THERE ARE GOATS...AND THERE ARE GOATS!

When I posted the picture of little me sitting in a goat cart (August 28 entry), I was curious as to what breed of goat that was. Actually, since moving here to Mira Loma in a very rural area I have found many goat farms scattered around. I'd like to think they are here because there is a big demand for goat cheese in this area. I do not like to think that the goats are used for meat, but I'm afraid that is part of the equation -- a part I'd rather not think of.

Anyway, I found a wonderful website that listed every breed of goat known, along with pictures of most of them. If I had to make a best guess, I'd suspect the cart goat might be a San Clemente breed. The picture of that goat on the website looks much like "my" goat. The description in part reads: San Clemente Island is located off the coast of southern California. It is owned by the U.S. government and used and managed by the U.S. Navy. Feral goats, probably of Spanish orgin, have inhabited the island for several centuries, possibly since the 1500's. Later introductions may have come from the mainland Franciscan missions during the 1600-1700's, while farmers were responsible for later introductions. If you want to read about it, the URL is http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/goats/ and go to "San Clemente Goat."

Now why do I have a goat at the top of this blog that obviously is not a San Clemente Goat? Stay with me. You'll be glad you did. In reading this article on goat breeds, I learned that there is a breed called the Tennessee Fainting Goat, although it goes by several other names, such as myotonic goat, stiff leg, and so on. According to the website "Myotonic means when they are frightened or excited they "lock up" and often fall over (faint) and lie very stiff for a few seconds. It is an over-simplification, but the chemicals which are rushed to humans' muscles and joints to prepare them for "fight or flight" are withheld in the Myotonic under exciting or frightful circumstances. "

The goat at the top of the page is a Fainting Goat, but they don't all look like this. They mostly look like ordinary goats and you wouldn't notice them unless they keel over. I can't remember when I was so excited by a goat. (Well, I can guess it was 71 years ago.) Now I think I'm going to have to go around to these local goat farms and maybe yell at them to see if any faint.

There is a nice video on YouTube that is a wonderful "show and tell" about these goats. Give it a try: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we9_CdNPuJg