Hobbling goats in camp

[brady]

Has anyone had experience with hobbling goats in camp? I have used hobbles on horses many times, but never on goats.

[vigilguy]

I wouldn't do it. If they need to be tethered, use a highline. in areas where Bighorn sheep are nowhere around, my goats are bonded enough to me that they sleep by my tent. I keep bells on their collars so i have an idea where they are at night. My goats typically browze for a few hours in the night, then return to my tent site and settle down.

[Sanhestar]

with properly bonded goats that isn't necessary. You will rather find that they are in your way whenever possible.

Train them to come at a call/whistle signal and they will follow it even from a distance. As goats don't spook in the manner horses do = run as fast and as far as possible but rather sprint to the next defendable position (hill, thicket, human) and then turn and face the danger, constricting their ability to run fast is unnecessary.

[Dave-Trinity-Farms]

Always keep them either high lined or contained in a trailer or pen when not physically with them. Hobbles do nothing for goats but keep them from rearing up. It does nothing to stop their movements.

[brady]

thanks for the input. I was trying to come up with a way that they would not follow a stranger down the trail while I was up on a wall climbing and out of reach. Typically they just nap and forage at the base of the crag. So far this has not been a problem, but I recently added a couple of goats to my herd and they seem a bit less inclined to stick to me.

B