# Goat halter in Canada?



## trampledbygeese (Sep 4, 2014)

Any thoughts on where I can buy a good goat halter in Canada or that ship internationally?

I have a 4 month old oberhasli weathered kid that I'm training to pack and eventually pull a cart.  

We are at the going for walks on the farm and meeting new people in a comfortable setting, and soon I hope to get to the stage where we can go for walks in the park.  (the park allows goats and other livestock on a lead, and so long as said livestock doesn't eat any of the park) For that, I would like to have more control than just the collar.  Well, not really more control, the collar works wonders, but it 'appears' cruel to city people, so I figure get him trained on a halter while he's young.  

How do I know what size to get my goat?  Are any designs better than others?  Any ideas on making my own halter?  Would a sheep halter work on a goat?


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## M.L. McKnight (Sep 4, 2014)

When I want to put a harness on one of my goats I just use a horse halter, works like a charm.


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## trampledbygeese (Sep 4, 2014)

What type of goats do you have?  Could you share a photo?

I don't know much about horses, but wouldn't it be too large for a small goat?  I don't think my goat is going to get all that large.  Maybe a pony halter?


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## M.L. McKnight (Sep 4, 2014)

I raise Alpine x Nubian goats and add a splash of Boer on occasion to bulk them up a bit. I milk my goats and make cheeses.

Put your goat's head through the nose portion of the halter and put the head portion around their belly. Got to Tractor Supply, a COOP (not the grocery chain), a feed store, Big 10 or just talk to an old timer and have them help you find a halter that'd fit on your goat.

(I lived in Saskatchewan for a few years and miss my adopted family and the fishing!)

A few of my kids.


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## norseofcourse (Sep 4, 2014)

A horse halter *might* work as a harness, but I wouldn't recommend walking him with it.

For leading an animal, you train them to give to pressure (you pull, they move toward you).  This is easier taught with a halter on their head than a harness on their body.  Control of the head is especially important if the park says you can't let them eat anything!

When an animal wears a harness to pull a cart, you will train them to push in response to pressure (when they feel the pressure of the harness on their chest, they push into it to move the cart).

I've used a goat halter that looked like a figure 8 on my sheep, so at least some halter styles can likely be used on either.  Google 'goat halter' to get some ideas of different styles, and if you have a farm store, see what they carry.  I don't know how long it takes a goat to mature, but the halters I've found were pretty inexpensive, and adjustable, so at most you might need to buy a second one if he outgrows the first.

Good luck and it sounds like fun!


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## M.L. McKnight (Sep 4, 2014)

I haven't had any trouble whatsoever walking mine with horse halters. My little buck wore one staring at about a month old, I clipped a bell on it and could always find him out in the fields. He had a leash hooked up to it many time and went all over with me.


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## norseofcourse (Sep 5, 2014)

M.L. McKnight said:


> I haven't had any trouble whatsoever walking mine with horse halters. My little buck wore one staring at about a month old, I clipped a bell on it and could always find him out in the fields. He had a leash hooked up to it many time and went all over with me.



If it worked for you, great!  But trampledbygeese also wants to train her goat to drive, and take it to a park where it can't 'eat any of the park'.  IMHO, both of those things are easier if you use a headhalter to lead it with.  And for pulling a cart, a properly fit goat-type harness will distribute the load more evenly along the (usually) padded breastcollar (as well as having breeching).

Now, if you've also trained yours to pull with the same horse halter, and can walk it in a park and keep it from eating anything, I'd be *really* impressed - but I still wouldn't change my recommendation


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## trampledbygeese (Sep 5, 2014)

Oh I see, using the horse halter as a harness on the goat.  That's clever.  Thanks for the photos.  Any shots of the halter/harness in action?

'Though I think for me, I really want to have control of his head and get him a harness later on when he's closer to full grown.  Taking him to the park is the only way I can think of getting him use to new stimuli, people, dogs, &c.  and they are very strict about not eating the park.  Can't think of how to manage that without good control of his head.  The collar works great, but it looks uncomfortable for him - we have a lot of trouble locally with well-meaning concrete crawlers interfering with farm animals because they think the animal is in distress, which leads to (at best) a visit with the SPCA, or (more often) the city folk harming or killing the animal by trying to 'fix' the perceived problem.  

So it has to be something that both gives me good control and looks idyllic to city folk.  What do you think?  Head halter my best bet?

The local feeds shop(s) are a bit weirded out by the request for a goat halter - then again, they were pretty much the same when I wanted one for a sheep.  I don't think they will be much luck.  Can't find a Canadian supplier yet, but I've sent some shipping quote requests to places like hoeggers.  Still waiting for replies.

Seriously considering making my own at this point.  I'm handy with a sewing machine and textiles in general, my machine can easily handle thick fabric.  Just need some sort of pattern I guess.  

In other news, took my fella for the first walk in the woods.  Our woods, but out of sight of his pasture.  He loved it but wanted to lunge ahead.  He couldn't understand why I was being so strict when there were so many interesting things to run at.  It took him almost 5 minutes to learn what I wanted (which was beside or behind me, not in front). Once he got the hang of that, it was a really peaceful experience.   Hope he remembers for tomorrow's walk.

Still trying to decide which to train him for (pulling a cart or packing or both), so I am focusing on basic skills: walk, slow down, stop, stand, good job here's yummies and attention.  He's such a quick learner, I'm thrilled.  It takes 3 to 5 tries and about 2 days per skill and he's got the gist of it.  

I don't know if he will be good for driving as he is only semi-bonded to humans, so he might need to be led while pulling the cart.  He had lots of human interaction for the first few months but much more bonded to goat kind than humans.  But he's young yet, if I can earn his trust and get him use to new experiences... maybe?  I would love it if he could drive, that would be amazing.

Thanks for the advise guys.


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## M.L. McKnight (Sep 5, 2014)

norseofcourse said:


> If it worked for you, great!  But trampledbygeese also wants to train her goat to drive, and take it to a park where it can't 'eat any of the park'.  IMHO, both of those things are easier if you use a headhalter to lead it with.  And for pulling a cart, a properly fit goat-type harness will distribute the load more evenly along the (usually) padded breastcollar (as well as having breeching).
> 
> Now, if you've also trained yours to pull with the same horse halter, and can walk it in a park and keep it from eating anything, I'd be *really* impressed - but I still wouldn't change my recommendation




I wanted to train them to pull a cart but they ate azalea and died before they were old enough to start.


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## trampledbygeese (Sep 6, 2014)

M.L. McKnight said:


> I wanted to train them to pull a cart but they ate azalea and died before they were old enough to start.



Oh, that's so sad.  

I've already banned azalea's, laburnum and rhodos from our farm... any other plants that need to go on the no-grow list?  I don't plan on having any goats out unattended, but I have a feeling that goats don't alway respect the plans we have for them.


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## M.L. McKnight (Sep 6, 2014)

Morning glory


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## norseofcourse (Sep 6, 2014)

M.L. McKnight said:


> I wanted to train them to pull a cart but they ate azalea and died before they were old enough to start.



I'm so sorry     Maybe someday you'll be able to train another one.


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## norseofcourse (Sep 6, 2014)

trampledbygeese said:


> ... any other plants that need to go on the no-grow list?



Fias Co Farm has a pretty good list of safe/bad plants for goats here:
http://fiascofarm.com/goats/poisonousplants.htm
However as they say, it doesn't have absolutely everything, since some places have plants that other places don't, and they're most familiar with their area.  But it's a pretty good list to start with.


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## trampledbygeese (Sep 6, 2014)

M.L. McKnight said:


> Morning glory


Good to know.  Any thoughts on how it effects the goat?  Like is it toxic, carcinogenic or poisonous? 

I know it's suppose to be bad for sheep, but they broke the fence down and ate a bunch of it one day.  I was super worried and stayed with them all that night, but they had very little problem.  Only a slight bloating that was easily fixed by free choice baking soda (baking soda, the shepherds best friend).  Same symptoms they get when I change their hay supply.  Maybe the wild morning glory isn't so bad as the domestic stuff?

Anyway, off to see what google has to say about it.
edited for clarity.


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## trampledbygeese (Sep 6, 2014)

norseofcourse said:


> Fias Co Farm has a pretty good list of safe/bad plants for goats here:
> http://fiascofarm.com/goats/poisonousplants.htm
> However as they say, it doesn't have absolutely everything, since some places have plants that other places don't, and they're most familiar with their area.  But it's a pretty good list to start with.



Thanks for the link.  Great link.
It's puts morning glory on the safe list for goats...hmmm... must do some more reading.  Somewhere in my mind I remember plants like morninglory are harmful some times of year, sometimes not, sometimes dependent on soil and weather conditions. Trying to rack my brain for which animal this was for.


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## trampledbygeese (Sep 6, 2014)

Not the source I was looking for, but a good explanation none the less.  http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/dairy/facts/87-016.htm

Basically it says that Morning Glory is associated with Nitrate poisoning, especially with cattle.  However, this happens when the soil has high levels of nitrogen (especially added nitrogen from fertilizing) and the plant is eaten excess.  Other soil conditions include imbalance in trace minerals that prevent/encourage absorption of nitrogen in the plant.  Also drought, irregular rainfall, low sunlight can also influence this.  (this corresponds with something I read elsewhere... where I can't remember, but possibly Pat Coleby book)

I guess that's why my Morning Glory gave no problem to the sheep.  The only soil augmentation I've put there is llama manure (which is low in nitrogen).  Still, I'll limit the amount the animals have.


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## secuono (Sep 6, 2014)

Make one, it's easy.


http://www.wool.ca/CCWG_Livestock_Supply
http://farm.spectrum-nasco.ca/

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-an-Adjustable-Rope-Halter
http://villapacis.wordpress.com/2014/04/26/quick-livestock-halter/


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## Wispy55 (May 9, 2015)

trampledbygeese said:


> Oh I see, using the horse halter as a harness on the goat.  That's clever.  Thanks for the photos.  Any shots of the halter/harness in action?
> 
> 'Though I think for me, I really want to have control of his head and get him a harness later on when he's closer to full grown.  Taking him to the park is the only way I can think of getting him use to new stimuli, people, dogs, &c.  and they are very strict about not eating the park.  Can't think of how to manage that without good control of his head.  The collar works great, but it looks uncomfortable for him - we have a lot of trouble locally with well-meaning concrete crawlers interfering with farm animals because they think the animal is in distress, which leads to (at best) a visit with the SPCA, or (more often) the city folk harming or killing the animal by trying to 'fix' the perceived problem.
> 
> ...


If you have a pet smart or other large pet store try an Easy Walker for dogs. They come in several sizes and are used to teach a dog how to walk on leash. We bought ours for a german shepard that had never been trained. He was 4 years old and a about eighty pounds. He was managable after a week with it. It looks like a figure eight, fitting over his nose and around his head. It works on the principal of restricting the air through his nostrals. As soon as he pulls, his air is restricted and as soon as he stops pulling he can breath. Worked like a charm. The people at the pet store can help you with how to put it on. The only draw back I can see is that it would need to be taken off when you aren't walking him. Although with it on he will still be able to drink. Hope this an alternative for you.


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