# choking baby goats when leading



## 4-Hgoats (Feb 6, 2010)

I have my new babies! As some of you may know, I have been on this site before asking about milk, and bottle feeding. Well now I am with the issue of lead training. I saw the training topics all ready posted but they do not help me much. I need to know your opinions on choking the babies. My brother and i will take them out and they will lead with a rope and collar, but one of the goats just follows the other and does not listen to me. he will pull and twist his neck if he does not want to come and ends up choking himself. I feel bad because he chokes, but maybe he will learn to come this way. Do you think halters are better? How do I keep one goat from following the other? sorry this is long.


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## bentmettle (Jul 29, 2009)

Halters are magic.

My goats would drop to their knees frequently in the beginning. I just kept pulling him.

He now walks beside me (on lead) like a dog - usually a slack leash.

My other goat is a slow walker. He just doesn't want to keep up and when we hike is always about 5-6 feet behind the lead goat.

Once trained on halters, I'm back to collars with no remarkable issues.


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## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

Hello,

you can't go out with them and expect obedience until they have learned how to react to the pull of the leash - either on halter and on collar. Teach them to "step into" the pull, not fight against it.

Be carefull with it, both are very young and there's not only risk of choking them but damaging the spine in the neck.

For halters they are too young - you would need custom fit halters.

Do babysteps with them - they ARE babies.


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## sweetgoatmama (Dec 10, 2008)

Teaching them to tie before you try leading helps with the choking. Spend a couple of weeks tying them at about 12 inches and staying right with them while they figure it out. THen when you do start leading every time they pull change direction so they can't get the leverage to sit back against the rope.


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## ohiogoatgirl (Jan 31, 2010)

i have a very similar problem! mine like to stop and look at everything that makes a noise! lol! i am making halters for them... here is where i got the design for mine. i'm a cheap-o so i am making mine but they sell them for $4 plus shipping
http://www.berrysghfarm.com/photo_album.0.html


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