A group, bringing together the owners, trainers, breeders, and
fans, of working and sporting goats.
The American Working and Sporting Goat Association facebook group was founded at the beginning of 2022, with the goal of creating an inclusive cross-disciplinary platform for goat trainers to share ideas, and swap tips and tricks. AWSGA members participate in a wide variety of caprine activities, including driving, draft work, packing, agility, and trick training.
The AWSGA welcomes all breeds of goat, a variety of training styles, and new and experienced trainers, alike. Our aim is to share fun, exciting, and mentally enriching activities with our goats, while prioritizing soundness, safety, and sportsmanship.
Agility & Tricks
Goats are nimble and sure-footed animals, with alert, inquisitive natures. Negotiating their way through obstacle courses, or over jumps, hones their natural dexterity. Learning tricks, like spinning, and shaking hooves, are also great ways for goats to keep their clever minds sharp, and engaged.
Buzz Aldrin: a trained Nigerian Dwarf wether.
Driving
Driving builds goats’ confidence, and gives them an opportunity to explore more of the wider world, while exercising their minds and muscles. Goats are herd animals, so working closely with their buddies, in a team hitch, can make this activity even more fun for them.
Team Snazzy Goat: a pair of American Cashmere Driving wethers.
Packing
Traversing rocky slopes, and wading through streams with their saddles, pack goats both rely on, and build up, their natural agility, stamina, and adaptability. Their gregarious personalities and thrifty diets also make goats ideal traveling companions, in the great outdoors.
Lester: a LaMancha pack goat. Photo by Butt-head Pack Goats.
Draft Work
Draft work is an enriching and productive outlet for goats’ tenacious natures, and love for testing their own strength. Hauling feed and water, transporting produce or tools, skidding logs, and clearing snow, are all ways that goats can help out around the farm.
Geronimo: a working Boer buck. Photo by Jenny Smith.
AWSGA 