Many goat owners feel that, if they won’t be showing their goats, there is no need to train them to walk on a lead. However, the ability to lead a goat is incredibly useful, and should be part of every goat’s early life. Using a gentle halter and lead allows you to show goats, of course, but it also makes every part of goat ownership easier.
Even if your goats aren’t dairy goats, there may be times when they need milking after kidding, and a halter helps to contain goats that aren’t used to being milked. Even if your goats are gentle and take well to hoof trimming, you will occasionally have young or stubborn goats who are more resistant.
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Even if your goats are basically healthy, you may sometimes have goats that need to be moved or isolated for their own well-being. In all these instances, lead training is incredibly helpful. Occasionally, you will need a goat collar and other equipment.
Collars, halters, and leads all have their place in the life of a goat, and here are some of our top picks. One of the most important things you will need is a good goat harness for walking.
Goat Collars
Many domesticated goats wear collars like dogs, and for many of the same reasons. Goat collars allow for easier identification of the animal, and are a convenient place to attach a lead if your goat needs frequent walks. Collars are typically not used when training a goat to walk on a lead, as goats may pull and damage their necks; during the training period, halters are preferred, because they give greater control over the goat’s head and reduce pulling.
After training, however, collars are faster and more convenient. Owners should take care with goats in rougher pasture or goats who like to stick their heads through fences, as collars may get caught and endanger the animal.
Weaver Leather Goat Collar
This goat collar from Weaver Leather comes in your choice of four bright, vivid colors for quick visual identification of goats, and also to express a little style and personality. They also come in small, medium, and large sizes for various breeds of goat. The single-ply nylon construction is durable and comfortable for long-term wear. The nickel-plated construction is also durable and able to withstand wear and weather.
High quality construction from Weaver means that these collars are less prone to stretching, fraying, or rolling than other brands of nylon goat collars. Nylon is naturally water and odor resistant.
- Comfortable, flexible material
- Attractive colors
- Choice of sizes and adjustable for different breeds
- Durable materials and construction
- Naturally water resistant and easy to clean
- Other goats may be inclined to chew on their herd mates’ collars, and nylon will not withstand prolonged chewing
Perfect For Calm Goats
The Weaver Leather single-ply nylon goat collar is perfect for mellow goats that don’t get too dirty or live in rough pastures. It comes in fun colors that add personality and allow easy visual identification.
Weaver Leather Brahma Webb Goat Collar, Nickel Plated Chain
This Weaver Leather Brahma Webb Goat Collar has a leather band with a nickel-plated chain. It comes in a wide range of attractive colors. It is designed for training purposes, so it comes with either a smooth or a pronged chain, depending on your training needs.
These collars are made of pleather and affordably priced, designed specifically to train goats for showing. Fancier show collars can be kept in good condition, while training is done in these less expensive collars. They are not designed for daily wear.
- A wide range of great colors
- Comfortable and flexible materials
- Durable nickel plated chain
- Has a pronged option available
- Only comes in one, non-adjustable size
Perfect For First Time Trainers
The Weaver Leather Brahma Webb Goat Collar is great for beginners who are just learning to train goats for showing. It’s perfect for 4H and other youth activities, where expensive show collars are not yet necessary.
Weaver Leather Plastic Goat Chains
This plastic chain is designed to break away under pressure, to prevent goats from getting caught or injured by their collars. Breakaway goat collars are not used for tying or restraining goats, but are a great way to “mark” individuals or groups of goats who may need special feed, care, or monitoring. The Weaver Leather Plastic Goat Chains come in a variety of sizes, suitable for any size goats. They come with a connector clip, and replacement links are available.
- Safe breakaway collar for goats
- Durable, lightweight plastic
- Simple way to mark goats visually temporarily
- Only available in white
Perfect When There Is Concern For A Goat Caught
Breakaway collars are perfect for goats who may get a collar caught or stuck on a fence or in rough terrain, because they safely break away without endangering goats. They aren’t suitable for leading or tying goats for more than a few moments, but they are a great way to temporarily identify goats with particular needs for different care.
Best Goat Halters
Halters are a necessity with keeping any goat, no matter how small. With a halter, you can train a goat to walk on a lead, contain a goat for hoof trimmings, or help ease young dairy goats into milking. Halters are a safe and humane way to contain, restrain, or train a goat. Halter training should begin at a very young age, but goats that are well-trained to walk with a halter can easily transition to a collar later on.
Weaver Leather Livestock Sheep & Goat Training Halter
A training halter is tougher and more robust than most simple, leading goat halters. The bigger size and construction resists pulling during the training process. This training halter from Weaver Leather comes in small, medium, and large sizes. The small size is ideal for goats and sheep weighing 80-140 pounds, so most standard goats should take a small size.
The halter is made of rugged and comfortable nylon, with nickel-plated hardware for extra durability. The nylon band is ¾ of an inch wide, and doubled and stitched for security without discomfort.
This halter has D-rings at the top of the noseband, and also on both sides, so it can be used for attachments at the top or side, depending on your training needs.
- Secure and comfortable
- Durable, high-quality construction
- Attach leads to front or sides
- Sizing runs large for goats
- Not adjustable around mouth
Perfect For Resisting Goats
The flexible, comfortable material, with a wide band and sturdy construction, make this a great training harness for goats who may pull or resist a harness. The D-rings on the top and sides allow you to use it with a lead, a stanchion, or other attachment points, so it’s a versatile halter. Because it’s for sheep as well as goats, this training harness is a bit oversized, which means it is too large for young or small goats.
For similar features as the Weaver Leather Livestock Sheep & Goat Training Halter, but with more sizing options for smaller goats, consider the PetSafe Gentle Lead.
Designed for dogs, it comes in a great range of sizes, small enough for even pygmy and dwarf goats. Most dog halters have the lead attachment point below the front of the neck, but the Perfect Pace Halter attaches at the back of the head, which is more natural for goats. It is also attractive and durable, made of comfortable leather that softens and wears well over time.
Best Goat Halters and Leads
Weaver Leather Livestock Rope Sheep Halter
A rope halter is ideal for goats that are already halter trained, and therefore are less likely to jump, pull or resist the halter. Rope halters fit any size animal, with a timeless, highly functional design. The Weaver Leather Livestock Rope Sheep Halter is completely adjustable to goats of any size. It is made from soft, comfortable parachute rope which does not chafe or bind. It comes in five attractive colors with excellent style. This is truly a great goat harness for walking.
The lead has a fast and convenient snap end, so goats can easily be clipped in place to nearly any stationary object.
- Adjustable to fit any size goat
- Soft, comfortable parachute rope
- Comes in good choice of colors
- Quick, sturdy hook at the end of the lead
- Affordable
- None
Best For Gentle, Easy Training
This soft, comfortable rope halter will comfortably fit goats of almost any size, and allow you to gently lead halter-trained goats. The clip at the end can loop around and attach quickly to fences, stanchions, and other objects, or it can be clipped to a longer lead when necessary. It’s attractive, comfortable, convenient, and affordable.
Weaver Leather Livestock Pronged Chain Goat Collar and Lead Set
Some people feel that pronged collars have the potential to be misused and to hurt a goat. However, goats can occasionally be stubborn and difficult to train, and bucks can be extremely large and powerful. Many people feel that a pronged collar is sometimes the best way to assert control over a powerful animal and train them properly.
The Weaver Leather Livestock Pronged Chain Goat Collar and Lead Set is a handsome set designed for training or showing goats. This versatile design has three components, so it can grow along with your skills as you train your goats. The pronged chain distributes pressure evenly, for better control, and can be unclipped and replaced with a standard chain once the goat is trained. The handsome Brahma Webb lead can be unclipped and used with other collars or halters, depending on your needs.
The nickel-plated hardware is attractive and durable. Brahma Webb is weather resistant, easy to clean, and feels like comfortable leather in the hand. The lead attaches to the collar with a freely-spinning connector, to prevent injury should a goat twist unexpectedly. It’s a strong, sturdy collar and lead that is excellent for training, and attractive enough to use for showing.
- High quality design and construction for good looks and durability
- Modular design allows the lead and chain to be quickly replaced or used with other collars
- Lead is comfortable in the hand, with no-twist connectors
- Strong and rugged to control powerful goats
- Only comes in one size
Best For Big, Strong Goats
This pronged collar and lead from Weaver Leather is strong and attractive, making it a great choice to either train or show large, powerful, stubborn goats. The fact that the different can be easily detached and re-clipped to different collars or halters makes it a great investment that can grow with your needs, as an animal progresses in its training or as your expertise grows over time. The excellent construction, with the handsome, comfortable Brahma Webb lead, nickel-plated metal, and rotating clips makes this a great choice for a pronged collar, lead, and show collar in one.
