Any luck with cow as a buddy?

[Pallyshire]

Does anybody have good luck with buddying their cow with their horse. We thought the calves would be enough for the horse but she seems to not care about the cows. instead she paces the fence line. Is it because they are calves and not adults. Will she buddy with them when they are older?

[G. Seddon]

Doubtful.....the horse will probably try and keep the others from the hay come winter. Another animal is better than being totally alone, but most herd animals prefer and do much better with their own kind.

[Pallyshire]

I thought it was working for a little while. She calmed down and would graze close to them. She did this for about a month but now she is back to pacing. The calves have their own hay pile so she can chase them from one and they can still eat at the other. We are looking for a buddy but we are waiting for finances to clear.

[topside1]

Ruminants hang with ruminants, for example, goats and cattle do just fine together and even miss one another when separated....Topside

[happydog]

When I first bought my horse I didn't know anything. I put her in with the 3 cows. One of them had a nursing calf and she would chase the horse away. The horse just wasn't happy living with them.

So then I moved the horse over to an adjacent pasture with a 6 month old heifer and steer and she loves living with them. They're like the 3 musketeers, always together.

So I guess maybe it depends. How old are the calves? I would be afraid of the horse hurting them if they're small.

[farmgirl6]

I raised my filly with calves, made weaning so much easier, she had her possy and was perfectly fine with them..but again she was born and raised with them..my horses and cows are all good friends but they all came in as babies and grew up in "the family"

[hiddensprings]

I've sold all of my horses except one and he is either in the same pasture as my cattle or in one right next to them. He will try to keep them away from "his" hay bale, but he is out numbers 10 to 1. I can't say he will ever buddy up with the cows, but he cries like a baby and runs the fence line when he can't see them.

[bigmudder77]

Driving down the road I seen mini goats with full size horses doing just fine and always close not to say all horses are that way but that goes with any animal

and there is a couple amish places iI pass and they have horses goats sheep cows chickens ducks all in the same pasture together

[arnie]

my work horse gets along fine with the cows no trouble at the hay bale . differint horses have differint personalitys for shure though .I had a halflinger mare that was no trouble her colt was a differint story born and raised smungst the cows one day as he neared one year of age he learned it was great fun to chase the cattle .I had to sellhim fast before a cow got ingered .

[oregon woodsmok]

Cattle are play toys, not companions.

My horses would work them to death. Up and down the fence, lots of hard corners. Run, run, run.

[SueMc]

My cows do fine with my two mules. The horses though are bullies and I would never put them with cows. The horses would run them to death.
One more reason I like mules more than horses.
When I had goats, the goats hated the horses but the horses just ignored the goats. Who knows what the difference was.

I have an old barn cat who has hated every other cat around but will buddy up with any dog that will tolerate her. Animals are funny.

[Pallyshire]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I ended up selling my mare for a more laid back mare in foal that is more suitable for calm trail riding. I used some of the money to also buy a gelding old timer to be her buddy. The funny thing is these two horses are as sweet as can be and they tolerate the cows very well. My other mare did chase them on occasion to get them in a part of the pasture she wanted to be in. These to just coexist and aren't pushy. Think everything has worked out