Homemade Goat Cart
Pirate is a Nubian goat. He was born here in Spring of 2008 (his Goat Birth). He is a very gentle goat and we have trained him to pack. He is a quick learner so I built a goat cart for him...and me too!
Trailers and harnesses can be purchased at various goat suppliers but they are quite costly. However, we never let something as silly as money stop us around here. I decided to make one of my own. It’s amazing the strength of the goat. He pulls without much effort at all. He is even larger now.
I used 2x4s, tires from an old unused bike trailer, ropes, a horse girth strap for a belly band, and a padded seat from a broken drum stool.
Training
The training went smoother than I expected. He was a bit jumpy at first with all the straps but settled down quickly. He is used to straps and items being placed on his back from the packing he does.
We started out by using a lead rope. Then we moved onto the reins. We found two ways to get him to move. One was having someone walk in front of him as he likes to follow. The other was by lightly stomping on the floorboard of the cart. The noise would cause him to start moving forward.
The reins work just like on a horse - pulling on one side or the other turns him. Pulling back causes him to stop. It is somewhat intuitive for him. The funny thing is that he seems to really enjoy hauling me around. :)
Bryson James
2012
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Resources
www.greenhomebuilding.com/adobe.htm
www.earthbagbuilding.com/articles.htm
www.earthbagplans.wordpress.com
We moved from the city to the country in 2005. Since then, we have been building structures, raising livestock and growing some of our own foods. We are crazy about family, nutrition and want the best for our growing family.
