Grazing with sheep?

[AJHORSE]

I’ve heard the grazing with sheep can be very beneficial! What is your experience/views?

 

[AJHORSE]

Do you graze with sheep. If so is it good. If not why.

 

[JillA]

Good on many levels - sheep eat stuff horses won't touch, and internal parasites don't survive in different species so really good for grazing. So long as there is more than one horse - singletons might pester sheep because they want company. I had summer grazing on a sheep farm for many years and it worked really well

 

[AJHORSE]

Good on many levels - sheep eat stuff horses won't touch, and internal parasites don't survive in different species so really good for grazing. So long as there is more than one horse - singletons might pester sheep because they want company. I had summer grazing on a sheep farm for many years and it worked really well

Thank you this is helpful, I’ve heard this stuff before but really wanted to double check that it’s true so thanks so much, if the horse is use to living alone would it be possible to have it alone with the sheep??

 

[AJHORSE]

Thank you this is helpful, I’ve heard this stuff before but really wanted to double check that it’s true so thanks so much, if the horse is use to living alone would it be possible to have it alone with the sheep??

Good on many levels - sheep eat stuff horses won't touch, and internal parasites don't survive in different species so really good for grazing. So long as there is more than one horse - singletons might pester sheep because they want company. I had summer grazing on a sheep farm for many years and it worked really well

Also will you need to poo pick the field if it’s very large and already has sheep poo in it. Also will sheep eat things that are poisonous to horses? Does the field need much/of any maintenance?

 

[blitznbobs]

We rotate with sheep, horses get first dibs then the sheep clear up - the horses herd the sheep if in together...

But you obviously need more land if you graze both. And sheep are not without care needs . I grew up on a sheep farm so it’s second nature to me but don’t underestimate the care they need and they escape easier than horses so fencing needs to be better

 

[AJHORSE]

We rotate with sheep, horses get first dibs then the sheep clear up - the horses herd the sheep if in together...

But you obviously need more land if you graze both. And sheep are not without care needs . I grew up on a sheep farm so it’s second nature to me but don’t underestimate the care they need and they escape easier than horses so fencing needs to be better

Thanks!

 

[JillA]

Also will you need to poo pick the field if it’s very large and already has sheep poo in it. Also will sheep eat things that are poisonous to horses? Does the field need much/of any maintenance?

You shouldn't need to poo pick, just harrow a couple of times a year. Worms won't survive crossing the species barrier, and the sheep will eat coarse grass, which are the two main reasons for poo picking. Others will tell you about maintenance and toxic plants, by which I assume you mean ragwort and buttercups, but I would thinks it needs less maintenance than solely horses. Rotating would be best management IMO, if you can section it off.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Our sheep and horses graze together but the sheep have 'escapes' so that they can get out of the way. 4 sheep eat about as much grass as 1 horse, so you do need to factor that into your calculations about land amounts. We used to have a lovely, elderly ex-broodmare cob who shared her stable with one elderly sheep but she had equine companions during the day. The sheep was the last of a hand-reared group. I would never advocate expecting a horse to live with just sheep as companions, or normally have just one sheep with horses.

ETA, some horses will attack sheep, so shouldn't be grazed with them.

 

[Shavings]

There are sheep in where i keep my gelding, they eat all the bits the horses wont, and all get on very well
the sheep are so relaxed one ewe 2 weeks ago lambed wile all 4 horses stood "watch" around her!

 

[AJHORSE]

There are sheep in where i keep my gelding, they eat all the bits the horses wont, and all get on very well
the sheep are so relaxed one ewe 2 weeks ago lambed wile all 4 horses stood "watch" around her!

Aww. Cute. x

 

[Meowy Catkin]

if the horse is use to living alone would it be possible to have it alone with the sheep??

I am picking up on this. Horses are herd animals and they shouldn't be kept alone. It really damages them mentally to do so. They need to live with other horses.

Being 'used' to living alone is not the same as preferring it.

* I am aware that there are some horses that cannot safely be turned out with other horses, but they are rare and not the norm.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

the only thing sheep will eat that horses don't (by preference) are docklings and early ragwort. They prefer the shorter grass than rougher long stuff and compete with the horses for that. There is also a link with footrot in sheep and thrush with horses. There are advantages with parasite and ragwort control but all sheep are better if they are not yours (I co-graze part of the year) as they are quite high maintenance with dagging, shearing, foot trimming, drenching, protecting from fly strike and shearing. They are not a long term substitute for equine company.

 

[ycbm]

AJHorse this is the second or third time you've asked on different threads you've started if you can keep a horse without horse company.

The answer is no, and it will remain no, no matter how many times or ways you ask.

 

[EventingMum]

We've done this successfully in the past however I have known two horses who have killed sheep on separate occasions - neither was an aggressive horse normally but they chased a sheep into the ground and pawed at them when they were down. One was my friend's dad's expensive prize winning tup, as you can imagine the horse was in disgrace for a long time. Interestingly it was only one horse in a herd each time, the others took no part in the chase.

 

[ycbm]

Do you graze with sheep. If so is it good. If not why.

Because they stink, escape, are a pain in the neck to look after and expose you to the full might of DEFRA and farm regulation.



...

 

[ycbm]

We've done this successfully in the past however I have known two horses who have killed sheep on separate occasions - neither was an aggressive horse normally but they chased a sheep into the ground and pawed at them when they were down. One was my friend's dad's expensive prize winning tup, as you can imagine the horse was in disgrace for a long time. Interestingly it was only one horse in a herd each time, the others took no part in the chase.

Same. There is a limit to the number of times I want to see a sheep with its leg bone poking out through its skin.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I had a livery's horse here when we first started about 25 years ago, and the owner had said it was "OK with sheep".

It wasn't. I've never seen anything like it: the horse grabbed hold of the poor sheep by its teeth behind the neck area, then proceeding to paw at it with a foreleg. It was awful to watch, but fortunately I was there to see what was going on and rushed in to deal with the situation. The owner then (bang on cue) arrived, and saw for herself what was happening. Miraculously the sheep was OK. But by heck, talk about an anxious moment.

It was a total PITA though, as I had intended to use sheep for pasture management, and because of this incident, had to exclude sheep from the pasture while that particular horse stayed in the yard.

Now, I have a farmer that puts their sheep on the pasture: they're very useful creatures and are vital in my land-management programme. Because they don't actually belong to me, I don't have to do any of the management stuff (apart from put a sheep upright if it should be on its back), and the arrangement works well. The horses are kept away from the area of the field which the sheep-farmer uses as their dedicated entrance, which makes things a whole lot easier coz then horses aren't in the way when the sheep need shifting!

 

[eatmyshorts]

We graze a few sheep with our horses & the benefits are worm & pasture management for reasons already mentioned. We also had a couple of new young horses decide a game of sheep ping pong was a good idea - those horses are no longer around but the sheep do have plenty of escape routes these days.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

I have 7 acres and a further acre fenced off-the partition fence is two strands of electrified wire with enough gap underneath that sheep can come and go. My ponies will see off sheep that they consider in their way but don't expend that much energy doing it. Neither lusitano could be trusted with sheep or dogs in their field though.

 

[Jaybugg]

I have an agreement with a neighbour that I'll put his tups out with my ponies over summer. It's win win as he needs the tups out the way of ewes once they've done their job and they help keep the grass levels down so ponies don't get too fat then there taken off again come autumn time. Works well here but I could imagine some horses worrying the sheep. Sheep do tend to rub on fences before their shorn too so again make sure fencing is secure

 

[awelshandawarmblood]

I've had mine graze with & in rotation with them on one yard for years which worked well & kept the grazing nice - the owner understood how to manage the grazing with rotation & resting. The yard I'm on now they're in the horses paddocks with them almost constantly & have eaten most of our summer grazing that was being saved already, plus the horses come in covered in sheep poo which is disgusting. They're great if you get the balance right though & you'll be fine if the management is in your hands.

 

[Ceriann]

I have 6 sheep and I tend to use them to rotate grazing - they’ve cleaned up the spring/summer paddocks over autumn/winter. I don’t tend to graze them with my 3 horses for that reason but do mix them sometimes but only on my biggest fields and provided there is plenty of grass. My horses don’t bother the sheep at all and are generally quite respectful of their space etc. You do have to be aware that sheep need more care than you might imagine - worming and fluking, shearing and protecting from flies.

 

[Nudibranch]

Graze somebody else's sheep - they're good in all the ways outlined above. The only issue is that if the sheep owner isn't meticulous about managing their feet (i.e. footrot) it causes thrush in horses and is quite a nuisance to clear as they will keep getting reinfected until the pasture is rested for a good few weeks and all the sheep treated successfully. Apart from that the benefits outweigh the negatives.

 

[AJHORSE]

Thank you. Sorry I’ve asked a lot of questions and some repeatedly but just want to know everyone’s views and the best options. Thanks.

 

[Lois Lame]

I think the best way to have sheep would be to have an arrangement with a sheep-owning neighbour.

They need to live separately, as has been said.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I think the best way to have sheep would be to have an arrangement with a sheep-owning neighbour.

They need to live separately, as has been said.

Yes, this is what we do, they graze the hay field down from Sept to end Dec. All the benefits and none of the hassle.

 

[Merrymoles]

We have sheep grazing with our horses. They compete for the hay over winter, so much so that we've had to put a high metal hay feeder in to preserve some of the horses, and they eat every new blade of grass. I'm sure it would be fine with enough acreage but I've really seen the difference they've made this winter. Our "resting" paddock is as bald as the one the horses have been in all winter as the sheep have free range across the entire acreage.