Being a Goat in a World of Horses
Reflections from my work with the goats at a horse farm
I volunteer three days a week at a therapeutic riding facility. They have fourteen horses they use to provide various types of therapeutic riding sessions. The volunteers take care of the horses. We feed the horses. Groom the horses. Saddle the horses. Clean the stalls. Everything that needs to be done to support the staff in their mission.
The farm also has six goats. I thought perhaps the goats might be the start of some new therapy class, but I was told they are there to clear vegetation in certain areas so we don’t have to. Each day, the goats are moved from their pen to a larger area where they can run around and eat said vegetation. There are two small goats(seen above) that need to be fed separately each day. The volunteer coordinator saw me herding the goats a few times and mentioned to the lead volunteers that I was good with the goats. The goats are now my job each of the three days I am there. Several people call me the goat whisperer.
While I was with the goats recently, I reflected on how similar I am to the goats and what it is like to be a goat in a world of horses.
The horses:
- are beautiful and majestic
- are the stars of the show
