green horn questions

[Sanhestar]

Thank you for the info! We were mainly wanting something that didn't eat as much as a horse because we don't go that often and horses are big hay burners.

goats eat less hay but to keep them healthy and happy (I have come across fence-jumping goats rather often because of this) when they get lots of browse (leavy twigs, edible bark, brush) which you have to provide and recycle, they also leave about 1/3 of their hay ration uneaten because they will not eat anything that they walked across (hay fallen to the ground) and are in general much more picky eaters (genetic trait in goats, keeps them from ingesting toxic plants, as well). In that regard horses are less messy, again.