# Riding Goats



## TennesseeMama23 (May 10, 2006)

I have some Alpine dairy goats that I am milking--I have 2 very sweet wethers, too. I was wondering if any of you let your children ride them. Mil has a small pony saddle and I was wondering if it would work. I found a child's goat saddle at a pack goat website--but I don't know if I want to give that kind of money for it (I know I don't). My oldest weighs 55 lbs, and my younger two weigh about 35 lbs. What do you think?? Is it hard to train them??

Thanks 

Melanie


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## Key (Apr 2, 2005)

Melanie,
I initially would not let my small kids (4o lb children) ride our goats, but one Nubian and one Boer cross don't seem to mind at all, so they do usually crawl on them and sit while they walk around the pasture just for a few minutes. Of course, I would never let them ride them if they were in thier last two months or so in gestation. I have a pony saddle, but it is another 15 lbs, so we save that for the actual pony. The kids have never bridled the goats, but those goats just moosie along like nothing is on thier backs. It is cute.


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## midkiffsjoy (Sep 29, 2005)

My 5 yo keeps trying and I will not let her. I dont want to take a chance on her breaking the back of a $250.00 milker. Might not be alot for some, but that's more than i'm willing to risk (that and the thought of the pain of a broken back......my pa broke his back and just......no....shudder) I tell her that she has to help me build fence for a horse and help take care of the other stock to show me she's grown up enough to have a pony.


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## cmharris6002 (Jan 27, 2006)

I let small children ride My big Nubian yearling wether. He seems to like it even though he also pulls a cart.


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## full sun (Aug 6, 2005)

:shrug: Okay-- just my 2 cents, but I would never trust my goats! I have seen the way they jump about and it would scare me to have my kids involved...

Jennifer


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## Goat Freak (Jul 6, 2005)

My brother rides our boer does, except when they are far along in their pregnacies, he tried to ride our buck, who is sweet, and me and my little sisters got a rodeo show instead. My brother though only weighs 68 pounds, and he hasn't done it in a while.


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## Freeholder (Jun 19, 2004)

Some of the people who use pack goats will let a small child (less than 40 lbs.) ride -- I think someone makes a special pack saddle meant to also carry a child. I had one Nubian doe a few years ago who I would sometimes put my oldest granddaughter on (Gladiana was only about 2 1/2), but I stayed right there with a hand on the child and a hand on the goat's collar or lead rope. 

However, the danger of harming the goat is real, if you allow older children to ride, or to play roughly with the goats. Someone on one of the goat lists a while back told a sad story of losing a goat because the children were running and jumping onto the goats backs. Pack goats can (depending on their size and conditioning) carry UP TO sixty pounds (one fellow, carrying research equipment high into the mountains, had his large and well-conditioned goats carrying as much as ninety pounds on extended trips), but the impact of a jumping child COULD break their backs.

Kathleen


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## goatkid (Nov 20, 2005)

Do not let children ride goats. Their skeletal system is not made for that and the goat could be severely injured or killed. If you look at a diagram of a goat skeleton, you will see that the spine has very little support. There is a difference between an active child and a pack.


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## clarissa.is.god (Oct 6, 2020)

you should let ride goat.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

No. Don’t put children on goats’ backs.


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## muleskinner2 (Oct 7, 2007)

Good goats are expensive, kids on the other hand are a dime a dozen.


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