Barnmice Equestrian Social Community
The video community for horse people everywhere
Coyotes and Horses
This morning I watched a coyote trot past the horses in their paddock. The horses just stood there staring at it; they didn't appear worried at all. This lead me to thinking about them and how they view predators. Did they realize that the coyote is a predator? Did they realize that the coyote wasn't interested in them? Because my horses are not living in the wild, have they learned not to worry about predators? I know that horses have not lost their "fright and flight" instinct and so I'm finding this very interesting. I'd love to know anyone else's comments on this.
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Lil Bay Mare on -
I remember a few years back, watching the same thing Wendy. Horses where grazing and not even lifting their heads as a coyote walked amongst them sniffing the ground. I think they see them a dogs and not as coyotes so hence no fear. I could be totally wrong there. Just my two cents. Have a great day : )
-
Permalink Reply by Jessica Nardi on -
If it was only one coyote it isn't a threat (because they hunt in packs) when there is a pack of them the horses may act differently.
-
Permalink Reply by Michelle Synnot on -
coyotes never bothered my horses much either, mind you, they never came jogging past them...they must see them as dogs.. now bears, that's a whole other can of worms!
-
Permalink Reply by Mini Morgan on -
I have to say that my horse know that there are predators, and then there are PREDATORS. I too have had a coyote trot through the paddock, right past the horses, without the horses paying him any attention at all. I suspect they figured it was just another dog, and at that point in time they had no reason to be afraid of dogs.
Later that same winter we had a pack of timberwolves here. They were in our back pasture one evening--they left right after I noticed them there, but later in the night they came back, and must have come in closer to the barn because one of the horses went through the fence. This wasn't a horse that was prone to being hard on fences, and to get out of his corral he broke a big thick rail--so I know that he was terrified when he went through that fence. I don't believe the wolves were actually after him, because if they had been they would have had him--I think they just came into the barnyard to look around, and got too close to this one corral--and Torchy knew they were predators that could be dangerous to him.
Several years prior to this we had a problem with a cougar coming around. That year other horses in the area were attacked by a big cat--mostly horses that were out on pasture and away from any lighting. One 2 year old was badly torn up, and several foals were killed. Our horses were kept in closer to the barn, under the yard light, and none were ever attacked--the cat would just come up and watch them. Whether it ever actually tried to get one of them I don't know. In any case, those horses knew that they were potential prey--that summer they became complete basket cases. They jumped at every little noise or movement, and if one of our dogs came around the corner of the shed the horses were GONE! They did not wait to discover if it was just a dog or if it was the cat--and heaven help us if we happened to be on the far side of the horse when the dog came around the corner because in their frantic haste to escape any one of those horses would have run us over.
One interesting thing we noted that summer was the change in our one old broodmare. Willow was a wise old range mare that had raised most of her foals out on the open prairie pastures--she knew the ways of the world and wasn't concerned by many things. When she came to us she was kept in a smaller area, and the first two foals she raised for us were pretty much allowed to do as they pleased in the paddock. Willow knew they were safe, and they were always nearby, so she had no worries. That summer, with the cat around, her attitude changed completely. She trained her little filly to obey her instantly. Any noise or movement was supposed to send that foal to her side, and a snort from WIllow was supposed to have the same effect. If the filly didn't pay attention, Willow would give her a sharp nip to remind her. Willow definitely knew that cat meant danger and she took steps to protect her baby as best she could.
so, I would have to say no, today's horses have not learned not to worry about predators, they just know which ones are likely to be a serious threat and which ones are quite unimportant.
-
Permalink Reply by A_Sassy_Temptation on -
If they feel threatenned then I am sure the horses would have reacted differently. I know one mare that will actually chase and kill coyotes so although she was in her 20's she could never be a reliable trail horse for beginners because if she saw a coyote she was gone chasing it, and many times she actually would get it.. I don't think I'd see that behaviour in an older gelding though..
Because most owners teach or show their horses that canines aren't that bad through experience they have less fear then wildies, because even us to a feral horse are considered predators..
-
Permalink Reply by Lyn on -
My husband is a biologist who used to do research with coyotes and wolves. I asked him this question and here is what he said, "A horse is out of a coyotes league. They would only be a threat to a newborn foal and then, only if the mom was unable to defend the foal. Even multiple coyotes would probably not seem like much of a threat to a horse. If a single wolf trotted through the pasture you would probably see a greater response. If there were multiple wolves then a horse would likely see very aggitated as they would view the them as a more significant threat. Miniature horses or donkeys might see coyotes as a threat since they would be potential prey!"
-
Permalink Reply by Wendy on -
I'm just so interested to know how domesticated horses know the difference.... intriguing...
-
Permalink Reply by Lucy on -
we get coyotes on a regular basis and the horse is never bothered by them, nor are the cows. I don't think they see them as predators at all. Now the chickens, that's a whole different story. We know there are coyotes around when there is an uproar in the coop.
-
Permalink Reply by Nancy McHardy on -
When my filly was 2 we lost her Momma, so she was left on her own in the paddock. I brought her into the stable every night. When I went to put her in at night for several days, she was lathered in sweat and if I didn't get there before dark she was frantic. There are coyotes in the area and my paddocks are surrounded by trees. There are horses in the neighbouring fields where she could see them, but I think the fact that she was alone terrified her and I boarded her at another stable until I could get a companion for her. I never did see any coyotes, but could hear them. She could certainly hear them and could probably see them too. She was instictively afraid of the coyotes as she had no herd members for protection. I don't think we can domesticate that instinct out of our horses, but I do think that if they trust us enough as their leaders, they trust that we will protect them to a point. I think the horses know for sure when they are in real danger and never lose that instinct. Just my horsey intuition.......
-
Permalink Reply by Suzanne on -
We have a lot of coyotes in this area, and I've never heard of them bothering horses. Many of my friends have lost barn cats though. Fortunately, this has never happened to me - I would freak at the very thought!
We do have a family of red foxes living in the area - big foxes - and the horses and cats all just ignore them. I was worried about the cats, but when I looked it up, I read that foxes will very seldom attack another predator such as a cat. The foxes just romp around and play like bushy tailed dogs. LOL!
-
Permalink Reply by Mini Morgan on
-
Foxes DO attack cats....well, not so much 'attack' as just plain grab them & carry them off. We had foxes around for several years & they didn't cause us any problem, then one night a big old fox carried off my Tiny cat...Tiny was a bottle baby kitten I had raised and at the age of 2 when she was taken & killed by the fox she weighed 12 lbs so was no longer "tiny". That fox met his end on the road here a few nights later, but since then there have been others to take his place. After Tiny, though, we had a good dog that would go after the foxes, and she saved several cats from foxes after that. There was Sassy--who was one saved by Sheba...she limped for a few days after being grabbed but was otherwise okay. There was Chester, who was grabbed practically under our noses one night when we were doing chores--the cats were playing in the next corral and that fox just dashed in & grabbed Chester. Sheba saved him too, but his chest was crushed and he ended up having to be euthanized. Andy was grabbed one morning in our front yard--Sheba saved him as well. He was in poor shape for several days but did recover. Danny was grabbed in the pasture one evening (still daylight) while he was staking out a gopher hole--he was a big cat, though, and the fox was a younger one that didn't get too far with him before Sheba was after him...these were, I might add, all different foxes. No one fox ever got a chance at more than one cat, because as soon as we know there is a fox in the area we got a neighbor to take care of him. I will not have a fox coming onto our property & hunting my cats! Sheba just hated foxes--sadly she is no longer with us, and we sure miss having her to protect the other critters here.
Contest Corner
International News
© 2012 Created by Barnmice Admin.
