A new saddle!

[Taffy]

Yesterday I fit Bourbon with his new saddle.  I bought a Sawtooth Synthetic Goat Packsaddle and pads at the Rendy.  I really like the rigging on this saddle.  It has the traditional wood saddle with a synthetic rigging.  The rigging is very similar to the one I used when driving my horses and competing in Combined Driving Events.

Bourbon just stood there, chewing his cud, while I adjusted everything.  You can see he has a big lump of cud in his mouth!  He also had a pedicure and a deep brushing.

I did have a scare yesterday.  I was trimming his chestnuts and cut too much off of one.  It bled a lot but finally the Kwik Stop powder stopped the bleeding.  I'd never had that happen before.  I'll be more careful in the future!  Other than jerking when I cut it Bourbon stood still while I worked to stop the bleeding and held a Kwik Stop Pad against it.  He's such a good boy!

This time of year my goats only get pasture - no hay.  Their pasture used to be part of one of our hay fields.  As you can see in the picture, Bourbon is a little rotund!    

   

[Nanno]

Cool!!

[Charlie Horse]

Speaking of saddles.. I found that hand-made one I thought I had lost. I think I'll finish it.

That saddle of yours is very handsome. The way you have it, that strap around his front would choke poor Shelby GT out cold. Even the padded yoke thing on my new saddle chokes him out. He's very sensitive and gets a cough and hacks if you mess with his neck (Yet Bacchus is no problem at all). I'm going to build a special strap that goes in a Y shape, and connects to the cinch by going betwixt his front legs. Its a bit of a pain, but whaddaya do.

[Taffy]

Have you seen what Marc Warnke did with his signature series saddle?  Instead of a more traditional style breast collar he created a ring style one that is firm so stays in the ring shape.  Interesting concept.

I just realized the goat in his photo looks like it could be Bourbon color wise!

   

[Nanno]

Yeah, that's the padded yoke Charlie Horse was referring to that still chokes Shelby. Herb, would it be possible to tie a strap from the bottom of the yoke to the cinch to hold the yoke down away from the throat area?

[Charlie Horse]

Yeah I'm going to try adding an strap, perhaps with a little elastic to pull it down. Shelby is just a weird goat that way. Even if I drag him around by his collar at the start of a hike without saddles he can get a bit of a cough. Delicate throat. That fancy saddle really is nice. Its a little heavier than a wood one, but the padding is luxurious and the straps look like they'll outlive the next dozen goats. Its possible that its really more suited for Bacchus. The problem with Bacchus is he's a jerk about being saddled. Well. He's getting better as time goes on. Actually he's turned out to be a GREAT pack goat and he travels very well in the Lexus.

[Taffy]

Tell me you're not driving a Lexus into the Swell in September! 

[Nanno]

Maybe Bacchus will like the new saddle and won't be a jerk about this one.

[Charlie Horse]

Only the best. All of my goats have experienced the luxury of Lexus.