Horses stabled with pigs??

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Dexter

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I'm having a bit of a dilema. I have a mare and a youngster (not related) arriving on Saturday. I had a livery yard sorted but there is now no turn out from now until May, so thats a no go! I'm struggling to find somewhere else. I have somewhere that would do, turnout, big stables, quiet, within travelling distance etc. The only problem is the stables are in a big barn, and in the barn are approx 75 pigs! They are behind a 4 foot fence, but they are a max of 10 feet away from the stables, and along one side of the access to the stables. The horses will be able to see them at all times.

The mares owner thinks she will be fine, but hasnt actually ever had her near pigs, the youngster will never have seen pigs before and has had very little handling. He will be living out from December ish, hes only coming to a yard for some basic handling before he gets turned out with my other youngster. If it was sheep or cows I wouldnt mind at all, but I have no experience of horses and pigs?
 
I use to work at a riding school that was on a city farm. The horses walked passed the pigs upto 5 6 times a day and out of 18 horses/ponies only didn't like the pigs all she did was walk side ways pass them. I would say go for it the horses maybe a bit spooky for the first few days but once they work out the pigs can't hurt or get near them they should settle down. The only down side is the smell but again after a few days you should be use to it :D
 
My friend has just moved to a yard with 1 friendly pig. Her horse did its nut at first - he spotted it as soon as the lorry went up the drive in fact we thought we might die trying to get him off the lorry. He was very unhappy for about 3 days and wouldn't turn his back to it but now is gradually getting used to it but not totally ok with it yet - been there just over two weeks.

The other horses at the yard including mare and foal and half a dozen racehorses being rehabilitated dont give a hoot.

I think most horses get used to anything given time and patience - at least once used to them you will never have a problem if you come across a pig on a hack - always a bonus.
 
They just need time to see them. Takes longer if they are hidden behind a fence as all they can hear is grunting and they smell. If they can see them they soon get used to them. I keep pigs and horses and they are fine.
 
Our yard has a similar set up - stalls in one end of a barn with pigs in a pen the other, although there's only four not seventy five!

The horses can't actually see the pigs, but they sure do hear them; it sounds like Jurassic Park :eek:
When the horses first moved in they were convinced they were going to die, but after a couple of days they got used to the noise (and smell), now they don't turn a hair even when the pigs have a fight and crash against the panels.
 
The YO (x dairy farmer) decided he wanted a couple of pigs for chops which is fine but ended up putting them about 10 yards away from the outdoor school and the path running to 7 fields.
I was lucky that apart from a long hard stare from my boys they walked past fine however one woman with her horse refused to walk to his field and flipped out. She had to move fields!!!
A couple of the horses didn't like them whilst they were being schooled and people complained that their riding was being affected by them.
The pigs have since been sent for bacon butties!!!

I think some horses don't mind and some hate them so it's just a case of seeing how your horses react.

My youngster hates the cows more than the pigs.
 
Thats all more positive than I expected :D

MJR2BT thats pretty much what I said, then I came away and started dithering about it. If it was a horse I already owned I wouldn't have batted an eyelid, but they are both new to me. The mare is very laid back and her owner thinks she wont have an issue. I do worry about the weanling, hes never left his field before. Although he does currently live with 2 rams, the sort with the giant antler type thingies so hes used to livestock.

I was very taken with the pigs, and wanted to bring one home :D
 
We have 2 pot bellied pigs in the paddock just behind the patios for the stables. my horse was on his patio 1 day when one of the pigs decided to venture out of its bed.
He grew about a hand, stared at it for a bit, snorted, then was that terrified he decided to break out through the back gate to join it in the paddock, he doesn't take a blind bit of notice now!
I'd go for it if I was you, like other said, it's brilliant pig proofing!
 
I was on a yard years ago that had two pot bellied pigs stabled in the barn (american barn style) with the horses. One freaked and had to be moved further away from them, the others didn't really bother.

Mine is completely pig proof to the point he will stop and put his head down to sniff them - my friends horse who is normally 'mr sensible' and the one everyone relies on, completely freaked at some pigs that were in a field just up from the yard and it took my friend nearly half an hour to get him past! To be honest after about a week they all got used to them though and didn't bat an eyelash.
 
horses and pigs do get together. horses do flip out to begin with when they first see them, just need time. I use to breed Oxford Sandy and Blacks, lovely pigs and my horses loved them and the piglets and I never had a horse dislike like them. It's just letting them get use to the noise not the smell, when pigs are fed.Mine I mucked out everyday, so no smell and they did run next to the horses paddock. One horse I owned loved them, he'd let the piglets rub their bums up his legs or swing from his tail and he was a highly strung throughbred,who was unrideable. but with them he was a gentle giant.
 
I've had half a dozen of Berkshires throughout the summer, in a paddock next to the school. Even the spookiest of horses got used to them pretty quickly.
I'm not sure I could cope with indoor kept pigs, though, the smell would drive me nuts!
 
Sorry to disagree with everyone else, but some horses never get used to pigs. I've had two pig phobic horses, the first one I took to a livery yard on a pig farm, gave it a good go for 2 months and he turned into a wreck. He was very difficult to handle, impossible to ride and lost most of his mane and tail due to stress, at which point I gave up. The other one also goes into full blown panic mode as soon as he smells the pigs, he can just about tolerate them at a distance, but any closer and he goes bonkers.

I don't think you will really know until you try and fingers crossed for you the horses won't mind.
 
Its not the end of the world if they wont settle I suppose. The youngster can go out with the yearlings and at a push there are other yards the mare can go to. I'd just rather the youngster had some proper handling before he went out, and that the mare had some turnout. Having read the replies, I'll just suck it and see and hope mine aren't in the minority that wont tolerate it :)
 
you know its funny horses hate the smell of pigs. when i 1st got my 1st pony my neighbour had pigs, pony would jump about and snort at them and hated smell of them, but after few days to week got used to them. so will be find, but expect them to mess about for a few days till get used to them.

that was years ago but i still remember, he used to sniff them and then snort like yuk you smell was so funny and would run round field, its better yours is in stable. should be fine, dont worry too much just will take while to get used to them.
 
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