Youth-4-H
Driving - Cart Goat Projects
By Cornell University
Feb 28, 2003, 3:11pm

Driving goat project castrated male goats (called wethers) can be trained to pull carts. You do not need to milk them, however they require regular exercise just like a dog. A goat needs to be about two years old before he is strong enough to pull a cart. However, basic training starts at about 2 to 3 months of age. It usually takes two people to train a driving wether so make sure you have a friend or family member who is willing to help you. You should also plan on having to spend money on driving equipment. Be sure to check out the price of necessary equipment in various catalogs before you buy your wether. There are plans available for making your own driving carts. A wether can live for a long time so you need to make sure you will not eventually tire of him. Photocopies of the 4-H Harness Goat Project Manual designed at Ohio State University are available through Cornell Cooperative Extension in Rm. 128, Morrison Hall, Animal Science Dept. Cornell University. http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/4H/goats Additional sites: Cart Plan: http://www2.localaccess.com/rockyrun/car1.htm Carts and harness: http://hoeggergoatsupply.com/xcart/home.php?cat=21 Harness Club and information: http://www.goattracksmagazine.com/harness.html