In horse breeding farms, a herd form of keeping animals is often adopted. Staying on pasture throughout the year and the ability to use pasture for feeding stallions and mares significantly saves their owners money. Therefore, it is important for farmers to know how many horses can be in a herd and the principles for recruiting such a herd.
What is a herd and why is it needed?
A herd is horses gathered in a group and living in a certain area.Natural communities in natural conditions are formed by wolves, dolphins, zebras and other animals. And even people unite into families.
Herds are formed to ensure the safety of the individuals in the herd. Lonely horses sometimes become prey to predators. It is easier for a group of animals to resist external threats. Different types of livestock are formed on farms. The following are combined into one group:
- manufacturers;
- mares;
- young animals;
- castrated animals.
Herd keeping is considered an economically feasible method of horse breeding.
How many horses are there in the herd?
The term “herd” is applied to a party of horses consisting of several families, up to 15 individuals each. In Asian areas with spacious pastures, this method of keeping animals is the main one. The livestock sometimes numbers in the thousands.
In small farms, the number of horses ranges from 20 to 150. Large farms form herds of up to 500 horses. The indicator is influenced by the direction of development, the availability of places for watering and pastures for walking.
Hierarchical structure
Among animals there is always a division into weak and strong. Each group has a clear chain of command. At the head of the hierarchical structure is the strongest individual. The most submissive horse closes the chain. The leader's task is to find food and reliable shelter from bad weather or predators. The horse plays the leading role until it weakens and loses ground to a more energetic and younger stallion.
Content specifics
Knowing the behavioral characteristics of horses in a herd is important when breeding animals on a farm.Understanding the causes of behavioral instincts helps the pet owner to organize comfortable conditions for their pets.
Advantages and disadvantages
Herd horse breeding is not used on all farms. This method of maintenance is possible only in the presence of large pastures and in areas with a warm climate.
Nutrition
The basis of the diet of a herd of horses is grass. Fertilizers are used only in extreme weather conditions. Depending on the time of year, animals find food in different areas of the pasture:
- In winter, the herd first grazes in remote areas and gradually moves towards housing. During prolonged frosts, animals receive hay.
- As the weather warms, the herd moves into areas where the snow melts. And then - pastures near water bodies on which alfalfa, dandelions, sow thistle or plantain grow.
- In hot weather, horses are moved to meadows. At the beginning of summer, the diet is dominated by grasses, and in the second half of the season - shrubs and sedges.
- In spring, herds feast on cereals and wormwood.
Each individual requires up to 20 kilograms of food daily.
Reproduction
When herd Several methods are used to keep horses reproduction:
| Mating method | Advantages | Flaws |
| Kosyachny (up to 30 mares per 1 stallion) | Saving labor on horse maintenance | Manufacturer fatigue |
| High fertility rate | ||
| Cooking and manual | The stallion remains strong | Additional costs are required for the construction of special premises |
| Lower pregnancy rate |
Mating dates must be noted in the records.
feeding
After winter frosts and drought in summer, horses lose weight. Therefore, in the fall and spring the herd is actively fattened. The feeding school is directed to areas where sweet clover, fescue or alfalfa grow. Typically, pastures with lush grass are located next to a waterhole.
When there is a shortage of fresh vegetation, animals are supported with hay, given root crops and provided with the necessary amount of concentrates. Lick salt is used as a mineral supplement.
Herd grazing with young animals
The young animals are left to graze with the broodstock. Such herds are sent to meadows or lowlands, where the grass is most lush. While breastfeeding, mares need plenty of fluids and a balanced, vitamin-rich diet. Upon reaching 9 months of age, foals are weaned from their mother's milk. Groups of different sexes are formed from grown individuals. In order for the animals to get used to people, they are placed at bases together with old mares.
Optimal breeds
Several breeds of horses are recommended for breeding. Don riding, Bashkir and Kabardian horses are considered optimal. Yakut and Russian draft varieties, as well as hare, are suitable for keeping at home.
The main differences between herds of wild horses
In nature, herds of undomesticated animals are not very common today. The leader in such groups is not always the male. Sometimes the wisest mare leads the herd.
In Mongolia, the Far East and northern China, populations of Przewalski's horse can still be found. This is the only variety of wild horse that has survived to this day.
Mustangs live in America and some regions of Asia. Secondary wild animals gather in groups of a thousand animals. Several stallions become leaders.
Herds, as a method of breeding horses, are chosen in areas where such methods are traditional. In other regions, group keeping on pastures is organized if there are large areas of land for walking.
