[Jacob-list] Re: coyotes and horses

[Sugar Hill Farm]

I tend to agree, Lisa, about not all horses having this ability.  Again, this might have to do with breeds that haven't had some of the old survival traits bred out.  I have Curly horses and Appaloosa.  One Curly mare that spent a good part of her life out on the open range.  And she has protected our lambs when they wandered into a temporary corral area she was in.  

Some horses don't seem to react at all to dogs, but maybe that is just that they've been taught to tolerate them.  I do get concerned with lambs getting underfoot with the horses, but none of my horses seem to mind being pastured with them.

Marcia
Sugar Hill Farm
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Elizabeth K. Norsworthy 
  To: jacob-list at jacobsheep.com 
  Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2000 10:18 AM
  Subject: [Jacob-list] Re: coyotes and horses


  After reading Sue's question, have to chime in about horses and coyotes. We've found that our morgan mare -- the "alpha" of all the farm animals - has thoroughly intimidated the coyotes. We literally have coyote "surround-sound" each evening but the mare has conditioned them to stay well beyond the pastures. I don't believe that just any horse can achieve this; our quarterhorse gelding doesn't seem to have an ounce of guardian instincts.


                                                                                                                      Lisa Norsworthy
                                                                                                                      Winterbrook Farm
                                                                                                                      Concord, Vermont
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