Sheep or Goat.......

C

Charlie007

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My horse is currently on a yard on his own. He is not in the slightest bit bothered by this but we were wondering, if he needed a companion, which would be easier to look after, handle etc?
 
Pros and cons to each. Sheep need shearing and it's a pain to get a few (or one) done. Goats are blighters for escaping and eating stuff. Remember that sheep are grazers and goats are browsers.

Otherwise either will need their feet trimmed, to be wormed and depending on whereabouts in the country you are to have the blue tongue vaccine.
 
Neither
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We had a couple of pygmy goats to keep one of our horses company whilst we where out with the other and it worked really well. We trimmed the goats feet regularly and fed them goat mix they are very hardy as native to Africa. Very delightful to watch and pet also ! Keep away from sheep they have so many parasites you will be forever treating them.
 
Alpaca's i believe have to be kept in 2s or 3's - so you wouldnt be able to just get one... could be costly.

I'd just rescue a small pony on loan.

If you get goats make sure your fencing is v good! my dads escape ALL the time and ruin peoples gardens...
pygmy goats are ever so sweet, i'd love a few if i had room.
 
I would go for small pony
I need a companion for mine and looked into a few animals but a shettie or similar seems the easiest and the least costly
 
Neither, get a wee po instead.

I've got sheep and it's said they have 2 ambitions in life, one is getting out the other is to die, and it's so true.
We had 5 sheep and are now down to 3, one just died on Saturday night from pneumonia apparently vet said it's rife at the moment with the warm humid weather.

I think horses are much easier to keep, sheeps feet need to be done constantly to stop them becoming lame, they need shearing and they only like short tastey grass, long is bad for their feet, so you'll need to top the field if it has the long thin grass.
Vet has said that goats are similar and get themselves into more trouble!!

I vote for a pony
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I have sheep and they are quite easy to look after, I got a breed that doesnt need shearing and if you arent putting them in lamb a lot fo health problems are ruled out! mine dont try to escape but they do need their paddock topping which works out quite expensive - if you have a horse too then this might not apply

Goats will thin the hedges as they are browsers and are also pretty good at escaping (as already said) however a dairy goat could provide you with milk - more useful than your average companion!

In saying that I would go for a small pony!
 
Id say neither, get a small pony.
With other livestock you need to get a holding number from Defra and keep lots of records (even for one sheep!).

Also as others have said they do need a lot of care, wormers can work out expensive for very small numbers!
 
If your horse is unfazed with being on his own, why do you have to provide him with company which is alien to his own? Goats and sheep would much rather be with 'goats and sheep' and I honestly cant see the logic behind it. Okay, the horse may calm down but the poor bugger who is forced to live in an enclosed space with someone who just might lie down ontop of him, stand on him, kick him etc?
If you can do without Im sure the ruminants will do a collective 'sigh of relief'. Ive seen too many people get their horse a goat and then repent. The goat repented even more
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Buy him a radio
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Small pony, yep, I did that. Poor Charley ended up being an 'only' pony (as in by himself in a paddock) until recently because this happened >
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Now he's terrified of bigger horses apart from Zeus, and although they like each other across a barrier, I'd be a raving idiot to risk putting them together.
 
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