was a herd of young beef cattle males and they were a nightmare. Although they were not out with mine, they became immune to the horses and started standing up to them, and tbh i would have been worried sick if mine had been out with them, as they were very very bolshy!
 
As far as I know they are fine together. Sometimes young horses will get the odd wart on the muzzke which I was told is from grazing them together. I don't know if this is true or an old wives tale. The wart drops off after a while.
 
My horses are quite often go out with a herd of South Devons who have horns. There are three bulls and they are all cool as cucumbers with the horses.

They just split into their groups in the 10 acre field and don't create any bother with each other.

In fact last week I turned by baby out with them who we have only had for 3 weeks, she was very inquisitive with them and kept going up to them for a sniff and they just ignored her.

Last night I long reigned her through a field with a herd of Limousins with a bull running and he just had a look over his shoulder and carried on munching.

I would say I only have experience with placid bulls......not sure about fesitier ones!

Good luck.
 
My horse has grazed with a hereford bull before, but not intentionaly! My mare used to spend the summer with half a dozen in calf dairy cows helping to keep the grass down. Her field was bordered on 2 sides by another field which was grazed also by heifers and a beef bull at times. Went to catch her in one morning and discovered the bull in the field and a hole in the fence. They were grazing happily side by side and bull seem disappointed when i removed my horse.Id give it a go but as with introducing new horses together, do it somewhen when you've got plenty of time to watch and make sure they are ok together.
 
I used to ride a pony who lived on a dairy farm. His best friend was the Hereford bull and they were always side by side. But the rule was, you didn't go in with the bull, so we used to have to find ways to lure him to the hedge, then jump on board and ride him out of the field. Bear in mind too, that a cow with a calf is every bit as dangerous as a bull, and faster too.
 
My horse used to go out with our cow (untill cow died
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) in the field every day and had next door stables - this ob isnt normal but she was a pet
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The horse was the boss in the field
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Only problem we found was no respect of electric fences on the cows part.

I probably would be worried about turning out with a bull - partly just because of catching your horse with a bull in the field!
 
Thanks for all the replies, I didn't expect that many.

Although bulls are well, bulls at the end of the day, one is a Limmy and the other is an Angus, to be honest it's the Limmy cows with calves I'd be more worried about.

Thanks nokia for your input, I think my husbands main concern is my horse starting a stampede, but he's seen through the winter that she'd rather eat than run.

alsxx, we have the beef youngsters, male and female, neither are great, but they go to rented grazing, so they're not a problem.

Bugly, you long reined in a field with Limmies in!! Are you mad?

corriehorse, thanks, I will watch for the first day or so, the main fields are around the house and both of my jobs are at home, so keeping an eye isn't a problem.

Thanks Martlin, that's reassuring to hear.

Sorry to hear about your cow LittleGreyMare.

The Angus bull is with Belgian Blue X dairy cows, so they are mostly fine, too busy eating to worry about anything.
 
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