Can gaots swim?

Farrier1987 · Post by **Farrier1987** » Mon Aug 15, 2016 9:49 am

So hot and humid has been the story this summer. I think ever the wooden fence posts are wilting. Grass is brown. Garden is suffering. And the animals, including me, just sort of lay around and try not to do too much. Chickens panting with wide open beaks. Yeah, by George, its hot.

Well one of the nice things about my acre on the shore of lake Erie is that I can go swimming anytime I feel like it. Been in in every month from April to November. Only small obstacle is a 75 foot clay cliff, now with several metal fence posts and a rope to assist older bodies get up and down. Even very hot days, we mostly get a breeze of some kind off the lake. Yep, the lake makes life better.

So hot as it is, I thought I would see if it also make the goat's life better. They don't even need the rope to navigate the clay cliff. So down we went. Had to put Priya, the grandmother milker on a leash to keep her out of the garden o9n the way down. Sunny, the three month granddaughter made about six trips in one, running back and forth, bounding up and down, scrambling across sheer walls. Just watching her inspires me and tires me out.

But we got down to the lake. About a 20 foot wide cobble beach, and the goats and the dog are free to roam up and down, explore the flotsam and jetsam, inspect the odd dead fish and romp an frolic. And I am free to swim and cool off and generally enjoy.

I used to take Bubble and Squeak, goats from a past life down. And if I spent too long in the water or got too far out and they could just see my head, they would get upset and set up a a great bleating and noise. My translation was "Come back. You will drown. What will happen to us? They were definitely concerned.

Well Priya and Sunny, they just keep climbing and eating twigs and they just don't care. I could be half way to Cleveland or run over by a fishing boat and they would just keep fossicking about. Til supper time at least. They are so self centered. They just don't care.

But it is still hot, and though they are enjoying the beach, they are not getting the real value out of it. So I decide to make them see the advantages available to them. I catch Priya by the collar and start toward the water. She comes about ten feet from the water and decides its not for her. I decide it is, and start dragging her. A rather nasty coughing sound emerges when I let off pressure. Had I not let off, she might have laid down. Not due to obstinance, but due to lack of oxygen, and that is not a good thing. So I took one side of the collar in each hand, on either side of the jaw. So now I was pulling on the back of her neck and her head, making slow progress towards the water's edge. Her feet were digging deep furrows, that would do credit to a small tractor pulling a plow. (Maybe I have been too hasty keeping her out of the garden?) And I get her into the water. In about half way up her legs. And the waves start just breaking up against her, and she is bleating and carrying on. She is worried about her, the self centred cow of a goat, its all about her. I turn her sideways to the waves, so they break on her ribs and haunch and just over her back. The water is fine. and she settles down and just stands there, under duress, putting up with whatever her master decides. She trusts me now. And although she wont admit it, she is cooler. So I drag her out till her feet can't touch bottom any more. I am supporting her head and making sure she doesn't get a snootfull ( I don't want to traumatize the poor dear). Then I turn her head toward shore and let her go. And she heads directly for shore. Yes, goats can swim.

I repeat the process with Sunny.

The goats are cooler now, and the dog decides to chase them some. And they run and jump and frolic. And eat some leaves off fallen trees, and Sunny goes out 20 feet or so on a horizontal trunk over looking the water. And I go back out swimming. A good time is had by all, we are all a lot cooler, and all should sleep well tonight.

So yes, goats can swim, but they mostly choose not to. Make them if you can, it is worth it for all concerned. Life is good.

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Farrier1987 · Post by **Farrier1987** » Mon Aug 15, 2016 9:55 am

Farrier1987 · Post by **Farrier1987** » Mon Aug 15, 2016 9:57 am

Farrier1987 · Post by **Farrier1987** » Mon Aug 15, 2016 10:01 am

windwalkingwolf · Post by **windwalkingwolf** » Mon Aug 15, 2016 5:27 pm

Bahahahaha awesome!
Around here, water of any kind is anathema to the goats. I swear they wouldn't even drink it if they didn't have to. A single raindrop and you'd think Vesuvius was spewing hot ash on them!

kenya · Post by **kenya** » Tue Aug 16, 2016 2:25 am

Ha! Ha! Ha! You try to be good to them and they think you are trying to kill them.

NormaK · Post by **NormaK** » Fri Aug 19, 2016 10:09 am

Lovely to read and the pics are great!