Sheep as companion - good idea?

Foxy girl

Foxy girl

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Looks like I'm going to have to have my mare pts next week which leaves me in the difficult situation of having to find a temporary home for the pony as there's no way he'd be happy alone in the field. BUT was just wondering, has anyone any experience of putting a sheep in with a pony in this kind of situation - will they form a natural bond or is it a waste of time? Plus what impact do they have on the grazing and how hard is it to look after them?

Thanks for any comments!
 
I am so sorry about your mare and that you have the additional worry of how the pony will cope, it's always difficult at this time when 2 horses have lived together happily.

I personally allow the companion of the euthanased horse to see and smell his friend's body. They seem to understand what has happened and although they will be lonely, they do not call and charge around looking for their friend.

I keep sheep and horses and have never known them to form any sort of bond. A lot of horses & ponies will chase sheep. Also sheep are flock animals and, unless they are used to equines, I cannot see that one lone sheep will be happy to be suddenly taken away from the flock and made a companion for a pony.
 
No our horses have never paid any attention to the sheep either, and I would think that it would be a waste of time. Is there anyone nearby who could let your pony go into their field perhaps? Could you take on a rescue horse/pony as a companion?
 
NNOOOOOOOO! Sheep are soooooo hard to look after - they do everything they can to try and die on you and the paperwork involved with having a "farm animal" is ridiculous.
Do ask at local rescue centres or put an ad in your local paper seeking a companion or even a paying livery.
So sorry to hear that you are losing your mare and hope it all works out OK. x
 
elderlycoupleindevon said:
I am so sorry about your mare and that you have the additional worry of how the pony will cope, it's always difficult at this time when 2 horses have lived together happily.

I personally allow the companion of the euthanased horse to see and smell his friend's body. They seem to understand what has happened and although they will be lonely, they do not call and charge around looking for their friend.

I keep sheep and horses and have never known them to form any sort of bond. A lot of horses & ponies will chase sheep. Also sheep are flock animals and, unless they are used to equines, I cannot see that one lone sheep will be happy to be suddenly taken away from the flock and made a companion for a pony.
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^^ all of this.

I'm SO sorry to hear about your mare :(

I have 3 pet sheep in with my 2 shetland ponies. The best part of that being that the sheep eat a lot of the grass down in the summer, and with one laminitic and one potentially laminitic pony, it's really handy. They aren't pals with each other, and the smallest shet chases my wedder!!

I don't think they would form a bond, another pony companion would definitely be the best option.

I had the same problem last year when I had my mare pts, her shetland companion would have been left on his own. My friend has a small farm 20 miles away with 15 horses/ponies, so she came and picked him up and kept him there for a couple of months until I got another shetland companion from WHW.

Good luck with everything, hope it all goes ok.
 
We had an orphan lamb but must admit I wouldn't have another!

She was a lovely sheep but not as easy to look after as I thought!
She needed shearing every year either by a contractor that came out (£30) or DIY which is not as easy as it looks and you need some heavy duty clippers with a special shearer head on them and as well needed her back end trimmed up regular to ensure no fly blow.

She had her feet trimmed every 12 weeks by my farrier and she would only eat the nice grass, could get underneath any electric fence so got as fat as can be as she grazed wherever she liked (on our land)

Needs regular worming and the paperwork like somebody else mentioned is a nightmare now.

She insisted on coming into the stables at night and even had her own one and if it rained in the day she was the first one in the field shelter!

Her poo would stick anything to anywhere! When trod into the concrete or rubber matting then it was there to stay!

Oh, on the companion front my TB wappy mare loved her to bits, they were inseperable, had to be stabled next to each other but that caused problems in itself as everywhere the mare went the sheep was fast behind, had to shut her up when we worked in the school as she would run flat out after us until she was exhausted then would lie in the middle of the manege panting!

One of the other horses hated her and would run flat out after her and pull her over by her fleece sideways and bite her ears so had to separate that particular horse as Lucy (sheep) would never dare to go in there with him.

They are very intelligent animals, if the horses knocked the water trough over in the field she would come to the house door and bleat until I went and looked what she wanted and if her haynet was empty she would also remind me!

Sorry if most of this sounds negative, she really was a lovely character and was very much loved by us but I wouldn't have another, she was pts aged about 12 after she got arthritis in her back legs and couldn't get back up after lying down, she had the most lovely life and never ended up in the freezer!
 
Oh Mrs Wishkabible - I've never considered a sheep but now you've made me want one!!! Coming to the back door like that I'm surprised you didn't rename her Lassie or Skippy!
 
Mrs_Wishkabibble;9430190 She needed shearing every year either by a contractor that came out (£30) [/QUOTE said:
Holy cr@p! You were charged £30?! Cheeky bugger - it's £1 per head up here!

I'm fortunate in that OH is a (ex) shepherd, so clips mine and does feet as and when, they've only needed done 3 times in the past year - depends on the ground they're on.

Your sheep sounds hilarious, they really are good fun! :D
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elderlycoupleindevon said:
I am so sorry about your mare and that you have the additional worry of how the pony will cope, it's always difficult at this time when 2 horses have lived together happily.

I personally allow the companion of the euthanased horse to see and smell his friend's body. They seem to understand what has happened and although they will be lonely, they do not call and charge around looking for their friend.

I keep sheep and horses and have never known them to form any sort of bond. A lot of horses & ponies will chase sheep. Also sheep are flock animals and, unless they are used to equines, I cannot see that one lone sheep will be happy to be suddenly taken away from the flock and made a companion for a pony.
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Crikey, I read the usual HHO B++++++s and then read your reply.Please keep posting because we need the sanity.
 
I have 5 pet sheep. They are very friendly and affectionate. Yes, they need wormed and vaccinated and sheared but its not a major hassle - I get the local sheep farmer to do mine when he is doing his. They come into a stable for anything like that and they just follow me in so no problem catching them.

Much as I love them (they are lifetime sheep - no freezers on their horizon;)), they dont really interact with the horses so I doubt they would make great companions. On the other hand, their official job is "field maintenance" and they are great at that:D
 
My mate got a young sheep as a companion for her mare, they adore each other, the sheep follows the pony everywhere, morning turnout watching a pony and sheep skipping and hooning round is quite amusing too. She has to lead a short distance up the road to turn out and the sheep follows on loose quite happily and back down at bed time and puts herself in her pen next to the ponys stable. It can work with one of each, obviously in situations with more than one of each kind they will interact with their own species and ignore each other but I'm quite amazed at how bonded these two are.
 
Really sorry to hear about your mare. I had the opportunity to move my horse from a busy yard to our own place, which I thought was going to be brilliant. He stood at the gate all day and all night feeling totally depressed. I then borrowed three sheep and this done the trick for a very short period (I think out of curiousity) then he was back to the gate day and night. In my opinion they definitely dont form a bond and are no company for one another whatsoever. The next stage was a mini shetland and thats my boy happy as larry, never at the gate always down the field grazing with his new friend.
 
mymare said:
Holy cr@p! You were charged £30?! Cheeky ****** - it's £1 per head up here!

I'm fortunate in that OH is a (ex) shepherd, so clips mine and does feet as and when, they've only needed done 3 times in the past year - depends on the ground they're on.

Your sheep sounds hilarious, they really are good fun! :D
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Normally its £1 a head, but there would usually be a minimum charge of about £30 as a lot of the time is taken getting all the gear there and set up, its not worth them coming out for less than £30. However the poster could have done it for free by hand shearing with a pair of £10 hand shears.........

OP I would recommend contacting your local world horse welfare place and getting a companion pony on loan for your horse. that will make them much happier and you will be helping out an equine. they have all sorts, especially ones that aren't for riding.
 
OP, there have been really good responses to your post, both pro and con. I don't think taking an adult or sub-adult sheep from a flock and placing it with your pony will work at all. It usually works if you are starting out with young stock of both species. I took on two adult pet sheep whose owner lost her grazing several years ago. She had originally acquired them as lambs because she had an orphaned foal. They did grow up together. I had 6 of my own pet sheep that always ran with my Shires, despite not really interacting with them. The two sheep that joined my little flock are a wether and a ewe. As soon as the ewe saw my horses, she ran to them and completely ignored her brother and the other sheep. My late Clyde, Thunder, was a friend to anything that breathed. Thunder and the ewe spent all their time together. The ewe would join Thunder and his first mate, Cas, and after her death, Caroline, in their field shelter. None of the other sheep had any interest in the horses.

You would definitely be better off with a pony or donkey as a companion for your pony.

Here's a photo of Thunder and Chopper...
 
My horse was kept with a sheep by his new owners. It seemed ok after a settling period and they were pleased with the situation.
I was stunned at the amount of feed they were having to give my "fat good doer" to keep weight on him and when I visited I understood. A sheep wasn't enough and he was unhappy I didn't see him graze and he was constantly on edge.
Now he's home, fat and chilled, living with a pony.
I'd say no sheep don't really make a good companions.
Sorry about your horse- very hard times x
 
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