Miniature horses and coyotes

[nina]

A neighbor across the street had 5 sheep killed a couple nights ago.  The ram was still alive but died shortly after discovery.  They have tight wire fencing with a strand of electric at the bottom and barb wire at the top.  They think coyotes killed them, which is possible but I've also seen a loose pit bull recently.  Another neighbor and I have miniature horses, and I have calves due any minute.  My horses are in a pen sandwiched between cow pastures and I felt secure until now.  I"m worried sick since people are telling me coyotes can get calves even with protective mothers about.  Recently I sold my fillies mother who was a bigger mini and my bad tempered Charolais cross cow that was first to challenge a dog in the pasture.  One time I saw my cow herd drive a young coyote into the highway where it got hit.    They spooked it out of the fence line shrubbery.    I'm looking for a donkey which usually you can get for free, now there are ads in CL where people are searching for one as well.  I didn't see the sheep bodies but was told they were gutted.  Two were in the pond.     I had something drag a calf out the barn a few years back.   When we got the property it was terribly overgrown with a lot of fallen trees providing cover since then we've cleared a lot so it's not as wildlife friendly as it was when I had the barn incident. My neighbor's house is immaculate with tight fencing and very open pastures that back to woods.  Is there anything I can do short of bringing my minis in the house?  I would do that in a heartbeat but DH has his limits.  I'm thinking about keeping a cow with the minis or keeping them locked in a stall which I feel might be a death trap as I have a three sided barn.  I do have a calf pen that is wired to the ceiling but the run in pen is deep mud.  

[eljay]

Have you considered getting a couple of livestock guardian dogs?

[saysfaa]

Horses (even a very small minis) are going to be a whole lot harder for a coyote to take than sheep or young calves - entirely different attitude and instincts as well as physical ability to defend itself.

I don't want to be too reassuring because there is a lot of dog/coyote crosses that are more dangerous predators than coyotes. And it depends on how much easier prey is available. And on what the predators are used to taking - if they are experienced at the bigger animals, like the sheep, they will be more likely to try horses too.

Taking the whole flock down in one night sounds more like dogs or coydogs than coyotes.

[marseydoats]

First, easiest option, can you buy the Charolais back? (Unless she went to freezer camp) I found out years ago, it's always a good idea to keep at least one aggressive, territorial animal in the pasture, even if you have to carry a tree limb to fend them off when you go in there.
I don't know what you mean by pen? Corral panels? Small paddock? If you've already got an existing fence, buy some of these ---

www.jefferspet.com/products/wood-post-extender-10-pack
You can even run them along the bottom of corral panels, you'll have to attach 2 x 4's to the bottom and nail to that (major pain in the butt, but has kept coyotes away from my stock up to this point)
2 minis near here were attacked by coy-dogs last summer (mare and foal) and the owners were able to beat them off and rush them to the vet hospital. They both had to have surgery and a long stay, they had a donation page for them (I think they belonged to a 4H Kid) but they both recovered just fine--- we don't really have "regular" coyotes here, we have the crosses who are larger, 60 pound range and not afraid of people.
Good luck, and try not to worry too much. I am always a nervous wreck at foaling time and I raise draft crosses.

[nina]

The culprit turned out to be a dog. Its a pitbull cross that looks like a boxer. He got caught running horses across the street from me. The neighbors involved are talking to each other, hopefully they will keep their dogs penned after this.