# Riding Wethers!



## Riot_My_Love (Jul 12, 2009)

Hi everyone!

Im a bit new here, but i have 2 wethers (a % Boer and a Pure Nubian), and i was wondering if anybody else has "broke-to-ride" boys? I dont really ride them but i can get them to walk while im on their backs. I dont think i have pictures of me on them but i do have some of the boys themselves.









Pow^^








^^Jasper

I ride Jaspy around and he enjoys it, teehee


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

welcome - nope never ridden them but those big wether boys can be quite strong.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Welcome...Riot_My_Love.... :wave: ...glad you are here.... :greengrin: 

Nope ....have to say.... I never rode them either....sorry that I can't help ya there...but again welcome...and those are nice looking goats you have there..... :wink: :greengrin:


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## Riot_My_Love (Jul 12, 2009)

Thanks! I try to get the best i can offord


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

> Thanks! I try to get the best i can offord


 your so welcome.. :wink: ....and you done good... :thumbup:


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## Riot_My_Love (Jul 12, 2009)

*afford eh sorry for the typo. Im missing my kids right now... theyre in VA and im in NJ seeing family


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## FunnyRiverFarm (Sep 13, 2008)

I have ridden my wether before...not very far though because I was afraid of hurting him. He is over 200lbs, about 39" tall, and very strong--he wouldn't have any problem carrying around a 50lb child...I am not quite that small though :wink: LOL.


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## Riot_My_Love (Jul 12, 2009)

a 200 pound WETHER! whoa! thats huge!


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

Riot_My_Love said:


> *afford eh sorry for the typo. Im missing my kids right now... theyre in VA and im in NJ seeing family


I live in NJ - so where are you at visiting family?


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## ChestnutGrove (Apr 30, 2009)

My understanding is that the goat 's back is not built to be ridden on like a horses back which is why they are used for carting. Now I do use soft packs that are my dogs on the goats that will fit them - but I am not putting enough weight in them. The goat packs that I have looked at looked like they are designed a little differently than a horse pack.

Now having said that - I have seen childern ride goats and the goats seemed fine.

Deidre :horse:


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## Riot_My_Love (Jul 12, 2009)

Im in Dorothy, outside of Mays Landing, 30 minutes from Atlantic City.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

nice Im just one hour from AC so you are probably real close to me.


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

My two boys Charlie and Chaplin (75% boer, 25% dairy) are broken to saddle - they wear a mini horse saddle and have given many childrens rides at shows. I myself rode them to break them in, but only very very short distances as I feel anyone bigger than a small child is too heavy for them. 

My boys are multi-skilled; harness, pack, saddle, agility and trick-trained :greengrin:


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

welcome to the goat spot. Glad you are here. :wave:


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## Ariel301 (Oct 13, 2009)

I don't think it would be too bad if a small child did a little light riding on a big sturdy goat. I can't see putting even a small adult on even a big heavy Boer buck though; that's a lot of weight! Goats do have a similar build to a horse, but their legs just are not strong enough to carry a rider. A horse's rider might weigh a couple of hundred pounds compared to the thousand pounds of the horse's weight, but if you put a one hundred pound adult on a two hundred pound goat...that is like a five hundred pound load on a horse, and even a strong riding horse can't carry that even a short distance without injuring itself. A goat's spine is also a bit bonier and less padded with fat usually than a horse's spine, so there could be a higher risk for injury to the vertebrae.

We are training our LaMancha does to pack with miniature sized crossbuck saddles like a packhorse would carry, and I've thought about putting my two year old niece on the back of our biggest doe. Abby used to ride my horse before it died, and every time she comes over, she asks for a horse ride and we have to go through again explaining to her that the horsey went to heaven...but she thinks the goats are just small horses, so it might satisfy her.


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## naturalgoats (Jan 3, 2011)

I know my friend trained her boy to carry her very small niece at one point.. I've played around straddling my boys (also around 200 lb)
but I don't put any weight... from what I read you don't want to put much more than 25-30 lbs on the back... just be careful... 
Miranda
p.s. nice to meet you... I'm about your age....


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