Tanglebriar Nubians

Tanglewood Acres, the home of the Tanglebriar herd, consists of 30+ acres of largely riparian areas (woody creek vegetation), and that makes it excellent habitat for a goat herd, as it is full of brambles and other  spiky vegetation that goats adore.  As the propery is not all fenced in with goat proof fencing, I use the traditional method of goat herding to take my goats to the browse.  This also has the benefit of allowing me to manage where the goats are browsing very easily, as well as allowing me to keep them out of trouble, either through misadventure or predators.  Goats also appreciate the benefit of having someone along to pull down that particulary tasty branch.  While goats do not herd in the same way that sheep do, the goats recognize me as the leader of goats, though, being goats, they do feel the need to test this on occasion.  However, as the herd leader, the goats trust me to lead them to good places for browsing, and thus follow along happily, though sometimes they follow from the front, so it looks like I'm actually herding them in the sheep sense.

Spice, Fancy, and Reason on one of our goat walks- the browse is not great this time of year, but fortunately goats eat dried leaves with great relish.

For me, goat herding provides additional benefits.  While in graduate school, I developed a chronic illness that has made it very difficult for me to pursue the traditional career options open to a scientist with a Ph.D. in ecology, and so I do science on the side, collaborating with other folks remotely while staying at the farm.  However, sitting at the computer for extended periods of time tends to exacerbate my condition.  The best thing that I can do to keep myself in reasonably acceptable shape is get plenty of exercise, which is completely compatible with goat herding.  Goat herders frequently carry a big stick, which is excellent for pulling down browse, or interposing between the least dominant goat (Spice) and the other goats so that the goat can eat un-pummeled.  It also serves well for a goat herder with mobility issues to lean on.  Goats also do not care how slow I go, or how many breaks I take- it just gives them more opportunity to eat.  Finally, goat herding is excellent for morale.  

My goats trust and depend on me to do my job, which keeps me moving and motivated, even on the very worst days.  There is no problem on earth that a goat will not try to cheerfully stubborn its way through, and I try to have the same cheerful and indomitable goat attitude.