Finding a Friend By Christina Urso-Cale

Photo by Anita Norris

Selecting a companion, when having a second horse is not an option.

It is well known that the best companions for horses are other horses as they are herd animals and enjoy the company of their own species. However circumstances don't always allow for more than one horse to be kept, whether it be for financial reasons, space limitations or restrictions on agistment; sometimes lone horse. If having another horse is not an option, then there are ways to help alleviate boredom and stress by providing another animal as a companion. Property owners can reap the benefits of cross grazing while at the same time providing companionship at a fraction of the time and cost involved in owning another horse. Horses can and do bond well with a variety of different species; and they in turn can provide benefits to the horse, the owner and the property on which they are being kept. It is well worth exploring the option of pairing a lone horse up with another animal if keeping a horse as part of a herd or with an equine companion is not possible

Dogs and Cats
There are amazing stories of dogs and cats bonding with horses, however, they may not be considered suitable as a companion as such, as they rarely spend a significant amount of time with thehorse, and therefore have limited capacity as a meaningful companion. Stories of cats that spend their day curled up on the rugged horse's back and dogs that have a friendship with a special horse are quite common. Even if the pet gets on well with a horse, they will still be spending a significant amount of time apart when the dog or cat are not there, even if they live on the same property. Some dogs, especially those bred to herd, such as border collies and kelpies, and if there are two or more together, do have a tendency to herd or chase horses. This may start out as play but can end up with serious injury to either the dog or the horse if it is bitten or runs through a fence. But there is no question that there are many cats and dogs that do have special relationships with a horse.

Above: Some dogs and horses are just the best of mates during rest and play. Below: Cats take a more passive role.

Goats
Goats and horses can make excellent companions if well managed. All breeds of goat are not created equal, so if considering this species as a companion, it would be prudent to go for a renowned gentler breed, such as the Anglo-Nubian. Some goats can be pushy and stubborn and may cause problems at feed time, so it really will depend on the temperament of the horse and the goat as to whether they can get along – not all horses will tolerate this species as their new paddock or stable companion. Goats will not necessarily understand or heed the warnings given by a horse and could end up being seriously injured or even killed if not supervised closely during the introduction stage. While they do need very sturdy fencing to keep them in, as they are renowned escape artists, goats do not generally require a great deal of maintenance.

Cross graze between goats and horses will assist with keeping the worm population down but both prefer to eat the shorter grass. Excellent at controlling weeds and woody-stemmed plants and bushes that can be hard to get rid of in the pasture, goats are also very good at destroying any young trees that may be planted and 'grazing' the lower foliage of trees and shrubs that are not fenced or otherwise protected from their reach.

Above and below: Owners don’t always get to choose the friend for a horse, sometimes they select their own, but animals with horns are best avoided, if possible.

Cattle
There is little information about cows and horses co-habiting, yet on working properties around Australia cows and horses live together with little problems. The biggest consideration with cattle is their diet, especially when it comes to hay. Most hay or silage fed to cattle is of poor quality and is not suitable for horses so it can do serious damage or even kill a horse if they ingest mouldy or substandard hay. Unlike cows, a horse's gut does not cope with silage and if reliant upon hay for feed, the feed bill could go up dramatically as both cow and horse would need to be fed high quality hay. Another consideration is grass, cows do well on lush pasture, which may not be suitable for horses that are good doers or those prone to laminitis. This variance in diet may make the cow an unlikely companion for some horses. Cows do however make great cross grazers and help control worms. They will eat the longer, rank grass that horses won't touch and therefore make the paddock more productive. Rotational grazing with cows also works well if the aim is to just provide a companion in sight but one that remains on the other side of the fence.

As with introducing any animal that a horse has not experienced before, it may be extremely wary initially, despite the gentle nature of most cows, until it becomes accustomed to sharing the pasture. In some instances, the horse can also dominate a cow and stop it from accessing water, food or shelter. For this reason, it is always a good idea to have two water sources until it is clear that the horse is allowing the cow to drink from the same trough. Some horses may chase and herd cows, especially if this is in their breeding, so another species may be more suited to these horses. Given that most bulls can be unpredictable with both humans and horses it can make it difficult or dangerous for handlers to enter the paddock to catch a horse, therefore if choosing a bovine companion it may be best to stick to a well handled cow, preferably one without horns. Electric fencing will work well for both horses and cows.

Llamas and Alpacas
Horses usually can't believe what they are seeing when first encountering Llamas or Alpacas; however this doesn't mean that they can't learn to be best mates. Alpacas are more common in Australia than llamas, although both are from the same family (camelids) and essentially provide the same companionship role to a horse. Alpacas do not have large feed requirements, which means they are well suited to being an equine companion if feed is a consideration. Shearing and hoof care are required but they are extremely hardy, low maintenance animals that tolerate a wide variety of conditions with out problems. Being naturally inquisitive and bred as guard animals, they can spend a lot of time 'staring' at a horse, which may initially make the horse unsettled. However, alpacas can and do bond with other animals, although the initial period of introduction may be one of dismay from both sides of the paddock! Once the standoff is over and the horse is accustomed to the alpaca it will be clear whether they will tolerate each other or not, but they must be monitored closely in the first weeks as a horse can cause a serious injury if they take a disliking to their new companion.

Above: Until both show signs of wanting to be best mates, a fence between the alpaca and horse is a wise safety option.

Sheep
Sheep can be easy to handle and round up due to their nature, and are generally timid and will not bother horses as much as a goat or alpaca might. An individual sheep often bonds with one or a group of horses. While this may not always be a strong bond they will however provide paddock company. Sheep graze grass very low to the ground and it may take paddocks longer to recover after they have been in them, as the low grazing puts more stress on it but also helps keep weeds under control. They do make good cross grazers, but are less likely than goats or cows to eat the longer rank grass in the paddock. Sheep are also relatively low maintenance, although they do require worming, hoof care and shearing. As they can get through gaps quite easily, they do need ring-lock or mesh fencing to keep them in, neither of which is the optimum fencing for horses.

Miniature/Shetland Pony
Although still technically a horse, a Miniature or Shetland can provide equine company without the costs involved in having another larger horse. These small horses can form strong bonds with other horses and make great companions; the main drawback being differing feed requirements. Far more prone to founder than the larger horses the Miniature or Shetland do require close monitoring of the paddock feed, especially around spring time. If the property has a lot of grass this may mean these companions will need to be 'locked up' in a smaller paddock for a good part of the year. Like the larger horses they do need regular hoof and dental care and worming but apart from that they cost little to keep. If being kept with another horse in the same paddock they will do best on poorer pasture and will be a great companion for a good doer that does not need a lot of feed. If kept with a poor doer, they may consistently need to be separated to ensure that they do not ingest too much sugar-rich grass or steal grain, which may cause them to develop laminitis.

	Left: Miniatures and Shetlands are good company for the lone horse or the weaned foal. Above: Donkeys are easy keepers and faithful friends.

Donkey
When first introducing a horse to a donkey great care should be taken as they may appear to be bonding well until such time as the donkey brays for the first time and then most horse just want to be somewhere else but in the same paddock. Donkeys are protective of their companions and can have a calming influence, which is why many are racehorse companions. Worming, hoof care and fencing are similar to those required for horses.

Introducing New Animals
The rules for introducing any new animal companion remain the same as with other horses. Introduce them slowly, paddock them next to each other for a while and supervise their first few contacts and first time together. Other animals can injure a horse and in turn the horse could injure or kill another species of animal – especially given that they are unable to read a horse's body language and will not respond to flattened ears or threats to kick in the same way as another horse would – possibly endangering themselves in the process. Be sure to research thoroughly into the species considered as a companion, they all have separate needs and requirements that should be met, just as the horse does. Consider the size of the paddock and whether it is big enough to allow for the possibility of introductory teething troubles such as biting, herding and kicking, and ensure that neither can be bailed up easily in a corner or behind a gate. Create a ' safe haven' for the smaller animals to escape too, such as a sectioned off area with lower fencing that allows them access, but not the horse. The reaction to introducing a new species will be vastly different in a two acre paddock than in a ten acre paddock, with the smaller paddock requiring much more careful management and monitoring in the introductory period.

Feed And Water
Other animals can have vastly different feed requirements or may steal the horse's food at feed time, or vice versa. Vigilance is required to ensure one is not keeping the other away from food and/or water. Having two water sources and separating the animals at feed time makes these potential problems less likely to occur. Supplemental feed for other species may harm horses so thoroughly check the safety of feed ingredients before feeding out.

Handling
It is always worth considering putting the time and effort into handling the new animal and keeping regular feed times to habituate human contact. Trying to round up an animal with a health problem that has had minimal human contact can be difficult, or if the animal has to be removed for any reason it is always worth making sure they are able to be caught and led easily and without stress. Alternatively find an animal that has already had training and is used to being handled, such as a house cow or pet goat. Ultimately it will depend on the horse as to whether it can be kept with a different species of animal; the temperament of the horse and the limitations of the set-up available will be a big factor in choosing the right animal to be a companion to a horse.

We know there are many instances of firm friendship between horses and other animals and invite you to post your images on hoofbeats facebook page : facebook.com/hbmagandgreenhorse