How to Train Your Pack Goat

Ever since Spanish colonizers first brought goats to the Americas in the 1500s, the little animals have provided meat and milk to farm families -- and they have served as easily trainable beasts of burden. Today, the training of pack goats remains a popular 4-H Club project, and you still sometimes see them on small family farms. With goats as with humans, different students learn at different rates. But in most cases, it will take just a few sessions for your goat to become comfortable carrying a pack.

Things You'll Need

  • Goat halter or collar
  • Soft pack
  • Rope
  • Treats
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Start out with a soft cloth pack. Cinch it tightly (although not too tightly), acclimatizing your goat to having stuff on its back. Fasten the breast collar and the rump strap. The type of pack will vary depending on how comfortable your goat is with packs -- and how far you're planning to walk together. Long trips will require padding and heavier equipment.

    • 2

      Practice the "stay" and "follow" commands with the pack on your goat's back. Over time, it will become more comfortable with the pack, responding to the commands as readily as it does without a pack.

    • 3

      Begin adding weight evenly in the pack. Make sure no sharp objects are close to your goat's skin. Typically, a healthy goat can carry up to one fourth of its body weight, although you should be careful not to put on much weight at first, especially with young goats, whose bones are still growing. Watch things closely. If you err, err on the side of packing too lightly.

    • 4

      Reward generously. Pet your goat or give it treats if it follows or stays as asked while wearing a pack. Praise your goat for doing well, thus shaping the behavior you wish to see.