Chat
09-28-2023, 09:42 AM
I can see why you'd want to pull a travel trailer and not have to tent camp. I know some folks that get a camper for the back of their pickup so they can haul their goats in the trailer, which I think generally works better, but you have to use what you've got. The truck suspension is usually better, but there is simply more room in a horse trailer for both goats and equipment. Horse trailers shouldn't be drafty, but they should be well ventilated. Sometimes pickup beds are not ventilated enough, so that's something to think of when designing your truck bed goat hauler. Since your brother is building it himself, that gives you some great options! Make sure it's tall enough to accommodate your tallest goat. If your goats have horns, it has to be really tall! I also suggest making it so it fits over the wheel wells instead of between them. I have a shelter that slides between the wheel wells, which is convenient, but it's tiny. It can only fit two young goats (18 months or less) for a long trip, and it's very tight for them. You may be able to find goat hauler plans on the internet somewhere. I know Marc Warnke made his own, and I've seen several other homemade haulers at various events, but I don't have names of people who made them.
I try not to take a rest day after hauling. Usually we just make sure it's a lighter day, but still a hiking day. I tend to think loafing around in camp is not helpful and may even be counterproductive. What you don't want are goats that are TOO fresh and/or bored because they will fight and pester each other on the trail. Getting them out the day after hauling will limber up their stiff legs, get them breathing harder (which helps clear the dust from their lungs), and relieve any pent-up energy and aggravation they have after having to stand too close to each other for too long. It's important not to overwork our goats, but we also shouldn't mollycoddle them. It tends to turn them into hellions on the trail, or it turns them into lazy bums who convince their owners that they can't work because they still need just one more day to recover.
I try not to take a rest day after hauling. Usually we just make sure it's a lighter day, but still a hiking day. I tend to think loafing around in camp is not helpful and may even be counterproductive. What you don't want are goats that are TOO fresh and/or bored because they will fight and pester each other on the trail. Getting them out the day after hauling will limber up their stiff legs, get them breathing harder (which helps clear the dust from their lungs), and relieve any pent-up energy and aggravation they have after having to stand too close to each other for too long. It's important not to overwork our goats, but we also shouldn't mollycoddle them. It tends to turn them into hellions on the trail, or it turns them into lazy bums who convince their owners that they can't work because they still need just one more day to recover.