# Harnesses



## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

I have a friend who wants to train her 2 wethers to pull a cart. Where is the best place to find harnesses and other equipment?


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## Nigerian dwarf goat (Sep 25, 2017)

@Damfino I know you do pack goats. Where do you get your supplies? Any advice for a first timer? I would love to do pack goats, and have been thinking about it lately, but it probably wont happen lol


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

lottsagoats1 said:


> I have a friend who wants to train her 2 wethers to pull a cart. Where is the best place to find harnesses and other equipment?


I find that for full-sized wethers, miniature horse harnesses are the best in terms of quality for the price. When you go for goat-specific harnesses you either pay quite a bit a decent harness, or you pay a lot less and get a harness that isn't designed well and leaves a lot to be desired. Does your friend have any horse driving experience? If not, I would suggest they take a few driving lessons so they can get their hands on some harnesses and see how it all works. Team driving is different from driving singles and the harnesses require different parts. If your friend is savvy, they'll know how to look for harnesses that can convert to singles or teams.

If your friend is driving smaller goats such as Nigerian crosses, they may need to buy goat-specific harnesses from Caprine Supply or Hoeggers (if they still sell them). I don't recommend most of the goat harnesses I've seen on Etsy or eBay. Most of them seem to be missing some essential parts.


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

Nigerian dwarf goat said:


> @Damfino I know you do pack goats. Where do you get your supplies? Any advice for a first timer? I would love to do pack goats, and have been thinking about it lately, but it probably wont happen lol


Truthfully, I've gotten most of my supplies second-hand. I have pack saddles from Sopris, Northwest, Wind River (no longer in production), and Bantam Saddle Tack. I even have a couple of different dog packs for my when my guys are yearlings (or if I'm packing smallish does). Dog packs are how a lot of goat packers start out. It's a cheap way of getting started, and provided you don't load them very heavy, the packs should not hurt the goats. Dog packs have an annoying tendency to slide off to one side, so you have to keep an eye on them and straighten them on a semi-regular basis, but they'll get you through day hikes until you decide it's time to "go big". 

I always buy my halters from Sopris: 
http://www.soprisunlimited.com/soprisxhalters.html

I've tried so many brands of halters, and those are by far the best in my opinion.


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## Nigerian dwarf goat (Sep 25, 2017)

Question. What breed is she thinking about packing?


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## Riverside Fainters (Feb 6, 2013)

Would a mini horse harness work for 110 lb wether? I would love to teach my Myotonic wether to pull a cat


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## Riverside Fainters (Feb 6, 2013)

Won't let me edit.. *cart


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

Riverside Fainters said:


> Would a mini horse harness work for 110 lb wether? I would love to teach my Myotonic wether to pull a cat


I really need to see a picture of that goat pulling a cat! 

Whether the mini horse harness would fit depends on how stout your goat is. 110 lbs. is on the small side, but a Mini "A" sized harness might just fit on the tightest holes (although you might have to punch a few more in places). I believe Team Snazzy goat uses miniature horse harnesses, and her goats are fiber goats, so they are quite a bit smaller than my boys.

Does your wether have a tendency to lock up or freeze when he gets nervous? This might be a bigger issue than the harness fit when training him to pull. You don't want him to lock up in the middle of a parade, for example.


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## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

ebay has goat harness's
http://www.workinggoats.com/?id=210
https://llamaproducts.com/goat-harness.html


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## ReNat (Jan 20, 2019)

What prevents you from creating your own hands, then you need? Buy harnesses, accessories, goat


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## ReNat (Jan 20, 2019)

I'm sorry, I want to ask you a question about how many fingers should go between the saddle and the goat's spine


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

fivemoremiles said:


> ebay has goat harness's
> http://www.workinggoats.com/?id=210
> https://llamaproducts.com/goat-harness.html


I don't like the design on the first harness. It looks like it's made by someone who doesn't know the mechanics of how harnesses function. The second harness is a good one, but of course pricier than a lot of folks want to spend.


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

ReNat said:


> What prevents you from creating your own hands, then you need? Buy harnesses, accessories, goat


Making your own harness is an option for people who are handy and have some idea what they're doing. I've seen some very good and some truly terrible homemade harnesses. A harness needs to be comfortable for the goat and strong enough to be safe for everybody.


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

ReNat said:


> I'm sorry, I want to ask you a question about how many fingers should go between the saddle and the goat's spine


The spine doesn't need a ton of clearance. For a four-wheeled wagon you don't actually need spinal clearance at all because there is no weight resting on the spine. Just make sure that if the saddle (the strap that goes across the back) does not have a tree that gives built-in spinal clearance, that you never make the girth too tight because that will compress the spine even if there is no weight on the saddle.

Two-wheeled carts put weight on the goat's back and the spine needs to be protected from this weight. The cart should be balanced so there is not very much weight on the shafts when the goat is in draft, but there will be times when weight on the spine cannot be prevented. My fancy harnesses have stiff trees with a raised pad on either side of the spine which the saddle strap rests on to keep it raised above the spine. I can use thinner pads with these harnesses because the strap can't compress the spine. However, I also have harnesses with just a wide, floppy strap for a saddle. These need much thicker, wider pads to protect the spine, and I am careful not to over-tighten the girth. I'm also careful to balance my cart so there is not much weight on the saddle except when going downhill and when it's stopped and people are climbing in and out of the cart.


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## ReNat (Jan 20, 2019)

ReNat said:


> I'm sorry, I want to ask you a question about how many fingers should go between the saddle and the goat's spine


Thanks, I thought so, just had somnenie between the saddles for pack goat saddle.


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## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

I have always thought that this type of cart would be awesome to have.
http://k9carting.com/


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## ReNat (Jan 20, 2019)

fivemoremiles said:


> I have always thought that this type of cart would be awesome to have.
> http://k9carting.com/


I do myself personally costs me$50.


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

^ Those are nice carts for little goats. I know folks who use them with their Nigie crosses. The third wheel keeps the weight off their backs. When you have goats short enough that the shafts could point downhill and tump the weight onto the saddle, that third wheel can be a lifesaver. That third wheel is also a great "safety net" for the goat when the owners don't know how to hitch a goat properly, or don't have enough padding on the saddle. 

Those carts are much too small for my boys though. The shafts barely come up to my goats' elbows!


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## ReNat (Jan 20, 2019)

fivemoremiles said:


> ebay has goat harness's
> http://www.workinggoats.com/?id=210
> https://llamaproducts.com/goat-harness.html





Damfino said:


> Yes, thank you for your slot! Previously, I often saw how to use the third wheel, but for me it was mysterious.


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## Riverside Fainters (Feb 6, 2013)

Damfino said:


> I really need to see a picture of that goat pulling a cat!
> 
> Whether the mini horse harness would fit depends on how stout your goat is. 110 lbs. is on the small side, but a Mini "A" sized harness might just fit on the tightest holes (although you might have to punch a few more in places). I believe Team Snazzy goat uses miniature horse harnesses, and her goats are fiber goats, so they are quite a bit smaller than my boys.
> 
> Does your wether have a tendency to lock up or freeze when he gets nervous? This might be a bigger issue than the harness fit when training him to pull. You don't want him to lock up in the middle of a parade, for example.


He does really well actually. He does faint, but he is so used to being out and about I think he would be ok.. something to work on!!


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