Driving Goats?

[MDres]

I work and volunteer at a local therapeutic riding center. The center has 2 mature goats - one wether and one female. Both are large goats that were donated - the director said they are Nubians...

We were joking yesterday about how we all love the goats, but they are utterly useless at the center. Fun to play with, pet, and watch, but they have no "job". They are very friendly, retired "show" goats and are not phased by people, wheelchairs, etc.

I mentioned that some people train their goats to drive, and a spark was lit! So now I am on a quest to find out how to do this and where to get the equipment.

The goal is not to have them driven by a seated driver, though we would likely give the seated rider "reins" to help with their enthusiasm and interaction. The goats would be led by a sidewalker... Passengers would be limited to smaller clients and children - I am thinking max weight ~125lbs.?

Has anyone ever done this?

 

[taylorm17]

I have never done this nor heard of it. It sounds like a great idea and 125 would be a good weight for 2 Nubians I think

 

[Goat Whisperer]

I found this website. It has lots of info on it and hopefully it can help answer some of your questions

Here is a page on the same website that is just for pulling/driving.

 

[animalmom]

The Hoegger website has some information on driving, and I know if you call them they will talk your ear off on any topic related to goat.

http://hoeggerfarmyard.com

Nice folks who love goats.

 

[MDres]

Thanks guys! We are slowly developing a plan... Budget is a concern - this is a non-profit center, so we can't go wild purchasing expensive items. Thankfully, we are in Amish country, so I am confident that if I take a drawing of what I need to the local harness shop, they can make it for me at a very affordable price. As for the cart.... We will see what we develop. Likely won't be a commercially made purchased item, but something home-made...

Looking forward to seeing this project through!

 

[cindyg]

Oh, I am so interested in seeing what you come up with, I have just been thinking about doing this with my goats so my grandson can "drive" them. Please post what you find. Thanks.

 

[taylorm17]

I am so excited to see what you come up with. Make sure to keep us updates on what you decide to do! Also if you do go through with it, it is mandatory on BYH to post pictures!!!

 

[norseofcourse]

I've never owned or driven a goat, but the first training harness I used on my mini horse was a goat harness I got off craigslist - nylon webbing with fleece padding. It was inexpensive, so you might want to check your local CL for goat harness, or even post on there that you're looking for one.

And the first training cart I used for my mini was also a CL find, and it was being used as a goat cart.

IMHO they should have the shafts higher on the goat's sides, but otherwise it's not bad. After I got the cart home and looked at it closer, I discovered how it was made - it was originally a muck bucket cart! It was flipped over and then had extensions added to make shafts, and the seat and footboards added. Worked great to train with and I still have it.

I read through the workinggoats driving page, and it's great info, but I disagree on a couple points. They say to attach the cart to the goat harness with slide bolt snaps on the sides - personally I don't think that's sturdy enough (those snaps aren't always well made and can break), my goat harness came with traces just like a horse harness, and they attach to the cart. You'll also need to attach the breeching to the cart shafts, so the cart doesn't hit the goat in the rear end when they go downhill or come to a stop.

I'd suggest teaching your goats to drive singly, even if you someday want to try driving (leading) them as a pair. If you use a two-wheel vehicle, you need to make sure the cart balances correctly with a passenger - too much weight forward of the axle will put too much downward pressure on the goat's back, and also make it much harder to pull. Too much weight behind the axle, and the shafts will pull upwards on the goat, not good either. It doesn't matter as much if the shafts themselves point up or down (although level shafts or shafts slanted up are IMHO better than shafts slanted down), what matters is the balance of the cart. On a 4-wheel vehicle, you don't have to worry about the balance, but a 4-wheel is usually heavier to pull, and can jackknife and tip if the animal backs up crookedly or turns too sharp (which shouldn't be a problem if you're leading the goat).

How much (and how easily) a goat can pull a cart also depends partly on the terrain. A cart will pull easiest on hard surfaces like pavement. It will take a bit more effort to pull on flat (or not so flat) grass or ground. And even more effort to pull in something like a sandy or deep arena.

Hope this helps and good luck with the goats and your plans.