The sheep and horses in the study coexisted peacefully and even began to intermingle. | Photo: Courtesy Dr. Monika Greguła-Kania

We all want pristine and productive pastures for our horses. Research suggests mixing grazing species can help support healthy pasture maintenance. But while protecting the pasture is important, so is protecting the welfare of the animals living on it. That’s why researchers recently studied the behavior of horses sharing a pasture with sheep. They wanted to see how the animals interacted with each other and how they used the pasture resources (namely plants, water, and shade).

They found that the sheep and horses in their study coexisted peacefully and even began to intermingle, said Monika Greguła-Kania, PhD, of the University of Life Sciences Institute of Animal Breeding and Biodiversity Conservation, in Lublin, Poland.

“We observed no aggression between these species,” Greguła-Kania said. “Both species mixed together and even drank from one single water tank at the same time