Howdy from S. Vermont

Hi Folks…….

My name is Gary. The Goat Man thing came honestly because I couldn’t think of anything else right at that moment, and I manage a Goat Farm in Williamsville, Vt….got 150 or so…..I stare at Goats, I talk to Goats, Hell I got one in a cage next to my woodstove right now.

It’s a long story how I ended up here. It started out being afraid of heights. I worked at an Airport once, on the Runway Maint. Crew. I was plowin snow one day with a bucket loader when this guy came in and landed, and fell out of his Cessna…..I figured if that guy could fly an Airplane, I could too. I paid the $ 50. and took my introductory flight lesson. Did the whole thing, and at the last of it was flyin a ’41 Piper Cub. A Flyin Farm Tractor. Today I’m more comfortable at 5000′ than drivin up 91. Anyhow……when I was a kid I got thrown off of, then stepped on by this big old Draft Horse. It scared the Ba’Jesus of of me, and I’ve stayed a good distance from them up until a couple of years ago. I met this Awesome Belgian Draft Mule that belongs to the Save Your Ass folks over in Ackworth NH. Somethin clicked, and I had to have one. Figured the same logic might apply to Equines as it did with ladders……..so far, so good.

I found a Sweet Draft Mule at a Rescue down in Ct. Went to meet him and we clicked…..from the get go. My little Donkey came along as a “bonus”. I knew about as much about Mules, or Donkey’s as I did the first Airplane I got into. And it’s been fun, frustration, and pure joy ever since. Nick, (my Mule) has worked……he had marks on him from bad fittin harness when I got him. He’s been ridden too, and takes a saddle ok. Gettin him to move is another story…….

I knew even less about Driving, Working, or even how to put on a Harness on an Animal than I did the Airplane. I figured out where the Engine was on my own. I knew of The Bailey’s at Fairwinds Farm as my folks lived on the same road when they were alive. I took their Draft Horse Workshop, and it was worth every penny! Good People, with Great Animals. I found an Awesome Harness for my Mule, handmade by Russell Bigelow in Winchester NH. It was made for a Percheron Horse, but he tuned it up to fit Nick. It Shines……

I grew up on a Dairy Farm, did a hitch in the Army, drove Truck all over the US, run Equipment, been a mechanic, bought a Skidder and Logged for 5 years, and learned to fly. Now I’m raisin Goats, and tryin to figure out a Big, Old, Mule who I think might be smarter than I am sometimes. So I came here to find out how the rest of you make it look so easy. And how to convince Nick his tongue goes under the bit.

So Howdy…….