Unlikely Society between Horses and Goats – NBC10 Philadelphia

What do you think when you hear: Rocky and Bullwinkle, Ren and Stimpy, Mickey Mouse and Pluto? What about: Tom and Jerry, Sylvester and Tweety, Woody Woodpecker and Bazzar?

These are some of the most famous animal duos in the world – however, not all duos are necessarily positive.

But in rare cases, two different species can actually do more than just coexist and get along. Sometimes animals can even be companions to each other.

A perfect example of an animal society is a goat and a racehorse. I know … it sounds weird, but in fact this duo of mammals is one of the most unlikely but popular couples you can see in a barn. Here’s why:

Why are goats considered great companions for horses?

When it comes to horses, especially nervous ones, goats serve as “friends in the barn” that help make horses less nervous.

Like a stable pony, tiny animals such as donkeys and goats can help a racehorse restless before a jump. An analogue of the emotional support of the fangs, goats – the right hand of a racehorse, a soothing presence and, frankly, their best friend.

When are goats most beneficial to horses?

Goats tend to serve as devoted companions of purebreds who are usually restless due to nervousness and anxiety before races such as Triple crownincluding the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes.

These races are very stressful, so it is almost inevitable that the horse will be annoyed before the jump. Purebreds participating in these races are only three years old, so having a “friend in the barn” is definitely desirable.

Do owners intentionally combine horses and goats before big jumps?

The answer is yes. It is almost considered the “duty” of a goat living with a racehorse to be his emotional friend there.

For example, Раксана, a goat from Churchill Downs, a very good companion. The gentle goat spreads its aura throughout the barn on race days, in particular by interacting with galloping horses that are going to take on bets. She regularly shows kindness to nervous nerves.

How do goats help racehorse nervousness?

Symptoms of a nervous horse may include walking, running in stalls, or loss of appetite. Horses also sway from side to side when they are afraid, known as “weaving”. Sometimes they even do something called “breading,” which involves grabbing the edge of the pen with your teeth and sucking in air.

Goats who form societies come to the rescue.

Richard Mandela, who has been training horses for 45 years, argues that goats “can really help a nervous horse; make a difference night and day ”. He would not use goats with stronger stallions and foals, but used them with mares or mertins that needed to be calmed.

How long does it take for a horse and a goat to bond?

Companies can be formed in just noon or about a week, depending on the animals themselves.

But not all horses are the same. Sometimes societies do not form at once. Sometimes it takes time to form a friendship. “Sometimes horses are indifferent to a goat until you take the goat away from the horse,” said the trainer. Dan Hendrix. “When you do that, a goat usually misses a horse more than a horse misses a goat.” However, both animals are known to make sounds that call to each other.

Or goats soothe horses and people?

Goats, like humans, each have their own identity, and they are not always as “zen” as their owners might have imagined.

For example, Lynn and David Vance, owners of a goat named Roxanne, explained that an animal tends to snap at people when it is too disturbed. “You’re going to caress her and then all of a sudden she decides she doesn’t want you anymore. And she horns you. She’s over it ” said Lynn Vance. In fact, Vance recommended staying near the rake in case Roxana feels the need to fight back.

Meanwhile, Lily, a goat owned by Helen Pitts-Blazy, tends to fall under the bench for biting flowers and hitting the heads of people who don’t pay enough attention to her.

Pitts-Blazy bought Lily many years ago after watching a goat settle on a mare (a young female) that walked into the stall and walked. Obviously, her soothing abilities and palliative personality overshadow any mischievous behavior, making her the right decision.