Around our part of the world it is firewood season. Time to get the firewood stored and ready for the winter chill. Our pack and harness goats are instrumental in our firewood gathering. A lot of areas on and around our land are very steep hills . The hills are too steep for wheeled vehicles ( tractors or even goat carts) therefore our harness goats are used to pull wood with their sleds . We use the sleds because with their metal runners on the skids they hold the ground and do not ride up and hit the goats and the back of their legs. Every year during the summer we have a waiting list of people who need our goats and their service of bringing down the wood from the steep terrain.
Our goats also haul a lot of smaller kindling and pinecones in their panniers on their pack saddles. The picture enclosed with this blog is Henry with a pack full of dry pinecones for the fire. He enjoys this activity because the woods are full of ripe acorns that they love to eat.