[andywalt]

Hi

Ive heard its very good to have sheep grazing in horse paddocks as it helps the situation with the worms but I am not exactly sure how? can someone explain please?

thanks appreciated

[lazybee]

This is what I have told: I looked into this a while back as the property I bought had sheep and I wanted to put my horses on their pasture. The horse parasites don't infect sheep and vise versa. It is said that the sheep consume larvae from the pasture that would otherwise infest the horses. The only parasite I have heard that can infect both is the liver fluke, but they can only pick them up from water with water snails in it and it's rare. I have heard of some donkeys from Ireland having flukes.

[ellisr]

The sheep also graze the grass down to allow better growth, whereas horses more rip and leave the paddock a bit clumpy. My lot often graze together happily, my horse loves the lambs for company I have a lovely photo somewhere of the lamb and horse nose to nose it looks like they are kissing.
Grazing in this way saves a lot of topping out and management my old grandpa taught me this when I was small and said it was the best way of managing the land, I wish he was still with us as I loved to learn from him.

[andywalt]

thanks for that,

my sheep are at the local stables and they are very happy tpo have them just for a couple of lambs for the freezer !!

thanks for clarifying


andy

[lachlanandmarcus]

Do bear in mind that not all horses will tolerate sheep and some are killed by trying it, so if you do put them together, initially run an electric tape across the field a little was from the fence/hedge, so the sheep can take refuge in that area if the horse charges it. Depending on temperament and the behaviour you observe, you might then be able to remove it, but if not it should stay and will work well. I did this as I have a horse that cant share a field with anything (very dominant and kicks everything into the middle of next week), altho he has a pony over the fence to talk to. By using the electric refuge tape the sheep could duck under neath and they shared ok.

[andywalt]

thanks very much for that advice

andy

[morri2]

Andy, just thought I'd better add this to the advice:  A friend of mine who allows a neighbours horse to graze with his sheep has been having problems with one of his ewes the last few days.  She appears to be partially blind and disorientated.  We all suspected tapeworms affecting the brain, but the vet doesn't think that's the case - the main suspicion is that the the horse has kicked her in the head. According to my friend, the usually placid and friendly horse gets nasty when he feeds the sheep as he wants the sheep nuts. So could well have kicked out at her.  She is improving, but not sure what the long term damage will be. Please be careful.  Cheers. Caro.

[andywalt]

No problem, thanks for that, the horses are already used to goats altho they are more agile ect, as of yet we havnt actually run the sheep and horses together they follow the horses in rotation at present, store lambs are going monday, please have a look at my new posting... my 15 ewes i am collecting on the 3rd....yikkes

[rbarlo32]

andy you do need to watch the horses. our shetlands for some reason love to chase lambs. they are quite happy with the ram i think his horns are a very convincing protection. i would watch out for any new stock that you have. as morri says watch out when you need to feed the sheep or your going to have some fat horses.

[Hermit]

When I had my two horses the sheep used to run and hide under them cause they knew the dogs wouldnt go near them then. Geese in the field clear the fluke

[bigchicken]

Horses and sheep in the same paddock at the same time can be a bad idea our wee Shetland likes to herd the sheep around the field and the palomino pony is not adversed to trying the odd bite if the sheep get to close. I personally would never put horses in with pregnant ewes or lambs to dangerous. As for grazing, sheep do help the grazing for horses but horses do nothing to help the grazing for sheep and as far as worms are concerned I don't want my sheep or horses eating worm eggs etc no matter where they come from. All pastures should be rotated and a regular worming program should be carried out as a matter of coarse. A matter of good husbandry in my opinion

[Daisys Mum]

I run my horses and sheep together for most of the time, in the winter I tape off a section of field with electric tape as a feeding area for sheep, also have their lick iin there. They are only seperated for a few weeks until the lambs are big enough to get out of the horses way.