# Teaching leading



## Horsefly (Apr 11, 2010)

I've been trying to train my two babies to walk on a lead rope and am not sure Im doing it right.  I just kind of walk them and if they resist I keep steady pressure on them till they go and then I release.  They are responding pretty good, just wondering what other ways are out there.


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## ()relics (Apr 11, 2010)

If you have help have someone follow the goat.  When it stops have the person pick up its tail.  This will cause the goat to move forward because it doesn't enjoy its tail being lifted...It will figure out that if it keeps moving at least its tail won't be lifted.  
   If you don't have help its best to keep gentle but stiff pressure on the lead until the animal moves.  Don't pull too hard the goat will simply lock itself up and then you will be dragging it...Keep steady pressure on it and when it takes a step release the pressure and encourage the goat.  Walk again until it resists...Stop and begin with the steady pressure again. It will figure it out sooner or later.
 Leading and stopping then holding, like you would do durring a show, takes months of lead training....Good summer job for the kids.


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## freemotion (Apr 11, 2010)

It sounds like you are doing a great job.  I'd like to add one tip.  I used to manage a small horse breeding farm and trained a lot of foals.  I found that goats react in a similar way...sometimes!  If you pull forward to get them to move, their instinct is to pull back and fight, possibly injuring their necks.  You can avoid this fight completely by simply asking for the first step SIDEWAYS instead of forward.  Simply put on the collar and leadrope in the stall during some quiet time, and ask for 3 or 4 sideways steps...just one step at a time...in each direction.  

Also ask them to stop moving forward with a little collar pressure accompanied by your hand/arm cradling their chest.  Use the word "stop" or "whoa" if you'd like to use voice commands.  Then remove the collar and make a big fuss about how cute, smart, beautiful, etc, they are!

When that is easy, add picking up feet one at a time, very quickly, being careful not to pick them up too high or throw the baby off balance, which will make them fight you.

Then after a few days, add some forward steps, one or two at a time, with the help of your arm behind the butt.  Start with a slightly sideways step, then a forward step or two.  It is easier to get them started moving forward if you start with a sideways.  Use the word "walk" if you'd like.  Later, if the goat doesn't want to move, you can use the sideways step trick to get her started.


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## glenolam (Apr 12, 2010)

I haven't yet tried this trick, but I was told to put two bowls of grain out (assuming they've started on grain) a few feet apart.

Take the kid by the collar or lead and let them run to the first bowl and give them a nibble.  Then take the bowl away and lead them to the other bowl for a nibble.  Take that one away and place the bowls farther a part.  Lead the kid to each bowl and slow them down as they race between bowls.  Eventually they will understand that you will be leading them to treats and will stop pulling. 

This process, I was told, is usually spread out over a few days.


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## Horsefly (Apr 12, 2010)

Thanks for the replies, I guess I was doing it all right.  One more question though, do you use a collar or a halter for your goats?  And which is better in your opinion?  Some of my goats walk with collars the others have halters they use.


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## glenolam (Apr 12, 2010)

I think it depends on how you train them.  All of mine are on collars.  Sometimes it gets difficult when they refuse to go in the direction you want them to and I've gotten a good back hand full of horns (only 1 of mine have horns, though).  I had one who would throw her head all around and you'd think she was dying, but eventually she learned that if she didn't do that and just did what I asked the world was a better place.

If you are having younger kids train them you might want to go with halters so the people kids don't get their hand all twisted in the collar.


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## Ariel301 (Apr 12, 2010)

I use collars on my kids and does and a halter on my buck because he's strong and tries to get bossy about where he wants to be led. It gives me more control with him. 

I teach kids to lead the way I teach horses to lead. Standing still with the kid on the lead (you at one end and him at the other), tighten the lead up as if you want him to come to you. He's probably going to fight and pull when he feels pressure. That is fine. Let him do so, holding the same tension on the rope until he takes a step forward by accident. The pressure releases on him. Praise him and make a fuss over him, give him a treat, whatever makes him happiest. Then start again. You aren't asking him to go somewhere yet, just to give in to the pressure on the rope. Once he realizes that going forward releases the pressure and makes him more comfortable, you can start asking him to take more and more steps forward, and it gets smoother as he learns what is wanted of him. Another trick that helps with some is to take a soft rope and loop it around the kid's butt so that when you pull forward on it, it puts pressure against his rear end pushing him forward some.  If you've got one really stubborn about walking more than a couple of steps, use the butt rope in combination with your lead to give him a forward push when he hesitates. 

And one thing I learned with goats is to train them while they are still small enough you can overpower them. If they learn at a small size that you are bigger and stronger than they are, they will remember it even when they are bigger and stronger than you. I learned that from horses...When my last horse was a baby, she was very small and I could easily knock her over if she was being rude. Later, as an 800 pound adult mare, all I had to do was give her a little push on the shoulder or hip if she was getting in my way, and she thought I was going to push her on the ground, so she'd move away fast!


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## peachick (May 20, 2010)

Thank you for these posts !
I guess training them  is the same as you'd train a new puppy....   

I'm wondering  if a tie out stake  would help them get used to the collar and lead before we start directing them.


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## patandchickens (May 20, 2010)

A disadvantage of tying the animal fast to a post, or stake, is that you cannot relax or release the pressure if something starts to go wrong, e.g. it starts to wriggle out of its halter or get really panicked.

My experience so far with halter-training my young sheep (it's a "process" , I find them more challenging than horses to halter-train) is that they are quite similar to training a cat to accept a harness and walk on a lead. Meaning, it's useful to be able to 'go with' the thrashing and flopping down, at first.

JM(limited)E,

Pat


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## peachick (May 20, 2010)

thank you pat.
I picked up a lama halter lead,  I'll give that a try tomorrow.
I did have some success today as far as teaching them to love me  LOL  i kept them confined most of the day with nothing but hay and water....  then this afternoon  I went out with some grain  and they both started eating from my hand...  YAY...  after that  I turned them free in the field to graze


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