Pack Goats
What better way to hike through the trails than
with a companion who will carry your load. Goats can comfortably
carry about one third of their body weight.
Let's do the math, since the average weight for a 2 year
old male goat is about 175 pounds, that means you can carry, excuse me,
they can comfortably carry about 58 pounds. By 'comfortably' I mean
that the goat must be able to jump from one rock to the other or
climb up a hill with the pack on his back. Goats need to be able to maneuver the trail as well,
or better than you.
So, what do you do if you have more than 58 pounds
of gear? Simple, have more pack goats! Some goats are natural born
leaders, while others are followers. You need to be aware of their
pecking order if you want to have a good hike.
Goats in Training
Currently, (2008) we have four yearlings in training as pack
goats. By training, I mean that they are used to wearing a halter,
walking on a lead, and wearing a back pack. In that back pack, we'd
added about twelve pounds of weights, six on each side. As the lads
grow muscle mass and become more experienced, we'll add more
weights. But for now, trekking up and down the driveway (over a mile
round trip) twelve pounds is enough.
We train/hike as often as possible -- except in the middle of
summer. We don't do HOT, HUMID days.
Photos are coming. Check back soon.