The goat hike idea came about because Carl and Margaret took their goats on the trail behind their farm to exercise them in the winter when the goats were mostly stuck in the barn. Sometimes a few friends would join them on their hikes. Word soon spread. The hikes became so popular that they started offering it to the public to earn some extra money for the farm. Now the goats get to enjoy hikes all year round. All except Layfayette is who been temporarily banned from the hike for being naughty.
Karl taught us all about goats which included the fact that the decision to cut a goat’s horns has to be made when they are very young. There’s a large blood vessel that runs through their horns to help cool them off in the summer so cutting them off as adults would have dire consequences. While we hiked, the goats like to use their horns to gently nudge us to out of their way.
After a mile and a half loop through the woods, we helped corral the goats into their outdoor pen and then enjoyed some goat milk and cookies. During normal years, Carl or Margaret would have demonstrated milking goats in the barn and maybe even let us have a try. Still we were delighted to be out and hiking with our quirky companions.
If you’re ever near Gray, I recommend going on a goat hike at tenapplefarm.com