Best companions for horses

[firefoot]

Soon, I will have just my two horses at my barn. It is not at my house, it is a barn/field that I rent. My wonderful boarder is taking her horses home and I think I’m done having other people in my horse space. But, I still want to ride and take field trips with my horses. They are 17 and 19 and I am not sure that they’d be okay alone … they might be, but I don’t know. They will rotate between a 3 acre field and a 5 acre field that is divided 2:3. They will spend most of their time in the 5 acre field. The grass there is pretty good and will hopefully be better this year as I’ll be able to rotate them off of it during the spring but it’s not lush by any means. Lots of stilt grass took over last summer and there’s a fair bit of other weeds, though definitely grass enough that I don’t need to feed hay in the field or anything. Currently, the horses come in for the day, roughly 7:30-3ish, but there are some days they go back out for the day after breakfast. I would like them be out a bit more going forward if they’re able.

So, what are your favorite companions for your horses and most cost effective? Ideally, I would rescue a minidonkey, but I don’t have a dry lot and I would worry about them foundering. My neighbor has some goats he would give me. I will have to do some fortifications for goats, but will goats handle grass or need a dry lot? What kinds of expenses are involved with goats? What about sheep? They seem less athletic. Or should I just get a large pony and a muzzle? I really don’t want the expense of another horse but my horses are not easy keepers. An easy keeping pony might not be too noticeable of a change, financially (although they still have feet and teeth, of course).

I’m not in a huge rush – my boys really like each other and I can certainly just pony them together for the time being. And they might surprise me and be totally fine to stay in the stall and eat hay while the other rides/goes to a show/etc. But in the event that they would prefer company, I would love input on what is involved with each other species.

[carman_liz]

My pony was bffs with a pig at one point. A retired easy keeper pony might be the best choice, or an easy keeper qh or something like that? A drylot with step in posts and tape shouldnt be too hard. There’s a farm up the road from me with amazing grass, 3 horses and a mini, they all wear muzzles in the summer and seem to do fine together.

[NancyM]

I had a badly injured mare at one point, who was stall bound for a long time. She had a chicken, a rooster, who was her friend. He was excellent for her, snuggled with her, and kept her company. I had nothing to do with this, the rooster just arrived from the next door farm (and it was a good decision on his part, the farm sold their livestock to ethnic groups who wanted things slaughtered by bleeding out with candles burning etc, I kid you NOT). So the rooster left that scenario, and turned up at our barn. And made himself at home there. And befriended this mare, and several of the other horses too. they became his “flock” I think. It worked because we had no other chickens who would have been his flock. So this is something you could TRY, but no guarantees that it will work as well for you as it did for us. The rooster also regularly attacked various boarding owners that we had at the time, which we found amusing, great fun.

The problem with getting any small critter like this as a companion for a horse is that if the horse does not appreciate the pet, it can become hoof packing for the horse, on purpose by the horse, or by accident. If it’s a chicken, it is perhaps not as much of a crisis if this happens than if it is something larger, like a goat or a small pony. No vet bills for a chicken. If the chicken feels unsafe, he can always remove himself from the stall, or from what he thinks might be a dangerous situation simply by flying up out of the stall. Our rooster often slept on the stall doors, his decision. When he got old and decrepid, I used to pick him up and put him on a stall door to sleep at night, his roost. Eventually, he was run over by one of his companion mares, by mistake. He went into the manure bin at that point. But it was a sad day.

[Texarkana]

@firefoot

So, what are your favorite companions for your horses and most cost effective? Ideally, I would rescue a minidonkey, but I don’t have a dry lot and I would worry about them foundering.

I have two, smaller standard donkeys who are phenomenal companions. :yes: The younger one is a jenny who I bought as a weanling to be a companion for my two horses at home. She excels at her job. The older one is a gelded jack who “came with the farm.” He was the sole companion for an aged horse, who also “came with the farm.” They are thick as thieves.

I am able to manage both of their weights effectively by using grazing muzzles during grass season; in the winter, they don’t need it and are fine on the horses’ free choice grass hay.

A donkey would be my top choice. Not all horses take to them, but many do.

My neighbor has some goats he would give me. I will have to do some fortifications for goats, but will goats handle grass or need a dry lot? What kinds of expenses are involved with goats?

Goats will definitely need fenceline fortification. It can be hit or miss how the horses accept them. They can generally handle grass, but will blimp up like crazy if they can access horses’ feed. Expenses are minimal in my experience; vaccinations and deworming. Personal preference-- I’d much rather have a donkey over goats, even if donkeys cost a little more to maintain.

What about sheep? They seem less athletic.

Bleh. I’m sure it works for some people, but I wouldn’t consider it. Sheep like to try to die. They are also sensitive to copper, meaning you have to be careful with your horse feed. You have to shear them. Personally, I think they are a pain, although many people love them.

Or should I just get a large pony and a muzzle?

This is probably your most reliable bet. A large pony and a donkey are going to incur similar costs, but baring a personality conflict, the pony is more or less guaranteed to be accepted by your herd.

[Sfbayequine]

I’m getting sheep, but hair sheep. No shearing. They are hilarious. I’m set up to keep everyone apart for grain/supplement feeding. Hubby wants them for weed eating. I said two, but we are getting 4-6. I’m so frightened 🤣🤣🤣

we have two horses at home and they are very attached. Basically, the three of us go everywhere together on the farm and as long as they are in sight, it’s fine. We practice a lot of tying and waiting if I work with one. Hopefully the sheep on property with help them out. Our system works for now, but if I had to leave with one it would be horrendous.

[Arigold]

I have no experience with sheep or donkeys, only goats. Neither one of my 2 horses particularly care for my 2 goats. The goats like the horses. First I have large goats, Nubians. I would be concerned that a horse would inadvertently step on a small goat. Nubians stick to home where the small breeds wander. And yes they all are escape artists. They certainly are all company for each other. Yet when I leave with one horse the other one calls and paces for a time. She then settles. So I would recommend trying the separation with what you have first to see how it goes…

[FatCatFarm]

I have 3 minis I’ve periodically used as companions to bigger, reliable horses. Minis shouldn’t go in with rambunctious youngsters as they can be hurt, particularly when rearing up to combat/play with the larger horse. Just ask me how I know. But older or very quiet big horses, they make great companions for. I much prefer them over donkeys either mini or standard.

Donks are adorable but are not always the easiest to handle being quite opinionated and stubborn. I also found them willing to termite/wood chew most anything including trees; and would also dig down to the roots of their favorite grazing spots to get at the more succulent roots, thus destroying rather large swaths of pasture if it were winter or summer drought, despite having a full hay hut. So, just more bother than they were worth IMHO despite the cuteness. Oh, and just about all the mini donks I’ve owned have had crappy feet, especially the pintos.

I have two Shetland sheep, have had llamas, chickens and goats and now have a Kune Kune pig. Tried donks on three separate occasions and fell out of love each time. Though I will say, I think a single donk is probably better than a pair of them. A pair is just double the trouble of donks in my book. Goats are escape artists and poop and pee everywhere plus chew on everything - just no! Horses really don’t like goats, sheep or llamas.

So my vote is for a sweet mini. They’re adorable, sweet, funny, entertaining as hell. A known quantity as they are horses though their attitude is all pony. They are so cuddly and sweet, if bratty. Some big horses seem to be absolutely enchanted with them and are very kind to them, geldings and mares alike. Grazing muzzles work with well when the grass is lush and all of mine have had good feet that only need trimming every few months if they get plenty of pasture time.

[moonlitoaksranch]

We raise a friendly breed of hair sheep and they are very nice creatures. They have lovely personalities and are easily halter trained, with weekly handling. Ours are naturally polled (no horns) so not much fuss. However, sheep are very vulnerable to parasites, even the hardy breed that we raise. Regular deworming and fecals are needed. There is a way to check the lower eyelid of your sheep to see if they need deworming, but this takes some experience (and an online class, if you want the special card to compare color to). Goats are also vulnerable to parasites, but not quite as bad as sheep.

They also have different nutritional needs than horses. Excess copper is toxic to sheep, so they should only eat grain specifically made for sheep (or all stock that is safe for sheep). If your horse spills grain, your sheep companion might pick up enough to be toxic, over time. We do turn our pony out into the sheep pasture, sometimes, but no grain is offered to either one.

They need their hooves trimmed (easy enough to do), which is why halter training them makes life easier. You can crowd them into a corner, but it’s not nice to stress them out. They are quite vulnerable to prolapse if they are too stressed (emergency treatment required). They also need sheep specific vaccines.

The last sheep caution to add is that one sheep is miserable. You would need two. And then the lambs are incredibly cute…so, well, you see what happens. We have been raising sheep for five years now. However, we did purposely enter into this venture by starting with a retired ewe and a young ewe. A third ewe followed, when we knew the retired one was getting very old, and then a borrowed ram…more ewes…our own ram…etc

Please study these sweet creatures before purchasing to make sure you are ready to be a shepherd, as well as a horse person. :winkgrin:

A donkey is an easier, and more natural, adaptation for horse people.

[Marla_100]

My gelding inherited a large Nubian hermaphrodite goat some years back. He took this goat on as a mare would a foal.
He waited for ‘it’ to follow him up to the barn for feeding and waited for it for turnout also. They curled up at night together.
But this scenario was an exception which is how my gelding inherited the goat, the mares the goat was bought for, hated the goat and tormented it.
The fences were no climb and the goat was never a problem. It stayed out on pasture 24/7 with my horse.
It was a great setup for as long as it lasted, then owners decided to return goat to the breeders.

[stressgirl37]

My experiences: I had two Pygmy goats and they do fine on grass, but goats are really browsers so they like leaves, branches, etc. That being said mine did great on hay and grass and were great weeders. One of my horses was NOT fond of the goats and would chase them with ears pinned so don’t count on a bond. I have two standard sized donkeys. Started with one and he became quite bonded to my horse. Got 2nd donkey and they are good together but the first donkey would still prefer the horse. For the most part though, donkeys prefer hanging with donkeys. Of course there are exceptions, but you just never know.

[Mocha0303]

We tried a goat as a companion for a mare that was on stall rest. She regulated the goat to one corner of the stall and threatened to kick him if he moved one step. It did not work out… the goat was moved out of her residence quite quickly. Another goat was purchased as a companion for the first goat. They learned to scream in unison whenever they wanted something, which was all the time. They climbed everything and learned to be very difficult to catch. They went to a known goat lover down the road and lived happily ever after on her horse-less property…

[TheJenners]

@FatCatFarm

Donks are adorable but are not always the easiest to handle being quite opinionated and stubborn. I also found them willing to termite/wood chew most anything including trees; and would also dig down to the roots of their favorite grazing spots to get at the more succulent roots, thus destroying rather large swaths of pasture if it were winter or summer drought, despite having a full hay hut. So, just more bother than they were worth IMHO despite the cuteness. Oh, and just about all the mini donks I’ve owned have had crappy feet, especially the pintos.

While my experience has not been the same as FatCat, I do want to caution against donkeys, especially minis, and especially if you only want to get one. Donkeys generally prefer other donkeys. I have one odd one who prefers horses because he was kept in solitary for nearly three years, then lived with my horse(s) for another hmmm five years, before I got a second donkey. This second donkey only wants his donkey buddy and is pretty miserable when the original Evil Burrito is pal’ing around with a horse or in a stall with horse hunting for scraps, and the slightly less evil Evil Burrito is outside by his lonesome. Also, not all horses accept donkeys and the ones who don’t will usually have murder on their minds. Don’t ask me why. Some/Most either like them or ignore them, but the ones who don’t hate them.

While my donks have good feet and aren’t furry termites, they require normal care. Sheaths and teeth, shots, farrier. A lot of people think they can ignore donkeys, but you really can’t. Also, not all farriers will do donkeys. Some because donkeys can be notorious bad about their feet (see above re: ignoring them) and some because donkey’s feet are different than horses and must be trimmed differently. MINI donkeys are more prone to rain rot and getting chilled in wet or cold windy weather without shelter. BLM style burritos are not as easily chilled due to being high desert animals, but can get rain rot. I don’t have experience with mammoth or other donkeys.

Horses (and donkeys) are expensive. You will incur extra cost regardless. I’d say try to go without a third or fourth until you find you can’t.

[moonlitoaksranch]

Donkeys and digging…that’s a good point.

The vet and I were marveling at the lack of resistance donkeys have to flies on their lower legs. A donkey can be bitten to the point of bleeding in a single warm day. Pawing and digging may develop as an effort to kick dirt onto their poor lower legs because of the torment from flies. They were desert creatures and their leg fur is fine and can be furry, which gives a lovely place for flies to snuggle in and make a home. Our donkey has foal-sized fly boots coming for when the flies start up again. Swat works well, too.

Our donkey’s best friend is a pony. She would love another donkey, but our barn is full.

[Texarkana]

Despite donkeys being browsers, my two donkeys aren’t bad termites. They rarely chew on the barn or fences; no more than the horses (who also aren’t wood chewers). They do like woody vegetation and trees and will sometimes strip bark or branches, although I wouldn’t call it a problem.

They do dig, but I also wouldn’t call it a problem for mine. They tend to dig up deep-rooted weeds and eat the roots, which doesn’t hurt my feelings any!

Something mine do that is kind of annoying is create dust/dirt (which becomes mud) wallows for rolling, killing off the grass in certain areas. It’s not a big deal, but I have several ~10’ diameter dirt circles where there used to be pretty grass. Now those areas are donkey rolling pits. It probably makes for a funny aerial view of my farm.

Flies do tear up their legs in the summer, much worse than the horses. Someone told me it’s because their nerve structure is different in their legs than horses; they don’t have the sensitivity that horses have, and therefore don’t have as much as of a stomp reflex. I never fact checked the statement, but it seems plausible. Plus, the flies do bury into the hair as mentioned above (but clipping makes the problem WAY worse in my experience). Shoo Fly Leggins have been a lifesaver for summertime leg protection. The flies are a non-issue with the Shoo Fly Leggins on.

I’ve had ponies, I’ve had minis, and I’ve had donkeys (in addition to goats and sheep). I prefer the donkeys hands down as small companions, provided the horses accept them. The care costs are almost identical, but I just find the donkeys easier, more street smart, and definitely more entertaining! They make me laugh every day.

[firefoot]

Thank you all for the input! I appreciate it. And hearing all your stories has helped me decide that I will see how my two do on their own first before getting anything else. I am fine to pony one off the other and this might be a good opportunity to teach the one about tying and waiting while I work the other horse.

Sheep sound terrible, not gonna lie. And goats have never really appealed to me so I’m easy talked out of that. Donkeys have always been endearing but I don’t really like the stubbornness and if that gets in the way of treating them for something, cleaning legs, etc., then that’s a no. And since I rent this property, I don’t want something known for digging or wood chewing. Plus, I definitely only want one companion.

I’ll see how it goes with the two and if I do need a companion, I think a mini or a pony would be best. My guys are on the bigger side (16+ and 17.2H) but they are pretty quiet and getting older so no crazy playing. And I am totally open to learning more about donkeys, goats, etc. but realistically whatever I get needs to be “easy” and “low maintenance” so the learning curve for another species might be too much.

[moonlitoaksranch]

Sounds good, OP. Lots of ponies and minis need homes.

[Weezer]

My QH gelding has been with my mini mare for over 20 years. As pasture mates, they’ve always gotten along well. The QH protects and calls to the mini. But when I got my own place and it was just the two of them, the QH was depressed. When I was at college for two years, the QH lived with another full size horse, no mini. He was fine with that but a mini as the only companion doesn’t cut it for him.

I advertised board for a retired horse and got two wonderful horses and a low-maintenance owner. It took several interviews to find the right fit but it’s worked out beautifully.

[HungarianHippo]

I know you’ve made your decision, but for anyone else thinking about Goats:
Ours free range with the horses, except during vegetable gardening season where I keep them penned because they wreck the garden. They definitely buddy up with the horses, but it’s clear the goats get more comfort from the horses than the other way around. I guess it’s companionship in a way, but I would not count on a goat keeping a horse from running the fences if that’s how he’s inclined.

And you definitely need very robust fencing that they can’t bend/push down. Forget about chicken wire or something flexible like that-- they will climb it, rub their coats on it, and generally work it into the ground. Our goat pen is cattle panel with 8ft wood posts*, and that’s done very well. When they’re free ranging, they generally stick close to the horses, and we have 35 acres so they don’t wander far enough to leave the property. If you live close to other homes or a road, then you’ll need to fence them in.

They are sweet and come running up to be pet when I head out to the field. https://photos.app.goo.gl/rfV5DBJwVYikTChU7

They are also noisy, at times objectionably so. Of our two pygmys, Ella has a sweet little baa-baa-baa. But for inexplicable reasons, Pippa shouts like a really loud, angry old man. I am not kidding: https://photos.app.goo.gl/FbpP2V97TfrrbsgDA

ETA: wood posts spaced 8ft, not 8ft tall!

[moonlitoaksranch]

With three adorable ponies like that, I’m surprised you don’t have random children following you around like puppies. We only have one pony and she has a neigh-borhood fan club (pun intended).

[jherold]

Mine do fine when I leave with the other. The older gelding is like, “by honey, see you when you get home!” No fuss no muss. I can leave him on pasture or whatever. The young mare is not happy, but she’s fine. She hangs out in the mud lot and waits. I’d try to see how yours act before you get something else to be responsible for. Put one in a stall and trailer the other around the block. Rinse and repeat. I think they do learn that eventually the companion comes home.