Goat Jumping: How High do They Jump

Just ask any goat owner, and you’ll quickly learn how difficult it can sometimes seem to keep goats contained. However, if your goats seem to be escaping all the time – or even if you’re just curious about goats and want to learn more about their quirky ways – we’ve outlined some key things you need to know about goat jumping as follows. Hopefully, this will help you learn a little more about goat jumping, what it means, and how you can potentially prevent your goats from jumping!

How High can Goats Jump? 

Goats can jump a very high fence – in fact, goats can jump anywhere up to twelve feet in height. However, around four or five feet is a more common cutoff for most domestic goats. With this thought in mind, it suddenly becomes clear that a generic fence isn’t necessarily going to be enough to contain your goats, and this could make life far harder than it ought to be!

In short, goats are incredible jumpers. While you won’t see them in the Grand National races any time soon, they’re exceptionally talented when it comes to jumping – readily clearing barriers that seem far taller than they should be able to clear.

It’s worth considering that the immense jumping feats achieved by wild mountain goats are largely different to a domestic goat’s ability to jump. A mountain goat has very large, rubbery pads on its hooves, providing excellent propulsion to help jump from cliff to cliff. Comparatively, most domestic goats are kept on soil and grass, which doesn’t enable quite such effective jumping.

Why do Goats Jump? 

There are so many reasons why goats jump, which comes down to individual circumstances. Indeed, the most common reason for a goat jumping is simply curiosity about something on the other side. However, goats could also jump because of hunger, boredom, or out of fear or worry if something threatening has entered their pen.

Does Breed Impact How High a Goat can Jump? 

To a degree, you may find that your goat’s breed influences how high it can jump. Naturally, smaller breeds such as pygmies and Nigerian dwarves, although incredibly nimble and prone to escaping, cannot jump quite as high as larger, longer-legged breeds. 

In addition, it is important to consider here that heavier breeds such as Boers, Savannahs, and Kalahari Reds may all be too muscular to jump effectively. As such, dairy-type goats are often a lot more agile, meaning they can often get out and explore areas they aren’t supposed to! However, a heavier-set breed is still capable of jumping, even if they are less likely to jump fences than slighter or finer-bodied goat breeds.

And, of course, then there’s the feral goat. Since a large amount of a feral goat’s survivability rests on their ability to jump and climb, these are almost certainly the “kings” of the jumping goat world. There’s a reason they’re wild and not reared in modern society, after all – have fun containing one of them! 

How to Stop a Goat From Jumping

At this point, we’ve outlined some of the key things you need to know about how high goats can jump. However, while there are numerous reasons why your goat might jump, we should point out here that it’s not impossible to stop them from jumping; however, there’s only so much you can do, in some cases. So, while the following options may help reduce the risk of your goat jumping, it may not be a definite solution.

1. Make Sure Your Fences are High Enough

First, it’s important to ensure your fences are high. In most cases, a fence that’s twice as high as the goat itself will be enough to dissuade the goat from jumping. However, it’s important to keep a close eye on any goats you know to be avid jumpers, as even a very tall fence may still be an appealing challenge for some!

2. Reduce Temptations

Next, you should always minimize temptations that could make the goat jump. They say “the grass is always greener on the other side.” However, if that’s genuinely the case, your goat will be even more likely to try and jump the fence than normal. Why fall into this trap? 

3. Choose a Sturdy Fence

Plus, it’s worth considering that some fence types are much easier to jump for a goat than others. A mesh netting fence, for example, can sag and bend if the goat stands on it; this could result in it being much easier to jump as a result! So, if you know you’re dealing with jumpers, opting for a solid fence may discourage them from jumping again.

4. Next Steps

Still, it’s worth considering that some goats will still try to jump anything – and you’d be amazed by how high they can jump. So, if you still find that your goat is escaping for a pastime, you may want to consider the next options you take to keep the goat healthy. A jumping goat can easily get into grain stores or could get tangled up in the fence, which could put it at severe risk.

Final Thoughts 

If you’ve been wondering about how high goats can jump, it’s crucial to recognize that every goat is different. As such, while some may struggle to jump at all, others may be able to clear any fence you put in front of them – even if you’re not quite sure how that’s physically possible. With this thought in mind, taking steps to stop your goat from jumping could be valuable – and we’ve outlined some of the key things you need to know in this regard to help.

But remember: it’s always better to be safe than sorry, so ensuring your fences are as goat-proof as possible is crucial for dissuading them from jumping.

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