Figuring Finn

[Nanno]

One thing that may be causing Finn to be sour specifically about driving is that he is FAT! Nothing about the harness or the cart seems to be making him uncomfortable, but he does get short of breath very quickly, even when pulling the wagon alongside Sputnik. Sputnik will be trotting along quite easily with no signs of fatigue while Finn is puffing like a freight train. We always give Finn a break when he gets out of breath and his recovery time takes much longer than it should. This is going to be a difficult problem to correct because it's going to have to be solved purely through physically demanding work. I have no way to cut down Finn's feed without separating him from the other goats, and losing weight by increasing exercise without cutting calories is pretty hard. I can barely feel his ribs under all the flesh. This is not healthy for him at all and easy jobs become difficult and demanding. I hope as the weather warms up we'll be able to take him out more and get him the exercise he desperately needs. We're going to have saddle fitting problems next summer too if we can't get his weight under control.