# Horse for protecting goats



## Hollybrook (Jul 17, 2009)

Will horse's protect goats from Coyotes and what not, kinda like donkeys and some types of dawgs?


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## Faithful Crown Nubians (Dec 5, 2007)

I wouldn't count on it...my horses tried to kill my goats....that was back when I had all Pygmys..never tried it with the standard size goats. They cost too much to risk it. So I keep all my goats penned away from the horses.


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## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

We lost a full sized Lone Elm Alpine buck with a full rack of mature horns to a horse.
Whirl kick dead. This goat was leased out and they put him with their horses.
It was pitiful - he was somethin else and the horse was dog meat. 
Or at least I wished he was.


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## Ashley (Oct 25, 2007)

Horses run from predators, they don't stand and fight unless trapped or perhaps if a stud. And yea, only certain horses can be trusted with goats. My horse Doc does great with them and my buck well even stand under him and love on him. My horse Zip cannot be trusted with the goats. He is liable to kill them, he doesn't recognize their smaller size and frailty compared to himself.


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## Angela (Feb 13, 2010)

I have heard of many people pasturing goats and horses together but as others have said it doesn't always work. And, even if they get along I doubt the horses would protect the goats. Donkeys (most of the time) don't really protect the goats - they just don't like strangers in their pasture. I have a horse like that - she will chase anything out. I have seen her go after dogs (including mine!) and even raccoons (she got one too!). She does leave deer and skunks alone. But I would be afraid to put her in with the goats - she would probably try to chase them out as well.

Angela


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## Dana (Dec 7, 2009)

I have had horses and donkeys in with my goats and it seems to depend on their personality. My quarter horse gelding was very friendly to all the goats, my mini stud donkey dragged my herd queen around mercilessly, and the large standard donkeys never encountered a coyote yet. Right now I have a 10 year old 13 hands donkey in with the goats for protection of coyotes. She is mostly protective of the little goats and they will hide under her legs from the big bossy goats. Very cute to see them peeping out from behind donk's legs. But she doesn't seem aggressive toward our 3 dogs. I haven't had them in the same pen though, I don't want to find out the hard way.


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## mysacrificenubians (Oct 27, 2007)

My QH mare has been absolutely fine with every goat that she's ever been in the pasture with, even newborn kids. She HATES dogs so she would stomp them to death if she could. On the other hand, my STB gelding would try to kill the goats, he even tried to kill my QH mare years ago, but would run from a dog.
I've had major problems with dogs in the past and have lost goats to them, but never lost one when I had a horse in the pasture. Maybe it's just a coincidence, but I have always felt that the goats were safer when I had a horse in with the goats. 
I've had two minis in with them too, but it was too much trouble keeping them out of the alfalfa, but they did protect them somewhat. My buck and mini were best buddies. They were just too small and got through anywhere a goat could get through. 
I think every horse (and goat) are different and some just won't get along no matter what. 
I wouldn't solely depend on the horse for protection, but the right horse, the right goats and the right FENCES can ease your mind a bit. 
Just my two cents..


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## nightskyfarm (Sep 7, 2009)

My horses are next to the goats and cannot stand it when a goat sneaks into their space. For the safety of my goats they are kept separate. A llama on the other hand will protect the goats and I have been told a mini donk will as well. Of course, I have neither and I have sturdy fences. Predators/dogs seem to be put off by my electric netting which contains the milkers. All others are fenced with field fence topped with a board.


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## Cotton Eyed Does (Oct 26, 2007)

Some donkeys are good with goats. Donkeys were going between $11.00 and $45.00 at the auction barn Saturday near me. I have had horses with the goats, but one day for some reason our huge gelding tried to chase down one of my goats. Luckily I was out in the pasture and the doe ran into her shed. I think he would have killed her had I not been there. If you want something for predator control I would say a Livestock Guard Dog would be best. A big male anatolian shepherd could help with coyotes.


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## Squires (Jul 23, 2010)

Cotton Eyed Does said:


> Some donkeys are good with goats. Donkeys were going between $11.00 and $45.00 at the auction barn Saturday near me.


We have a guardian-donkey breeder in the Finger Lakes region of NY who started out with auction donkeys. He picked out those that had good temperaments and were manageable. He had some donkey jennies that had experience as guardian animals as the core of his "training program." Your best bet is a single MATURE standard donkey who was raised with the livestock you are trying to protect - this means five years old or older. Ideal is a Jenny (mare) raised among goats or sheep, and pregnant. No other donkeys, horses, llamas or so much as a cow for the donkey to befriend -- the donkey will get lonely enough that it will bond to the goats and that is that -- you have yourself a guardian donkey. IF it has a suitable temperment. Jack donkeys are generally not safe around your goats -- although this breeder put his breeding jacks in with jennies in with goats or sheep, and had both jacks and jennies that stomped coyotes, ground-hogs, cats and dogs that approached their goats or sheep.

Second best is a single neutered male (gelding) standard donkey who was raised among goats or sheep. Again, no other larger livestock than your goats. Must be mature and before you turn something like a donkey loose in your fields, make sure he is bonded to you and can be caught and haltered. The very best were handled as foals and are tame.

I have also heard of old retired draft-horse mares as good guardians for small ruminants. Again, depends on the individual mare, and whether you have the forage or hay to feed her.


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## Squires (Jul 23, 2010)

Cotton Eyed Does said:


> If you want something for predator control I would say a Livestock Guard Dog would be best. A big male anatolian shepherd could help with coyotes.


If you only have an occasional small predator, any guardian will do. Consider geese and guinea fowl as alarms. BUT, if you have serious predators (packs of coyotes or wolves, bear, cougar) you need two or more dogs working together.

No matter what guardian or alarm animal you choose, you will have to train them, and figure out how to make them work well for YOU.


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## tendermeadowsnigerians (Sep 8, 2010)

We are having a problem with coyote we are currently keeping all goats in at night next to the dog run and they are in the pasture during the day w/ our drafts. I have tried a donkey, two different donks in fact at different times, and they both were raised w/ goats but both tried to stomp my goats. I have been looking for an LGD for a couple months now but I do not have $1000+ to buy one that has been raised w/ goats. Any suggestions?


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

I have seen quite a few LGD's that were not that expensive. Where are you located? Maybe put a post in the classified section of the forum and see if anyone has some available.


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## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

Your profile does not show your location. I know of a breeder locally that sells started pups for 100.00. If you would fill in your info you could get recommendations from people in your area.


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

With our 5 horses, the miniature horse seems to be the one who chases stray dogs and such out of the pasture. In the past I have seen our arab gelding chase out a coyote. He was a stallion until age 7 and is very protective of his herd. Four of the horses can be trusted with the goats, and we do rely on them somewhat for protection, although we only have bucks in with them most of the time. One horse (an off the track horse) has a habit of being food aggressive and has picked up my buck by his scur on two occasions and picked up my wether by his hip! This horse is no longer housed with goats. He has also picked up my labrador a couple of times...(lab will try and eat his grain).

So, like everyone else says, it just depends. We are planning new fences that will allow goats and horses to pasture together. Right now we have electric mesh and I absolutely hate it, but it does keep in our LGD and seems to keep out preditors. It does not, however, keep in bucks in rut or does in heat....and at times that I forget to turn it back on, it's absolutely worthless! Great fences are worth their weight in gold!


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## petey (May 1, 2010)

There is a workingLGD's group on yahoo. They can help refer you to pups for sale, rescue dogs and dogs who need placing for various reasons (owner ill, sale of stock, etc) as well as answer any questions you might have. I highly recommend them. My two pups have done an awesome job protecting our goats and sheep, as well as orphan calves.


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## jdranch (Jan 31, 2010)

We have an LGD, our neighbors have donkeys, and the guy on the corner uses a llama. I prefer the dog.


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## Island Creek Farm (Jun 16, 2010)

Hey Dave-
Just my .02! We've got eight horses, and five are fine with the goats, but three seem to like chasing 'em. I doubt you'd find one that would bond with a goat well enough that it would protect it, unless it has been raised with goats.

I'd get a LGD...found our GP at a kill shelter at 8 months old, where the breeder had dumped their entire stock when the economy plummeted. $65, included shots and spaying her. I'd be happy to help you try to find one if you decide to go that route, there are LOTS of them over Montgomery-way!

I am considering getting another one...our GP guards the "yard" and chickens, she's fine with the goats, but not kept locked in with them (we had the chickens first, and coyotes were decimating them nightly). We haven't lost a single chicken since we got her.


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## Tracy in Idaho (Oct 26, 2007)

If you are in the west, you can usually get LGD pups from the commercial sheep herds for free or pretty close to it.


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