# How concern should I be?



## HeroMyOttb (Dec 28, 2009)

SO today I was at the barn with my horse out in the pasture. The barn is not very rural, close to highways and what not. And today I saw a Coyote in the pasture. Scared him off and decided to leave my horse in his stall for the night. Stall doors are pretty tall. It's just there are not a lot of coyotes around here and I know they go after small animals or the weak but how concern should I be?...which I am.


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## Tennessee (Dec 7, 2008)

I've never had a problem with coyotes messing with our horses. I always figured because the horses were so big and powerful the coyotes would leave them alone.


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## wyominggrandma (Nov 4, 2009)

We have coyotes that come into our field and grab the mice and voles, never get close enough to the horses at all. They leave each other alone.
The only reason a coyote would attack a horse or person would be if it was rabid.


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## AQHA13 (Apr 19, 2017)

Coyotes are pretty common around here, but I've never heard of anyone having problems with them bothering livestock. Unfortunately it is not uncommon for people to lose chickens, cats and small dogs to them. Coyotes are pretty skittish and very easily intimidated, I am nearly positive that your horse is in no danger of being attacked.
Also, I've run into a few while I was out riding and they wanted NOTHING to do with us! They greatly outnumbered us, but they ran away.


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## bubba13 (Jan 6, 2007)

A coyote will not attack anything larger than a young foal, and only that in a group with others, and only THAT if there are no bigger horses around to chase them off, and they are very hungry and bold.


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## Horsey and Holistic (Jun 30, 2011)

Yeah, I agree with everyone else you shouldn't be concerned at all.


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## Crossover (Sep 18, 2010)

HeroMyOttb said:


> SO today I was at the barn with my horse out in the pasture. The barn is not very rural, close to highways and what not. And today I saw a Coyote in the pasture. Scared him off and decided to leave my horse in his stall for the night. Stall doors are pretty tall. It's just there are not a lot of coyotes around here and I know they go after small animals or the weak but how concern should I be?...which I am.


We'll have a chorus of coyotes howling at nights during the summer and fall in the valley. I've never had a problem. I have been warned though to be careful with foaling but so far I've only heard them, never seen one yet.


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## Beauseant (Oct 22, 2010)

While in the canine family, coyotes are FAR FAR more timid than your average dog.

IMO, you have more to worry about from a German Shepherd or Doberman Pinscher.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Coyotes are naturally shy, but extremely curious and intelligent. Their main diet is small rodents, although they'll take a cat or small dog if given the opportunity.

Fully grown horses are not in any danger, even from a pack of coyotes. They're simply far too big to be considered prey.

There are tons of coyotes where I live; I often hear them singing at night or in the early morning. Lovely, haunting sound.


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## Fowl Play (Sep 22, 2009)

While coyotes in general pose very little threat to horses, I have known horses to get very nervous and keyed up over coyotes being present. The horses at our barn are used to dogs, but when 3 coyotes were spotted in the largest pasture, the entire herd was anxious and very reactive for a day or two, but nothing like the week the elk moved through!


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

I would be concerned with a foal or a goat or something but they won't bother a full grown horse. I think I have a coyote den in my pasture.


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

I found my horse grazing next to a coyote last summer. Kinda freaked me out, but the coyote was just sitting there in a small herd of horses chilling out. Didn't seem to be at all interested in them. Then again 6 horses versus dog doesn't really add up no matter how hungry the dog was. The only time I would be concerned is if the horse was turned out alone in a small paddock where he couldn't escape a pack.


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