Fainting Goats, with Videos

What the heck is a fainting goat? When I first heard of these critters, I pictured some Southern-belle-type goat having a spell of the vapors. And actually, this analogy isn’t too far from correct. These goats don’t actually faint, however. They remain conscious, but they look as if they’ve fainted.

This type of goat is known by several names: fainting goat, myotonic goat, stiff-legged goat, wooden-leg goat, Tennessee fainting goat, and nervous goat. These goats suffer from a genetic condition called myotonia congenita that causes their muscles to “freeze” whenever they’re frightened or excited. When such a goat is alarmed and freezes, it falls over immediately, looking as if it fainted.

The “spells” usually last only a few seconds, but it can vary from goat to goat. It may also vary in the individual goat, depending on how badly the goat is frightened at the time. Also, many older goats learn to lean against a fence post or other object or to place their legs far apart when frightened in order not to fall.

Believe it or not, a similar condition affects humans. It’s called stiff-leg syndrome. When a person suffering from this genetic predisposition is startled, the muscles in his legs temporarily stiffen, often causing the individual to fall. Also, the condition has been noted in horse, mice, and dogs.

Where did these fainting goats come from? No one is actually sure of the breed’s history. We do know that in the early 1800s, a man named John Tinsley brought several of the goats from Nova Scotia to Tennessee. There’s a theory that suggests the goats were specifically bred for this fainting phenomenon. Shepherds could have placed a fainting goat or tow among their sheep. When the flock was frightened by a predator, the goat would be rendered helpless, so while the attacker was busy with the goat, the sheep could escape safely. Sort of gives a new spin to the word “scapegoat,” huh?

Fainting goats are generally a little smaller in stature than most other goat breeds and usually are under 25 inches tall. The average fainting goat weighs around 60 pounds or so, but they might reach weights near 175 pounds. Their coat can be long or short, and any color. The most predominant coat seen is black and white. Some of the fainting goats produce cashmere in the colder months of the year, and their meat is reported to be of excellent quality. Fainting goats can live as long as 15 years.

With all the recent hoopla about the fainting goat, many people are buying them as pets. Because of the demand, these goats are fetching prices of around $400. They make excellent pets, as they’re very docile and easy to keep – they don’t climb like most other goat breeds, so they’re not as likely to escape their pens. It should be noted that these animals should not be incited to faint just to amuse humans.

In 1989, the International Fainting Goat Association was founded. Its purpose is to preserve the breed and its unique characteristics. The organization has composed a set of standards for the breed.

Since these strange critters were introduced to the rest of the U.S. by Tennessee, it’s only fitting that they be celebrated there. Every October, Marshall County holds its annual Goats, Music, and More Festival, where the fainting goats are the stars.

More recently, Texas has caught the “fainting goat” fever, and Texans have developed their own version of the fainting goat, aptly named the Texas fainting goat. It’s a larger version, and since its leg muscles are larger, the fainting episodes are often more exaggerated. Like everything in the Lone Star State, this goat is supposedly bigger and better!