Can/will horses be Livestock Guardians?

[Painted Calls]

Horses only care about themselves. They don't even really care about each other.

 

[BlueBaby]

Maybe this is another reason why not to?

 

[MeanCheek]

I know someone with a mare in with their Nigerian Dwarf goats, and her and the goats love each other! The goats yell when they are away from her. I don't know if she really protects them, but she sure doesn't hurt them!

 

[RiverOtter]

I have had a mare that the goats were her babies, and she would defend them - but that basically meant letting/encouraging them to run in front of her while they all ran away.

I have a LOT of horses, and unless the horse takes a personal offense at the predator in question, that mare was the exception, not the rule.
I have a mixed breeding herd (mustang style, mares, stallion and their foals to 2yos all living together on LARGE acreage) and the sheep are smart enough to run into the herd if something spooks them, because the horses - with their own babies to defend - will happily stomp the hell out of a black bear, stray dog or coyote scout. But my daughter's standard poodle, who the horses all knew well, played/mauled a yearling sheep into needing stitches while the entire herd was less than 10 feet away eating hay and they didn't twitch a whisker

 

[ChickyWhicky]

Horses are flight creatures. They will choose flight over fight by nature. 100% not a guardian animal. Donkeys, on the other hand, can and do fend off predators and would probably do well in a herd of goats. I love a good guard donkey!

 

[ShrekDawg]

I have had a mare that the goats were her babies, and she would defend them - but that basically meant letting/encouraging them to run in front of her while they all ran away.

I have a LOT of horses, and unless the horse takes a personal offense at the predator in question, that mare was the exception, not the rule.
I have a mixed breeding herd (mustang style, mares, stallion and their foals to 2yos all living together on LARGE acreage) and the sheep are smart enough to run into the herd if something spooks them, because the horses - with their own babies to defend - will happily stomp the hell out of a black bear, stray dog or coyote scout. But my daughter's standard poodle, who the horses all knew well, played/mauled a yearling sheep into needing stitches while the entire herd was less than 10 feet away eating hay and they didn't twitch a whisker

Do you keep them all!?

 

[Folly's place]

My horses apparently observed a fox kill ten hens one afternoon, in their pasture. The guy working next door did the same thing...
Horses will protect their foals if possible, or might run from the predator and hope the foal can keep up. Some horses are happy to kill critters intruding in their pasture, others don't care, and I can't see any horse protecting a chicken!
Mary

 

[RiverOtter]

Do you keep them all!?

I keep most of them until they're 4 years old, started under saddle and usually drive as well, sometimes I part with a youngster to an active show home that I know will start them slow. I have 25 horses. Well, 24 and a mule, technically.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I keep most of them until they're 4 years old, started under saddle and usually drive as well, sometimes I part with a youngster to an active show home that I know will start them slow. I have 25 horses. Well, 24 and a mule, technically.

Oh wow!

 

[Toothpick]

What ever you decide on you’ll want to get one that’s young so it can bond with the animals it’s protecting.