Local Excursion Documentation
By Montana McLeod (05/05/14 11:29:55)
The goats at Coal Oil Point were much more fascinating creatures than I anticipated. There is something about goats in the way they stare at you with their rectangular eyes. They can maintain eye contact with you and simply stare at you regardless of the emotions you project to them. At first it felt like a feeling of indifference, but later it seemed like they were looking at me trying to figure me out first. I spent a good amount of time with the two-day-old goats, watching them as they continued to figure out how to use their legs. At one point, the mama goat pushed one of her babies closer to me with her nose. I tried befriending her before I picked her up and placed her on my lap. The goat sat awkwardly with its legs sprawled out across my lap, not quite sure how it preferred to be situated with less than 48 hours under her belt. Her heart was racing really fast at first, and I wanted to make her feel comfortable and safe. I did the breathing exercises that we learned from Janelle and calmly pet the goat’s soft fur. After some time and extensive focus on this, I could feel a change in her heart rate. I do strongly believe that an animal will respond to your tension or sense of tranquility. With the consistent stroking motion and pressure from my stomach, as it would rise and fall, it felt like I was able to mollify her sense of fear and anxiety.
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By Montana McLeod (05/05/14 11:29:55)
The goats at Coal Oil Point were much more fascinating creatures than I anticipated. There is something about goats in the way they stare at you with their rectangular eyes. They can maintain eye contact with you and simply stare at you regardless of the emotions you project to them. At first it felt like a feeling of indifference, but later it seemed like they were looking at me trying to figure me out first. I spent a good amount of time with the two-day-old goats, watching them as they continued to figure out how to use their legs. At one point, the mama goat pushed one of her babies closer to me with her nose. I tried befriending her before I picked her up and placed her on my lap. The goat sat awkwardly with its legs sprawled out across my lap, not quite sure how it preferred to be situated with less than 48 hours under her belt. Her heart was racing really fast at first, and I wanted to make her feel comfortable and safe. I did the breathing exercises that we learned from Janelle and calmly pet the goat’s soft fur. After some time and extensive focus on this, I could feel a change in her heart rate. I do strongly believe that an animal will respond to your tension or sense of tranquility. With the consistent stroking motion and pressure from my stomach, as it would rise and fall, it felt like I was able to mollify her sense of fear and anxiety.
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