Head-butting, jumping, nibbling yoga buddies offered up by Nova Scotia farm
‘They’re just doing their normal goaty things, which is the entertainment value’
If you're looking for a friend to do yoga with, a farm in Blockhouse, N.S., might have just the thing for you.
As long as you're OK with your buddy walking on your back, getting all up in your face, nibbling on your sweater or hair, and maybe giving a gentle head-butt.
Oh, and possibly peeing near you.
Yes, the goat-yoga craze that started in Oregon last year is coming to Nova Scotia.
Sweetwood Farm owner Heather Squires thinks her farm's June 18 class is the first in the province, but she doesn't think it will be the last.
"I haven't met a person to meet the goats who hasn't absolutely enjoyed it," Squires said.
'Why wouldn't we do goat yoga?'
Ever since the Oregon story went viral, Squires has been getting requests.
"Would we do goat yoga? Could we do goat yoga? And why wouldn't we do goat yoga?" Squires said.
So downward dog with upward facing baby goat it is. Unless the kids decide to lay down next to you and have a nap, which they might.
"They're just doing their normal goaty things, which is the entertainment value," Squires said.
The whole experience will happen on a flat field on the farm.
The goats won't bite, Squires said. And they've been disbudded so they don't have horns to worry about.
Squires sees goat yoga as an educational opportunity.
"One of the nicest parts of the whole year is having these baby goats jumping around and interacting with you," she said.
A lot of people want to come experience life on the farm and meet the goats, Squires said. This event will be one opportunity to do that.
So along with getting your zen on, you can learn how goats are raised, how they can be great pets, and the various things they do such as providing milk, Squires said.
Goat therapy
And there's a bigger-picture piece to the whole experience.
"Interacting with animals of any kind is incredibly therapeutic to people," Squires said.
Although serious yogis might find it a bit distracting, she said, the class is really about enjoyment and relaxation, with yoga involved. That makes it great for beginners.
Full class
Squires is into yoga herself and recruited a yoga teacher friend, Tracy Murdoch, to teach the class. They planned to offer up 20 or 25 spots, but expanded to 40. Now the class is completely full, Squires said.
If it's a success, she might run one again in the future.
With files from Information Morning