cows with horses

"Isaiah 11:6 (King James Version)

6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them."

OK, so I don't have a lion or a lamb. I've raised a few lambs in the past... never mind, I digress.

I've had several bad experiences, allowing horses and cattle to run together. Many times, horses decide it's fun to chase the cows. This may sound like harmless fun, but horses are athletic and agile, while cows are clumsy and awkward. The cows often lose in this game. They can be injured, being chased into a ravine or a fence.

So I've kept cows and horses separate around here for several years.

Recently, Cliff and I experimented with letting Blue into the pen with our two cows. He actually seemed to enjoy their company.

All three of the horses here have gotten acquainted with Secret and Meatloaf through the fence. That surely has made a difference in their attitudes toward them.

So yesterday evening, we decided to try letting them roam together. We opened the dividing gate.

The horses ran into the lot and began munching weeds as though it were the best food they'd ever had. The two bovines ran out of the lot, kicking up their heels and bucking like month-old calves.

This morning I checked on the animals, and they were all in or near the open shed, apparently enjoying one another's company.

Tonight as I soaked in the hot tub, I saw the horses on one side of the pasture and the cows on the other. None seemed worse for the wear.

Life on these forty-two acres just got simpler.