• Goat caddies are 2-8 years old when caddying full time; they live to be 12-14 years old
• They are purebred American Range Goats from good families, have good manners, and are very patriotic. Most of their ancestors came to America from Africa.
• Full time caddies usually work 3-4 days a week and about 6 hours per day
• All caddies are healthy, fully vaccinated, and worm-free, and have a medical check-up by their veterinarian weekly when caddying
• They weight 150-210 pounds, are naturally horned, quite good looking, and can easily carry a backpack of up to 20% of their own body weight – in fact, they seem to enjoy it.
• Silvies caddies wear Seamus custom designed goat caddie backpacks to carry a few golf clubs, extra balls and tees, refreshments and peanuts for the round. The McVeigh course is only 7 holes, but very steep in places – hence, the need for goat caddies. (No humans lost their jobs to the goats.)
• Our current caddies:
  1. Bruce LeGoat: Caddy Master. Bruce is 4 years old, has 3 years of training, and graduated first in his class (he was the only one in his class!)
  2. Mike LeChevon: Caddy Captain. Mike and Bruce are best friends and have been since kid-hood. He is 4 years old and was rated first in his class (he was the only one in his class!)
  3. Peanut LeGoat: Caddie Trainee. Peanut is Bruce’s nephew, he’s 2 years old, and has been following Bruce around since he was just a kid. When he was younger, he was Reserve Champion Market Goat at the Harney County Fair – he loves the career change that he’s taken – it’s healthier and less stress, and has extended his life.
  4. Roundabout LaDoe: she’s a year and a half old doeling and will be the very first female goat caddie in the world (that we know of), and is expected to graduate first in her class, too (you know why – she’s the only one in her class!)
• We had 150 applicants last year for the caddie program and this year have 300 young goats vying for the 3 remaining spots on the caddie team to be selected this spring
• Our caddies work for peanuts and we have strict rules about them using tobacco or alcohol while on duty – it’s forbidden, but they are allowed to eat weed(s) anytime they want to on the job – as long as it doesn’t interfere with their duties (remember, this is Oregon)
• While on duty, caddies carry up to 6 clubs for each golfer, a dozen golf balls, golf tees, and 6 cans of refreshment, along with a few dozen peanuts for themselves (they get paid for their services as they go along). If the caddie thinks it’s too much weight, or it’s just a good time for a nap, they lay down. Sometimes they just lay down for another peanut! The McVeigh Course is about a half-mile long, and they get a 20 minute break between rounds, along with a healthy snack of organic antelope brush and juniper, and as much spring water as they can drink whenever they want it. Golfers must take a short training course to have a caddie and are given a 2-way radio for questions or to summon a human if any disagreements occur with their caddie.
• Our goat herders are all of Peruvian descent, have cared for goats for generations – and love them. The goats normally spend their days exploring the ranch with their moms, brothers and SVR/Guest Ranch/Links/Goat Caddie Program; 2/13/18 Page 2 sisters, and cousins. They love to climb and see new things, under the protection of their bodyguards (Great Pyrenees) Dolly, Jake and Sasha.
• Goats are naturally curious and friendly from the time they’re first born, mostly as twins. Like dogs, they love to walk with their people, on-leash and off. Goats have been used as pack animals and to pull carts for centuries in different parts of the world, and can easily carry in excess of 20% of their body weight – ours never carry more than 15%, including the peanuts. And goats never bite the hand that feeds them (they don’t have any top teeth!)
• Our goats apply to be part of the caddie program at 6 months. Once in the program, they’re put on a physical development schedule and provided the best nutrition program available, as well as walking about 6 miles per day and climbing on rocks to develop good hoof-eye coordination.
• They eat a diet of all natural organic foods grown for them right here on the ranch and only drink fresh spring water – no fake bottled water for them, and the same is true for the whole herd of goats on the ranch (over 2,000).

Questions & Answers

1. What happens to caddies when they tire of the job?

   Answer: Retired goat caddies (of which there are none) will be placed as pets with retired golfers where they are expected to live out their days listening to tall stories which they will nay at constantly. If you would like to adopt a retired caddie, go to our website and put your name on the list!

2. How did this idea develop?

   Answer: The goats were all asking for different career opportunities (for good reason) and as a good, responsible, equal opportunity employer, we developed this new career path for them. We will also have pack goats that guests can take with them on hikes – they carry lunch and sometimes a fishing pole, and enjoy their jobs almost as much as the caddies do; but the scuttlebutt is, fishermen don’t tip as well as golfers (with peanuts).

   Actually, the bigger story is that the ranch has the largest herd of organic meat goats in the world. The goats are used to help improve the sustainable environment at the ranch, and used as a healthier alternative to other kinds of protein at the ranch gourmet restaurant and other white tablecloth restaurants and homes in the region.

3. How are they selected?

   Answer: All of our kids are encouraged to apply to the program – and most do. This is a new career path opportunity that everyone in the herd seems really excited about. You can say “they’re stampeding towards it.” After applying, they’re evaluated for 3 months for friendliness, physical abilities and “attitude.” Semi-finalists get to try on their backpack, then they decide if they want to go further into the program. Final candidates must eventually be taught the course – and the hardest part; selection of the right clubs at each hole for the golfer. Getting golfers to understand and take their advice on the next shot can be the most challenging part of their job – just ask any caddie, of any species.

   Actually, our kids are born in the spring and this year there will be about 1200 kids born on the ranch. Our team members that care for the goats have selected each one of the goats in the caddie program, based mostly on personality. Then, they carry the herder’s lunch (and peanuts, of course) for several days to see if carrying a backpack bothers them. The goats that are selected seem to really like wearing a backpack and showing it off to the other goats. Of course, it may be they just like the peanuts!

4. Do you really feed them peanuts?

   Answer: They are fed peanuts as a treat and reward only. The peanuts they get are all organic; they like them best still in the shell (which they like better than the actual nut) – and salted, please!

5. What do you do when someone hits or hurts a caddie?

   Answer: Well, that has never happened – but, if someone verbally or physically abuses a bartender or a server at our ranch, they would be asked to leave (and maybe horsewhipped) or the Sheriff would be summoned. The offender wouldn’t be welcome at the ranch anymore – and it’s the same with the goats. Most golfers like the goats and would clobber another golfer before they would ever hurt a caddie. And, if they didn’t love animals, they probably wouldn’t want a goat caddie in the first place – they would just carry their own clubs.

6. Where do the caddies stay?

   Answer: Like all caddies, they have their own caddy shack (by the clubhouse) where they lounge around, tell each other “baaaaad” jokes, talk about what a good round they had, and drink (spring water) until they’re called. At night, they have caddie quarters in the Stable, down the hall from the Clydesdales and saddle horses. They trade stories about the silly things guests have done all night. Guests can go visit and pet them until curfew, about 11:00pm.

7. Do they have any other responsibilities?

   Answer: Yes, they’re responsible for other things that include:

   • Weed control, which they love – preferring Scottish thistle and gorse (which they completely control at Silvies);
   • another is gopher relations – there are simply no gophers in our caddy shack – our caddies speak the same language and the gophers go elsewhere;
   • another is course fertilization – our goats spread fertilizer pellets as needed and where needed, and;
   • another is hospitality – they are part of The Retreat team and trade golf jokes for goat jokes with guests (you never want to be the “butt” of a good goat joke!) and some of their jokes are just – well, “baaaaad.”