Does anyone have any ideas on what I can do to keep my goats from eating my horses tail? Do you think its a vitamin deficiency in the goats that causes them to do it? Separating them is not an option. Thanks for any suggestions.

-- Julie Capasso (juliecapasso@aol.com), November 29, 1999

Answers

Are they actually eating it or just tugging at it with their mouths? I have kept horses and goats together and never saw a goat that would do this or a horse that would put up with it.My best guess is that it is more of a dominance issue.Goats sometimes bite and tug at each other's ears or hair to assert dominance.But why would they be bossing a horse around?What are you feeding them?Are the goats getting enough to eat or is the horse getting most of it and then soiling the rest so that the goats are feeling hungry and desperate? I would try putting the feed in several piles so that everyone gets some.A salt/mineral block might be in order.You could also wrap the horse's tail and or work something unpalatable into it,such as vick's vapor rub.I would look to the cause of the behavior first though.Hope this helps.

-- Rebekah Leaf (daniel1@transport.com), November 29, 1999.