The Goatherd Experience

So we're working Lewis and everything is going fine and then mom goes to his head takes his collar and gets him to start moving. Lewis basically makes a run for the barn. I pulled back and tried to get him to stop but he just kept going. I didn't pull hard enough. I thought "well I know he'll stop when He gets to the gate of the pen" which he would've except that he didn't quite make that last turn before the gate. We flipped. It didn't really hurt. (We were on the grass and the cart mostly just dropped me nice and easy.) I jumped back up quickly though because I was worried about Lewis.Mom ran up then and together we unhitched Lewis, righted the cart, and got back in. The only problem is now I'm scared to have Lewis pull me without anyone. Tomorrow when we work him though I'll have to do it a little. Then hopefully I won't be scared anymore. I know that I have to pull a lot harder on the reins. It should be interesting.

The past couple days I haven't been really able to help walk and drive the goats because I sprained my foot. Yesterday, Mom and Grandpa walked Lewis and today, Mom and my cousin Aleta worked with them. Also, yesterday, Mom and Grandpa fixed some problems we were having with the harness. What happened is that the cart kept hitting whichever goat was pulling whenever they went downhill. So Mom talked to the man who made the cart for us and he gave mom a few suggestions. The problem has now been solved. With the help of some aluminum stop thingys which have been screwed to the shafts and also with help from *dum da dum* VELCRO! I think that there's hope that the boys will be ready for the fair.

Today was different. There was no pulling around a cart (or running away with me in the cart for that matter.) Today, Mom and I trimmed Hooves and clipped the long hair off the boys. Lewis went first because he is the hardest to work with. I got his two front hooves trimmed (eventually) but when it came time for the back legs Mom and I couldn't do it alone. Lewis is very skittish about his back legs so usually we it takes three people to trim those hooves. One person (Dad) Stands over Lewis' back and hold's his head. Another person (Mom) holds his leg, and the third person, (Me) trims the hooves. Sadly Dad wasn't home yet and mom and I couldn't do the back legs ourselves. After we got his hooves trimmed, I held his head and mom shaved the worst of his shaggy coat off. It was pretty much the same drill for Clark. When we got to Clover we were able to do all four hooves and she didn't need shaved.

The whole time Mom and I were holding one goat, the other two would get into trouble. We did all this work at on the porch so there was lots for the three to get into. Examples:

Eating Mom's flowers,
Uprooting Mom's plants
Pulling on the plastic plants
Eating the plastic plants
Trying to get into the garbage sitting on the porch

As you can tell we had a lot to clean up, though it was kind of funny. At one point, Clover was trying to eat a plastic plant. She pulled on it and the whole plant came out of the bucket where it was. Clover was startled and she literally jumped three feet into the air. So, despite the hard work it was pretty fun.

Yesterday, we veered from routine a little. We worked Lewis first. We walked him a little and then we hitched him to the cart. (We had done this the day before.) After he pulled the cart a little ways, I got in the cart. Boy was it exciting. Grandpa helped hold Lewis and we just went right along. It's really a thrill! I can't wait to work with him more. After a while, Grandpa took the lead off Lewis to see if he would pull on his own. Unfortunetly, he laid down and scraped the harness off. Clark was next and he doesn't work well unless you have the lead on him. I rode in the cart with him a little, but we left the lead on. This is all very exciting! We worked Clover last. She sets up really nicely and I think no, I know she will do well at the fair.

Yesterday Grandpa and I worked with the goats. It's become a usual thing. Clark first. Walking then hitch him to the cart and have him pull a little. Next Lewis, harness only. Finally Clover with showmanship practice. The only variation yesterday was the fact that Clark pulled the cart farther and he seemed less freaked out but maybe that was just my perception. Grandpa had to hold his head to keep him from running away with the cart. We just keep working everyday. Except that we have to go away next week. But when we get back, we just keep working.

Well, we worked the goats this morning. (Mom Grandpa and I) We worked with each goat in turn. First came clark. We took him out of the pen and we put the harness on him. Mom drove him a little first and then I took over. He walked fairly well. After a while, We stopped him and pulled the cart all around him so he'd get used to it. Then the big moment came. We hitched him to the cart! Finally after months of waiting. Poor Clark was really freaked out. We managed to get him to walk a total of three steps. Although we stopped in between each step and petted Clark, gave him treats and told him what a good boy he was.

Lewis was next. Today I realized that he is bigger than Clark. We got him, and put the harness on him. He behaved really well when mom drove him but didn't work as well for me. Probably because I was gone for two weeks. Anyway, after we drove him, we pulled the cart all around him and let him smell it. It made him nervous. Then he went back in the barn.

Finally came Clover. I walked her around and practiced showmanship and setting her up for the dairy class. She's looking really nice and I'm thinking about maybe putting her in open class, kind of get our name out for when I breed her. (I may have to sell some kids) Not sure if I want to though.

All this happened this morning and In a half and hour I get to do it again. Such is the life of a Goatherd.

well, I'm back from a two week college tour I have a week at home and then I'm gone two weeks for a mission trip and church camp. This should be rather interesting because I'm going to have very little time to train. That cart is just sitting in the shed waiting to be pulled. Hopefully I'll have some time this week.