Western PEI beach goats don't know they should hate water

Kids have fun on the private beach 30 minutes west of Summerside. But these are goats, not human children.

“This is our fourth summer,” said Devon Saila, who runs a business named Beach Goats. “But I’ve had goats for seven years.”

Herds attend yoga classes, balance on stand-up paddleboards, eat seaweed, and walk along sandbars at low tide.

“Every time we start a new activity, we try something new,” says Saila. “We really want goats to be happy and do what they want to do, rather than turning them into circus animals.”

There are currently 26 beach goats, but numbers fluctuate with spring calving and year-round rescues. Each goat has a name and, of course, a personality.

“They are like classrooms full of kids,” said Saira. “There are popular girls, shy girls, wallflowers, sporty girls, and annoying girls.”

But what distinguishes them most from other goats is their environment.

Instead of eating hay from the fields, they run down the beach and munch on kelp and seaweed. They don’t hate water like most goats, they actually love it.

“They didn’t know the difference,” said Saira. “They thought it was life. Then as the goats got older, they imitated what the older goats did. And now they all think they should be in the water.” I think.”

Saira said goats don’t swim far from shore, but they love to walk in the water to cool off on hot days.

It doesn’t matter who you are, what you look like or what you sound like. If you want to love a goat, a goat just wants to love you.— Devon Cyra

Also, to keep bugs away when at the beach, goats often wear clothes that have been sprayed with bug spray. But Sayla said that wasn’t the only reason.

I heard goats doing yoga on the beach on a recent Sunday morning.

“We go once a week, and it’s the highlight of my week,” says yoga instructor Colleen McInnis.

McInnis says that guiding people through poses like the modified downward facing dog (downward facing goat) is a great introduction to both yoga and the goat.

“There are a lot of people who have never been around goats or livestock and this takes them into that world. There are a lot of people who have never tried yoga. Good.” increase. “You can’t help but laugh and laugh. And I think everyone needs a break from their normal, regular life.”

Yoga participants agree. Derryl Caillemer was visiting his PEI from Ontario.

“You’re kind of in the yoga zone, so you close your eyes. You never know when they’re coming and where they’re going. It’s been good.”

Cassandra Bui is visiting from Quebec and said it was an experience unlike any other.

“There were goats all over my back, jumping around,” she said. “I’m just happy, really.”

Saila said she often receives feedback that goats are therapeutic. However, currently therapy like a therapy dog ​​he does not have a goat license.

“Some people with special needs are coming out and joining us,” she said.

“They think it’s great because they embrace animals. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you look like or what you sound like. You love goats.” If you want to, they just want to love you.”