[tiger408]

ok... what does everybody do in the winter time to keep yourself and your goats from getting cabin fever????

My boys want to go out and play but it is just waaaaayyyyy to cold for me right now.... plus have been dealing with frozen water pipes EVERY day.

Every time we go outside the boys are running to the gate like YAY!!! We're gonna go do something fun!!!! ... then look so depressed when they have to stay in the pen. They are really giving me a guilt complex.

How does everybody else deal with this???

 

[Lightfoot Packgoats]

I sigh sadly, put on my fleece lined jeans under wind pants, under my insulated coveralls and then do the same sort of layers on top. I put on my "Toasted Marshmallow" coat, whichi makes me look like I'm wearing a black marshmallow, a hat, gloves, scarf etc. I'm waring insulated boots too.

Then I either suck it up and take 'em for a quick block walk, trailer them some place and walk them for one hour (I force myself and so far, am never sorry) or I spend time in the yard with them, asking them to jump on obstacles (one at a time while the rest are tied so that when it is their turn they are excited and eager to show me they can do it better than the rest) or ask them to drag logs so I can cut wood or let them take a quick browsing walk along the irrigation canal so that they think they did something.

Then I pat myself on my overly padded back and high tail it back inside to warm up!

The goats think something major happened and feel contented, I feel the same and when I warm up I'm always glad I did it.

BUT, I don't do this in a driving, icy wind. I just cannot stand that.

Laz, Pie and Mike get rather put out if they are not getting to do fun stuff often so it is a matter of goat mental health!

Zulie just gets mad.

Charlie Goggin
Lightfoot Packgoats

 

[jross]

I put packsaddles on a couple of goats, and head out for a hike. We live in SW New Mexico, and winter hiking is great here. Summer, fall, and spring hiking are good too. Actually the only bad time is mid May to early July, when it's hot and dry.

Here are a couple of pics:

http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee28 ... G_7767.jpg

http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee28 ... thikew.jpg