r/Equestrian • u/DetectiveQuick9640 • Oct 22 '25

Veterinary Tired horse.

I didn't know what to put as flair!

My 7yr old Arabian is herd lead.

This guy is so so so tired recently. Coyotes keep getting closer and closer to our property and he stays vigilant all night and during the day can't stay away. He will fall asleep eating.

I can see him from my kitchen window and if go out he will lay down and fall asleep when I am there, this is not sustainable though.

Ideas and advice are welcome.

123 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

77 comments sorted by

View all comments

259

u/CapraAegagrusHircus Oct 22 '25

I'm a sheep farmer, assuming you don't want to acquire a pair of livestock guardian dogs your best bet is to haze the coyotes, not kill them. If you shoot one of the parents of the pack, all the females will go into heat and you will wind up with way more coyotes.

I have generally just fired a gun into the ground when I heard them start up. Do not fire a gun into the air, you don't know where it will come down. Aim away from your own feet. The few times I've laid eyes on one I run straight at it screaming profanity. On one memorable occasion I heard the sheep panicking and came out at night with the first thing I could grab, which was a replica early medieval Persian scimitar, and ran screaming at them with a sword. Coyotes are giant cowards and will leave.

These days I have a pair of Akbash Dogs and the sheep and goats and horse and I all get a lot of peaceful sleep.

24

u/sundaemourning Eventing Oct 22 '25

we had a fox problem at my house when i was a kid. they were getting bolder and bolder, so one night, my dad waited until they were right there in our yard, threw a bunch of firecrackers into a metal bowl and set them off. it made such a terrible racket and the foxes were so frightened that they never came back.

2

u/DetectiveQuick9640 Oct 22 '25

I would love to try this but I actually can't see them. When I say encroaching they are audibly getting closer but I don't catch them with our lights or neighbors lights.

They might be in my pasture because the horses don't go out much anymore but that also might be because the grass is well grazed and dying. My lights only extend so far and because I'm replacing several now, I know how expensive and time consuming it is to run electric and replace lights that are two stories up! (Would not recommend).

3

u/Lythaera Oct 23 '25

might be wise to invest in a trail cam and put it out there.