Showing your goats is fun - Felicity Stockwell explains how to go about exhibiting your family goats at local level

I am talking, of course, of the local show, perhaps part of your smallholder group or local goat society (although the latter can be quite serious about what they are doing).

You can show any goat as long as it fit's the following criteria:

• You are the owner/keeper
• Your goat is kept on a registered Holding
• It has a proper identity tag
• You have kept a record of the animal movement in the usual way
• It is fit and well
• You can fulfil the show and class rules (these may include a current "CAE Negative" certificate).

First find your show! Your local goat-keepers' group will be able to help you here. Go to the British Goat Society website (allgoats.com) to find your local secretaries, or your local agricultural association may also be able to help you. Depending on where you are in the country, there could well be a show most weekends throughout the summer period. Go and watch one first and see what is involved. Speak to people who are showing their goats - most will be only too happy to talk to you after their classes are over. Once the show you want to compete at is chosen, obtain a schedule of classes from the secretary, chose your classes and send off the entries. Some very small shows are "enter on the day" in which case the schedule will inform you of this. If there is anything you don't understand, telephone or email the secretary and ask the question! No one will think you are naive and they will be only too willing to help. They need all the competitors they can get.

• Choose your class
• Decide what you have got
• Dairy Goat and what breed
• Kids ditto
• Bucklings ditto
• Goatlings ditto or
• Buck (Billy) ditto.

Within that framework there maybe classes for different breeds (they would have to be registered with that breed society to be eligible).

There will be classes for the "mongrels" and these are known as AOV (any other variety). These are often the most heavily subscribed classes because so many goats are of mixed blood and others, which maybe pure, have not been registered for all manner of reasons.

So the permutations are endless.

Choose your goat. For your first attempt at showing you should perhaps try with your most tractable goat. Learning Ring craft is much easier with the more compliant goat! Indeed, you should not take any goat (or animal, for that matter) to a show if you are not completely in charge of the situation.

Appraise the goat yourself. Has he/she got what it takes - even for the local show?

• Conformationally it should be as correct as possible
  
• The coat should be clean, glossy and without rubs or damage
  
• The hooves should be well trimmed and not split, overgrown or flaky
  
• It goes without saying that the goat should be sound on all four feet
  
• Horns are, these days, acceptable but not always desirable(depending on breed)
  
• Teeth should be clean, well ordered and all there if possible
  
• Eyes and nose should be clean and with no discharge or redness
  
• The udder (if appropriate) should be well formed with good teats
  
• The goat should have good rib cover without being fat.

All common sense stuff really. If he/she doesn't look like the sort of goat you would like to buy (again!) then perhaps the judge won't think too well of it either.

Training - the three-day key. Your goat may already be lead trained, which is something we should start to teach while it is a kid/goatling but if not, it is never too late to start.

A goat is a highly-intelligent individual. Not quite as bright as a dog but not far behind!

First, get it used to wearing a collar if it is not already wearing one. Take it on and off with the goat standing still for several days. Reward the goat each time you do it (dog tactics!) Now try to lead the goat from the collar. Do not drag it but walk at its side, using titbits held in advance of its nose to encourage it to move forward. Lead it for a few yards on either side, rewarding it as you go, every day for another three days.

Next attach a lead and taking the collar in one hand and the slack of the lead in the other, walk the goat forward while standing at its shoulder. Again do this for another three days. Work on both sides of the goat making sure you reward for the right behaviour. Never punish the goat for not getting it right. Perseverance and patience are the key words. If you are in a bad mood or getting fed up, then leave it for that day and try again tomorrow. I always use the three-day training method because in my experience, by the time a goat has repeated something three times, it has usually grasped the routine. (There is always the exception to any rule though so this is not Gospel!) Once your goat is proficient in leading and standing square, continue to do this every day until it becomes second nature to you both. You will also ideally need to replace the standard collar for a chain "check" collar for the ring. Do not use this as a check collar, just attach the lead to the two rings together. This makes a much neater collar for the goat for the show ring and does no impinge on his/her neck or detract from its shape.

You will need to be able to get the goat to "stand up" for the judge. By this we mean standing square-leg at each corner style- head up and attentive. By elevating your hand to the goat's eye level and holding a small titbit in the other hand you will soon get the goat to do this. Praise and reward every time.

During this time of training your goat to stand, walk on sensibly and be attentive to you, the handler it is also necessary to start to prepare the goat visually for the ring.

Grooming and preparation. In the "old days" goat-keepers used to groom their goats regularly. Some still do but for most of us, this is a low priority if our goats form part of a Ssmallholding. Your children, if you have them, can usually be persuaded to brush your goats regularly and they and the goats will enjoy this . The best tools are those which are used for horses. Start with a good rub with a rubber curry comb, then brush loose hair out with a long bristled dandy brush (flick brush) then all over with a body brush, cleaning it on a metal curry comb (never use the metal curry on the goat's body). Finish with a stable rubber or soft cloth. Daily grooming for at least two weeks before a show is important if you are to produce a goat with a clean, supple coat with little or no loose hairs. White goats can be bathed if necessary before a show but try to do this two or three days beforehand and then keep them really clean by employing good husbandry methods of very clean bedding and if possible a goat coat or rug at night. Bathing is not ideal as it can remove oils from the coat which help to waterproof the animal. Goats are not blessed with a high lanolin content in their coats and so removing what little there is is never the greatest of ideas.

The hooves need to be trimmed regularly (every six weeks) but preceding a show, running a Sureform rasp or some course sand paper around the hooves once a week will ensure than they stay neat and tidy. Avoid sanding or rasping the hoof wall as this will weaken it. After you have checked the feet, oil the soil and between the claws and walls with some clear oil such as Neatsfoot or olive oil. This will improve the general appearance of the hoof.

Clean under the tail area with a baby wipe.

Clean the udder with warm soapy water and apply some hand cream or udder cream over the whole area. Wipe off any excess with a clean soft cloth.

Your goat will soon love all this attention.

What should you wear? Ideally, a white overall (coat type), trousers and clean boots (not wellies) or shoes. If you are a lady and prefer a skirt, choose something that is over the knee and full to allow you movement.

Your hair should be neat and tidy.

On the day of the show:

• Make sure your goat has been fed, watered and milked if required
  
• Put all the items you will need for the day in your vehicle including food and water for animals and humans alike
  
• Leave your dogs at home
  
• Make sure your trailer has been disinfected and has clean bedding in it
  
• Take a sack and shovel for any bedding that needs removing. Never leave any mess of any kind at the show - take it home
  
• Do that good groom as above first thing
  
• Make sure you have your movement forms if appropriate and record the movement in you movement book
  When you arrive:
  
• Park responsibly
  
• Leave your goat/s in the trailer while you find the secretary and get your exhibitor numbers
  
• Get your goat off the trailer and let it graze and generally take in its surroundings. Don't be surprised if it shakes a bit to start with-this is just nervous excitement. It is always good to get to the show at least an hour before your class to let the goat settle down. Be calm and quiet about your goat and it will relax quite quickly. (There will, of course, always be the exception to this rule and then you will have to decide if this is the job for that particular goat)
  
• Spend some time grooming and generally attending to your goat before your class. Check she is clean in all the areas previously described
  
• Learn from watching others in previous classes. Remember to walk at the shoulder of your goat on the other side to the judge ie the outside of the ring. Stand in front of the goat when you are called in to line up. Listen to instructions from the judge. By the time you have done this three times, you too will be as proficient as your goat! Above all remember that the judge is looking at the goat and not your showing technique. Just try to be complimentary to it.

Most important of all, have fun, enjoy the experience and, whether you are in the ribbons or not, it will be another experience - and there is always another day!