sheep as companions

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itsme123

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I've just got my own field, which won't be being looked after by 'daddy' (ie have to sort my own fencing, my own harrowing etc).

I have approx 2 1/2 - 3 acres for one small pony, I could find a field share but to be truthful my pony's quite dominant and unless it was a good friend I'd be a bit wary of having anyone else attempt to catch their horse from a field with him. (unless I can find anyone with one small pony who wants grass livery... but that seems unlikely).

So i've been thinking about sheep. The field is post and railed, and I want to save half for spring using electric tape.

Are sheep ever a good idea? are there any really hardy ones that don't enjoy dying? or any that aren't complete houdinis??

what's the best fencing for them (obviously post and rail isnt!) ?
and apart from a hay hutch (which finances really won't allow right now) what's the best way of haying in the field without making a huge terrible mess?

thankies in advance
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Just a thought - little pone probably doesn't need all that space, could you section it up into 2 fields with leccy fencing then rent the other bit out to someone so he'd have company next door?
 
I really want to save half for next year, the idea being that a couple of sheep would run it and keep it in trim without trashing it (the ground gets quite boggy).

I'm also not allowed more than two small ponies on it, and am having trouble finding anyone I trust (and who has one pony) to share with.
 
You will find you have way too much for one small pony there! I have a similar sized field and my Welsh Cob who is exercised daily is on less than an acre all year and that is too much for him in all honesty. Even when he has eaten it down to nothing in winter and is on hay there is still too much and I have to section more off in order to avoid laminitis.
Sheep are fine but escape and need all the necessary licences, dipping etc...you would need the area completely done in sheep netting to keep them in...and that is not good stuff for horses as fencing.
cattle might be better but can make a mess in winter if there is not enough grazing for them...they will need big bale feed stuff to supplement them if you run out of grass.
Hay for sheep will need to be contained and you can usually get sheep feeders from auctions and farm sales pretty cheap...but you will still be looking at the same sort of cost as a hay hutch...so yuo need to think about whether you can afford the extra costs involved in sheep, if you are struggling to find money for a hay hutch....?
 
The thing that puts me off sheep is Foot and Mouth. If there was another outbreak I would find it really hard to have my pets slaughtered. Also if you have sheep onsite and there is an outbreak I don't think you are allowed to take your horses off site. Might be wrong on that.
 
Goats are supposed to make good companions, not that I know much about them myself, just telling you what I've been told!
 
Okay, maybe i need to find a sharer then
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where would i find one? Ideally i'd loan (so that no-one but me was going near the loose monster) but that isnt financially viable either. Vets fees / farrier wormer etc for one I can afford, two and i'd be pushing it (plus my OH would murder me). Do people ever loan out ponies (companions) and still pay for their 'needs' themselves??
 
2 things.....

1. Sheep are truely wonderful and I adore mine to bits (all hand reared pets) - anyone who says that they are stupid is barking up the wrong tree or got the wrong sheep!

2. a word of warning.....I lost my beloved favourite sheep when a friend's "dominant" shetland pony stamped her to death within a day of being out with them. My own horses are absolutely fine with sheep and they all graze very peacefully together but this little blighter (who was asked to leave previous yard for similar behavior it later turned out) was a nightmare, so beware.....

Maybe think about alpacas? or finding someone with pet sheep/whatever, who would take responsiblity for the animals and contribute something to upkeep of the land and also be another pair of eyes and hands in the winter??? ask your feedmerchants/farrier etc for ideas and see what comes up?

Sheep clean the pasture but do need looking after, like any animal - personally they have become my very favourite waste of time and now the horses come a poor second, quite frankly!
 
My pony adores sheep
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He's spent most of the last two years having them as companions (though they're not my responsibility and aside from checking they're still breathing I don't have much to do with them).
 
Just had our one pet sheep pts after 12 years and although she was lovely I would never have another.
They need shearing every year, their bums dagging out to ensure they do not get fly blow.
My farrier trimmed her feet every other time he came (12 weeks) they need worming and mine only chose the best grass to eat.
We had a horse in with her that had a lovely temperament but hated the sheep, he ripped her ears and would chase her across the paddock, grab a mouthful of fleece behind and pull her over.
If she came up on the yard she would leave lots of lovely sticky "currants" that would stick things better than Loctite!
Also agree with earlier post that sheep are NOT thick by any means. Mine would bleat if she had run out of water, would come and tell me in the summer if one of the horses had tipped the water barrell over and would greet me everyday with a nice bleat.
I would say they are a lot more intelligent than people give them credit for. Mine would run off at the sound of my farriers van!
If I were you, I would section off a part of the field and have another horse/pony as company either as a livery or my own.
 
There are all sorts of regulations to do with keeping sheep - we looked into it and it was more trouble than it was worth so we got a small companion pony instead.
 
My pony's out with sheep at the moment... but theyre not ours so dont have the responsibility etc... maybe a farmer would graze a few sheep on your field?? A friend did that and it worked really well...

Just a thought... not sure if it would work for you...
 
My 16.2 irish draft is terrified of sheep.For a couple of winter months we have to put up with sheep on land and if he spots them goes into a panick
 
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