Breeding Program
Our breeding program focuses on heritable traits that improve real-world backcountry performance. We evaluate those traits through rigorous multi-day field testing and selection based on performance of offspring and siblings. Field testing takes place at 18 months during a rigorous multi-day wilderness pack trip that assesses agility, endurance, intelligence, and temperament. Field trials are conducted with pack saddles and loads under 10 pounds. Information on adult size and load carrying capacity is drawn from our personal pack goat herd of adult goats. Although we would love to keep them all, goats that excel in field trials will be available beginning in 2027.
Size
We select goats that reliably produce wethers over 34" at the withers and that weigh over 200 lbs. when in trail shape. Performance-bred pack goats that meet these criteria can easily carry 40 lbs on flat trail over long distances and 30 lbs off-trail. Although supersize pack goats have become a fad, they suffer from the same problems as very large dogs -- reduced agility, endurance, and lifespan. Would you choose a Great Dane as a sled dog?
Intelligence
Some goats are better at solving backcountry problems than others. The failure to pass under a log when wearing a pack is a classic challenge. Some goats quickly learn to back up and go around whereas others simply can't figure it out. We select for goats with backcountry intelligence -- the ability to learn how to get unstuck or avoid getting stuck in the first place.
Agility
Our goats are selected for performance off-trail, whether that be picking through a maze of downed timber or boulder hopping along an exposed alpine ridge. Our 18-month field trials test goats produced from specific breedings to evaluate real-world performance.
Temperament
Goats have a remarkable amount of variation in temperament. Although much of this variation is environmental and not genetic, we select for goats that tend to produce kids that are calm, friendly, and less prone to exaggerated bullying of subordinate goats. A calm and friendly goat is easy to saddle in the morning and less likely to spook along the trail.
Endurance
Not much is more frustrating than having a goat give up and refuse to continue. Our lines are selected for endurance in real-world conditions, which in our local mountains often means hot, steep, and off-trail. We breed only goats whose offspring are reliably able to travel 8+ miles per day over many consecutive days off-trail.
Health
We take a holistic view of goat health that includes parasite resistance, metabolic efficiency, sound joints, and longevity. Like any responsible breeder, we breed only goats that reliably produce robust, healthy kids. Beyond that, however, we select for goats that are easy to care for at home and on the trail -- low maintenance hooves and the ability to maintain weight on multi-week wilderness trips are key criteria.