Coyotes and horses?

We have 3 packs in the area. Once in a great while they will all come together, and their meet-up point seems to be my neighbor's yard. The horse fence we have around wouldn't stop them, but it probably deters them from entering our yard. There is a wash that goes within 20 feet of our corrals. The mare mostly ignores them. The gelding lived in the open on ranches, and he gets very upset. However, I can't imagine them tackling two healthy horses, or surviving if they did.

My dogs hate coyotes, but they don't try to engage them either. The older dog we gave to my daughter had spent some time around them because he used to get out and stay in the desert for 24-36 hours. He hates coyotes as well, but avoids them if possible. When the other two were pups, Dan would stand guard over them while they retreated to the back porch. I think Dan somehow got the idea across that coyotes were dangerous and not to be tackled unless cornered. At 50 lbs, the Border Collie is about the size of the coyotes around here, while the Australian Shepherd is larger - but 2 against 6 or 10 wouldn't work out so well either.

Mostly, I'll just see 2-3 moving along the wash. As long as they are just passing thru, neither horse gets too upset. The dogs will bark, but won't give chase.

We have coyotes everywhere and haven't had any issues with them attacking cattle, horses, chickens, ducks, people or any other creatures on our farm. I live fairly close to the forest, with ridges and such that coyotes live in.

Canines are smart animals, I'm sure they could have driven the cow into the barbed wire fencing. Or perhaps the cow just didn't see it and tried to get away. If food is very scarce, they could try and get harder prey like a horse. Most canines hunt in packs, from what I know. If natural food isn't there, they might try to get something from a farmer or a rancher. They'd probably go towards poultry first, then maybe cows, and if they had to horses. I think horses would be last resort, if there is one [or a very small group] out alone in a smaller pasture away from high-traffic areas.

Just my thoughts with my experiences. Our land isn't hunted much, so they have there own prey. Our horses have a pasture closer to the roads, and the barns are pretty much front-and-center with traffic going by them constantly. We have multiple farm dogs that are outside, and we have quite a few smaller dogs [not toy breeds, but smaller herders] that are fenced in. I don't think I coyote would even want to mess with us, or have any reason to. But different places have different deals. That's why I don't like the idea of a huge pasture out of sight. Not that we have the land, but coyotes and other factors can take a toll on the animals if they're too far out.

Our neighbors also have chickens, guineas and peacocks. The guineas and peacocks are up here all the time looking for dropped grain so I know exactly how big the flocks are - 12 guineas and 3 peacocks. A year ago a guinea and two peacocks disappeared. Maybe a coyote got them but a year later their numbers haven't changed so either the coyotes aren't that desperate or the birds got smarter. Occasionally I hear a few gunshots late at night and have always thought some neighbor within a couple miles is chasing a coyote away from chickens or trash.

I, personally, own a pack of wolves and am part of a large community of "domesticated" wolf owners. I have studied wolves for years and what you are saying is not true! They DO NOT hunt for just for fun. You should check your facts first before spreading misinformation.

You are 100% correct!