No Ladder, No Problem! This Goat Found A Way To Use His Horse Buddy To Get To His Food
An unexpected duo shows off their unique friendship in Kootenay Acres Hobby Farm in West Kootenay, British Columbia.
The two fellows above are Arret and Bouge. Arret is a Nigerian Dwarf Goat who has proclaimed Bouge his own personal noble steed. And Bouge is a 15-year old former packhorse.
The owner, Aimee Kootnikoff, told the story about how she came to know about the duo. It was when she was just supposed to take her dog out for a bathroom break one day when she saw the goat standing on top of the horse in the horse pen. She thought that the incident was a once-in-a-lifetime thing.
“But as that week went on, it continued to be a regular occurrence,” she said. Arret and Bouge are often found together in the farm. Arret is even described as a goat who usually prefers the company of humans and horses more than with his fellow goat folk.
Apparently, Arret uses his pal’s back to his advantage so that he can reach tall branches and trees that the other goats can’t get to. And he seems to be able to command his horse by pawing or scratching on Bouge’s shoulder. It may seem that Arret’s the only one who gets a benefit out of the riding deal, but the owner says that Bouge might be benefitting too by the massage and/or scratches that he gets from Arret.
Being a former packhorse, Bouge exhibited a bit of standoffish behavior on the farm when he first arrived, and Aimee thought the behavior was because the horse seemingly associated humans exclusively with work.
On the other hand, Arret came to the Kootenay Acres Hobby Farm when he was still a baby. Aimee describes Arret as a goat who has always been very bold and very brave. She says that the other goats consider him as the herd leader.
Aimee’s farm is home to many companion animals, and most of them are rescues. Their family shares their land with these animals so that they can enjoy their new second chance at life, with both humans and their fellow animals, in a wide free-ranging property with one another. Aside from goats and horses, their farm is also home to many dogs, sheeps, chickens, and a cat.
Watch more of the dynamic duo in the video below or check out Aimee’s Instagram here.
Or check another horse-riding animal story here.
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