Horses and mules

Horses and sheep in same barn

I plan to build a new barn and wonder if one large space could replace two seperate barns? Can horses and sheep co-exist in the same barn?

This may not be such a good idea. Although it may depend to a large extent on the personalities of the horses. Some horses may be aggressive and can actually injure the sheep. Some may not.

Another important thing to remember is that if you have both species it is important that you vaccinate the sheep against tetanus on a regular basis since horses are good carriers of the tetani bacterium.

In general, I personally would not recommend a barn that co-mingles the two. That is not to say that their may be a few folks that have "gotten away" with such an approach.

Bruce Lane
Area Livestock Specialist

More horses and mules questions and answers

Updated 7/24/07

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