This is Max. He was born in February 2011, the same time as his half brothers and sisters. He is the largest of that group of kids from last year, and probably the most mellow and tame of the group. He is still learning to not fight the rope when going on walks, but he is making progress with the enlisted help of our largest wether, Marco.
This blog is dedicated to anyone who is interested in goat packing. What is goat packing, you ask? Well, it is exactly like backpacking except instead of having to carry all of your equipment, a goat or several goats carries it for you. In this blog you will meet the goats which make up our pack goat company as well as see them in action from pictures and videos of our trips.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Friday, October 21, 2011
How to Saddle a Goat
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Max thinking about destroying your roses :3 |
Step 1: Secure your goat's head.
This step speaks for itself. If on the trail, find a sturdy tree to tie the goat to. For this guide, we are using a milk stanchion since it renders the goat almost immobile.
Step 2: Get your saddle ready.
Again, not too complicated. You want to make sure all of the straps are sturdy (i.e. no tears, broken fasteners) and that the saddle blanket is in good shape.
Step 3: Place saddle on goat's back.
Alright, you want to make sure the saddle is in the right place on the goat as to not cause any unnecessary discomfort. The saddle should just touch the goat's withers. It should be far enough forward so that it rests just behind the goat's shoulder blades. The saddle should not touch the goat's hips.
Step 4: Fasten and cinch the front strap.
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^^^Matchy Matchy^^^^^ |
Whew! That was exhausting, right? Okay, you want this strap to be a little loose, but just barely so. You should be able to fit your hand in between the goat's chest and the strap, but not both hands. You don't want to choke the poor thing!
Step 5: Cinch up the belly strap.
You want this strap to be pretty tight. This is what really holds the pack on the goat, a fact that was learned by me on the trail. If you don't make this strap tight, the pack will slide off. You really want to make sure the strap is a few inches behind the front legs, that way you won't be restricting the flow of air into the goat's lungs. Do Not cinch the strap so tight that the goat has trouble breathing.
Step 6: Slide on the back strap.
Pretty self explanatory. This strap does not have to cinched very much. If it's too tight, the goat will have a strange, uncomfortable-looking gait. This strap prevent the pack from slipping forward on a steep downhill descent.
Well, you are done with the saddling part! All that's left is hanging the packs/panniers over the crossbucks, then you're good to go! Here is the end result:
I hope you all found this helpful!
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
Now broadcasting live video of the goats every morning!
Hello fellow goat lovers and/or packers! Starting today you will be able to see the goats in their morning and nighttime pasture for a few minutes every Saturday and Sunday sometime in the morning between 8 and 10 AM pst.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Our new little guard dog!
This is our new little guard dog for our goats, Lambert. According to the people we bought him from, he is a pure bred Great Pyrenees, although he is the wrong color and doesn't have the back two dew claws. To make a long story short, we have learned not to buy a dog without papers, and our trust has been somewhat betrayed. All that aside, he is an adorable dog and if he turns out to be large we will definitely use him as a guard dog.
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