Early Season Pack Goat Training: Learning to Goat Walk
By Matt Bray
After the long winter season, the pack goat owner must retrain themselves to goat walk. Technically defined, the goat walk is a form of walking that is characterized by erratic motion and consists of short bursts of speed, ending with a quick diagonal stepping motion and abrupt stop. The motion is repeated continuously. Within a goat herd, the goat walk becomes a well orchestrated motion. Goats naturally understand the goat walk. It takes longer for the human to learn. The goat walk must become instinctive and with practice can be performed nearly as well as are caprid friends. Practice is the key! Load up your goats and go for a walk. Walk straight quickly for at least 20 ft and in no time your caprid friends will come up beside you, diagonally step in front of you and stop. Now, quickly stop, side step, and accelerate forward. Be prepared to repeat the motion within the next 10 seconds. With practice, this motion can be done in the blink of eye and without much of a thought. So goat owners, good luck, happy training, and enjoy the goat walk!
