In a stabled situation horses have even been known to bond with a chicken or a cat, but another horse is by far and away the best companion. For example sheep and cows are ruminant animals which means that they eat more quickly than a horse and then spend more time laying down ruminating, whereas horses spend longer grazing and digest their food whilst grazing.
Horses need other horses. Humans do not make a good enough substitute for another horse. It is not acceptable practice to deliberately keep your horse without the company of other horses so that he or she bonds more strongly with you.
Ideally a horse should always be able to see and touch another horse. If horses are separated by fences into individual paddocks they can still become stressed and will often suffer from fence injuries in their attempts to interact with other horses.
Horses can be separated into individual yards or stables for the short time that it takes to eat any supplementary feed both for their safety and the safety of handlers. For more information please see the Equiculture Responsible Horse Care page. Last but not least are the "small equines.
They will eat the same foods and can stay in the same pastures. Depending on your barn set up they may share a stall or happily reside in a smaller space next to your horse's stall. Some horses are put off by donkeys and don't bond well.
Whether that is due to braying is not known. Donkeys can serve as "guard animals" in some respects. A normal size donkey may help to keep stray dogs and wild canines off your property. Miniature horses and miniature donkeys should not be counted on as predator deterrents. Choosing a companion will depend partly on your horse.
After all, if the newcomer is to be his buddy, he should have a say. You may have to try a couple of different animals to find just the right fit.
Goats can travel with you and may be content to stay in the stall or the trailer while your horse participates in shows. Providing a companion for your horse will mean some extra costs for feed and veterinary care plus possibly some extra fencing. You might get additional benefits such as fresh eggs or added security but you need to consider this an expense for your horse's mental well-being. It is less expensive than adding another horse and the psychological benefit to your horse is priceless!
Small donkeys as companions Since horses are herd animals, most of them thrive better with a buddy that helps keep them socially engaged in activities throughout their day when you are not with them.
A dog as a companion Golden retrievers and other friendly, well-behaved dogs make excellent companions for some horses. Cole Quarter Horse purebred 18 yrs Male Doodlebug Quarter Horse 14 yrs Fabio Quarter Horse 15 yrs Male Fiddler Quarter Horse 11 yrs Male Gatillo aka Trigger Appaloosa 15 yrs Gemma Pinto-Paint 22 yrs Female Grant Paint 14 yrs 14 HH. Holiday Quarab 26 yrs Female 14 HH. Jaeger Quarter Horse purebred 18 yrs Male Lorelei Thoroughbred 20 yrs Female Marlo Quarter Horse 27 yrs Female Murphy Quarter Horse 7 yrs Male Companions play an integral role in the wellbeing of horses in work; they can provide them with invaluable friendship when they are not being schooled or in competition and even act as calming travel buddies.
Companions can also provide excellent company for those retired from work, as well as young and other non-ridden horses, or can simply make great family pets in their own right. We've been rehoming rescued horses and ponies through our Guardianship Scheme for 15 years, either to be ridden, as unbacked projects or non-ridden companions.
However, while rehoming applications are quick to come in for those horses that can be ridden, those looking to find new families as companions can spend weeks, even months, waiting for someone to take them home. In recent years, we've welcomed equines with increasingly complex health and behavioural needs, resulting in higher numbers of our rescued horses not being deemed suitable for ridden training.
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