Canadian Pack and Harness Goat Association
Box 495, McBride BC V0J 2E0 250-569-4029 or kevy_nivek@hotmail.com
January/February 2010 Newsletter
Winter exercising for working goats!
Here are some of the ways that members keep their “people” fit for spring and themselves too!
What a non-winter this is turning out to be so far. Not a lot of snow here which is unusual for this mountain valley but enough on the ground to drive my bucks. They have been keeping fit pulling straw bales and hay bales, firewood from the bush and other little jobs. I use one around the barn - switching them so they both get some exercise and use the two as a team when hauling firewood from the bush. This year they are four years old and have really developed some awesome muscle and pulling power. Starting to look good for pulling the 100 year old goat cart I managed to find and am restoring in our town’s Pioneer Days Parade in June. My one four year old wether - I have been packing a little and walking the rest loose behind him just to keep them somewhat fit, but lots of ice in places and when they get fooling around I worry about them falling and hurting themselves. Can’t wait for the trails to open up and get up into the mountains. Kevin
Goat walking... what a can of worms. One of the scourges of our society, and the consummation with self, is the philosophy that whatever I and/or my animals do, it is OK. Whatever you do, is a inconvenience to me. Therefore the concept of folks actually controlling their animals is an unknown quantity. Here in my neighborhood, where we live a whole lot closer than I would like, dogs are a continuing and persistent headache. For the HOA board it is especially relevant as we have to deal with continual complaints, and with an almost complete lack of response from the dog owner.
That having been said, if you are going to take their goats walking, and do not have acres of their own, you have to consider that you are taking your animals into a potential 'war zone', and you better be prepared for battle. The consequences of neglecting to take the means along with you to protect them could mean animal with a ripped out throat, as dogs and goats are natural enemies, and many a goatpacker has had to fend off a dog attack. I remember Jeff Ross from Glenwood, NM, relating the story of having a dog, a pit bull I think, but a large dog nonetheless, heading for his goats at a dead run, totally focused on doing damage, and focused so much so that he didn't see Jeff, only the goat he was after. Jeff was able to give him a large kick in the neck, which bowled him over and over, and he lost interest in the goat. It WON'T always be that easy. Jeff was lucky. I also remember Charlie Goggin (a lady) having a pack of dogs come after her on a horse. She prevailed in that one, but it underscores the fact that danger lurks whenever you are outside the confines of your territory.
When I walk my goats on the road (which is seldom as I have a whole lot of territory behind the house where I can take them), I take a Dazer, an ultrasonic product that is supposed to repel a dog, a 'bonk stick', and I always carry my bear-strength pepper spray. When I see a dog anywhere that is beginning to take an interest in me and/or the goats, I start yelling at him to go, and if the owner is around, to please control the dog. If it comes to it, to protect the animals or myself, I will use the bonk stick, or ultimately the pepper spray. At least in my area, the dogs are supposed to be confined to the property, and so I have no reservations whatsoever about injuring or worse an animal that is threatening my goats.
And there you have it. That is my feelings on that subject! ;-)
Regarding safety at home, that is a lot more complicated. In a nutshell, if I lived in an area where predators could get at my guys, I guess a guard dog or two would be necessary. Or locking them in at night. I have a reasonably small area and fenced it will 5' high fencing that is impregnable to coyotes and the like. The ground is too hard to dig in, so they are reasonably safe. Larry
I’m not much for walking my goats down the road, gravel road that is, and that’s pretty much the only place I have to exercise them. By spring my guys are too fat to start out on a long trek and with summer being so short in comparison to the long winter months, I like to have them fit and ready. I actually entertained the idea of designing and building a hot walker in the fashion of those used by race horses but the motivation for the goats would have to be there, I mean honestly do you think if I tie up my goats to the arms and turn it on they would actually keep walking round and round? I think not! Donkeys they aren’t either with the proverbial carrot on the end of a string dangling in front of their nose. And unfortunately mine are too spoiled to care about chasing a treat to encourage them to walk. So I made a box for the back of my truck, insulated it, and on warm sunny days on the weekend, Ha, now those are few and far between, usually in the week as I watch the sun shine from a dingy office window, I load up my three guys and we go to the groomed trails. Now that causes problems in itself. There are no immediate bylaws to say I can’t walk my guys, they are on “leash”, pooper scooping, easy to pick raisins, (so other walkers dogs don’t think of them as a gourmet snack and their ‘person’ gives me a tongue lashing, but those cross-country skiers that come on the doggy trails, wow, heard some language that I didn’t know existed. Apparently the sharp little hooves of my companions create a problem - can’t honestly see that myself as I cross country ski too, and have with my goats, (but not on the ski trails of course) and I the pointy little holes in the snow are not much bigger than that made by a ski pole. So I bite my tongue, smile kindly, and pretend I am deaf and out with my seeing, hearing and all round protector companion walkers. But at least they will be half ways fit by spring and away I go into the hills. Tammy
The east has a new CPHGA director. Susan Phillips of Touched By Grace Farms. Thankyou Susan!
Teaming up with Lynn Lightbody they are going to be adding pack goat classes to the fall fairs in their areas. All of you that have been waiting for the opportunity to show your companion goats - hey here it is!! Thank you Susan and Lynn.
For Sale - smaller size goat pack, my goat has outgrown it - please email me at karriec91@gmail.com
B.C. 4H’ers are having a hard time finding pack goat and 4H projects - as pack goats and harness goats become more and more popular in Canada - we need to be able to find and purchase them. Anyone with prospects please contact us so we can help connect companion goats to their companions! Anyone that would like to add a pack/harness goat class at an upcoming show - let us know how we can help - rule books, sponsorship, ribbons prizes etc. Happy Packing - Happy Driving
Charlie
