More Than a Yoga Partner: 5 Other Jobs Goats Do

The goats on our farm love helping our guests loosen up, stretch, and have fun doing yoga. Keeping the goats active and socially stimulated gives these intelligent aniamls a job to do so they don’t go too ma-a-a-a-d from boredom. Yoga isn’t the only thing goats are good at; goats all over the world do all kinds of jobs.

Fire Prevention

Forget Smokey the Bear, make way for fire prevention GOATS! Wildfires ravage the landscape in the drier areas of the US, especially in California. When tall grasses dry out, they act as fuel for hungry fires, allowing fires to spread over large areas quickly. Tall, dry grass also makes a tasty snack for goats. A married veterinarian and firefighter team in California saw the connection between those two facts and started bringing goats to munch back the parched fuel in the Oakland area in 1991. They found that firefighters were better able to control fires that occurred where goats had fed.

Earth-Friendly Lawn Care

Goats are famous for their curious appetite and strong stomachs. These traits make them perfect candidates for doing lawn care by grazing. Services are popping up all over the country for renting a herd of goats to clear out overgrown brush, weeds, and invasive plant species. The environment is a little bit happier every time a goat herd does the job instead of potentially dangerous herbicides or gas-powered tractors and equipment.

In-Hospital Therapy

Animal-assisted Therapy (AAT) has been popular in hospitals for decades, and has shown to be effective in improving mood, providing comfort and companionship, and lowering anxiety for patients. Often specially trained dogs do this work, but goats are getting into the game. Their quirky, affectionate disposition makes them excellent therapy animals. One hospital, the Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center in San Francisco, even houses their therapy goats full-time in a farm setting so the animals can work with patients long-term.

Acting

We like to think all our goats are stars, but some goats even make it big and “act” on film. Goats have been known to star in films like the Harry Potter series, and in popular television shows like The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones. Along with their handlers, these glamorous goats steal the scene.

Farm Labor

As one of the earliest domesticated animals, goats have been doing chores on farms for centuries. Even today, goats work on farms by pulling carts, just as a horse does.

We love goats for their sweet, fun dispositions, and appreciate how versatile and helpful these animals can be in all kinds of work.

Tags: goats, Jobs, Therapy Animals, yoga