What it’s like to cuddle a goat

First person: On the front lines at Amissville’s Charming Hill Farm

As a journalist in rural Rappahannock County, sometimes work is more like play.

Last week I went on assignment to Charming Hill Farm in Amissville to answer the question, “What is it like to cuddle a goat?” 

The farm offers “goat cuddling” for $15 an hour — 60 minutes full of holding, hugging and petting goats. 

Spending time with animals has long been associated with lowered stress levels and increased happiness, and I guess goats are no exception to this rule. I was about to find out. 

When I arrived, I was warmly greeted by Hamlet, an eight-month old Great Pyrenees mix who is in training to be guardian of the goats. A chorus of “maas,” “coos” and “heehaws” rang from animal enclosures across the parking lot, and I could see farm animals ranging from goats and chickens to emus and peacocks beyond the fence. The unmistakable smell of animal manure hit me, as well as the unforgiving sun and humidity. 

After corralling the farm’s emus into a separate enclosure, Carlos Rodriguez, co-owner of the farm, gathered together our group, which included moms and their children from Winchester and a couple from D.C. Carlos told us how to approach the animals and who not to stand behind — that list started and ended with Emily, the miniature donkey. 

The minute we entered the goat pen, a dozen goats of all shapes and sizes came barreling toward us, eager for pets. They were pros at looking cute and garnering love and attention, which we were happy to provide. Most of the goats on the farm, a mix of Nubian and Kiko varieties, have been handled regularly since birth, some even needing bottle feeding, so they are very well domesticated.

As chaotic as it seemed  — human kids and goat kids running around, screaming and laughing — the shock wore off, the mood gradually settled, and it became surprisingly calming. 

There’s something magical about hanging out with livestock who act like companion animals. The goats were curious, and would come up and stand, waiting expectantly, nibbling your shirt and butting their head against you. If you were lucky, a goat would decide it was time for a bathroom break in the middle of a pet. “Farm life” Carlos playfully called it.

Carlos said his favorite part of running the farm is hosting goat cuddling visitors and sharing the unique story of each goat, the names of which he and co-owner Matt Boyer know by heart.

The story of Scarlett the goat in particular struck me. Scarlett developed frostbite after she was born and was not expected to survive. You could see the frostbite scars on her ears, and Carlos said he gets emotional talking about her resilience. He compared her grit to that of his sisters, “she is a true Rodriguez girl.”

Half of the fun was watching how the kids reacted to the animals. One boy, Ronan, was mesmerized by a lone chicken running around inside the goat pen and made it his mission to pet it. He was very sad to learn from his mom that unfortunately, chickens don’t like to be petted all that much. 

Miles, who looked to be about four years old, sported a mullet hairstyle and Lightning McQueen tennis shoes. He was the tiniest among us, and at first he did not know how to feel about the goats. Almost all of them were his size or larger, and I watched him as he progressed from apprehension to full enthusiasm. I felt proud of him for being brave and letting the goats win him over.

I chatted with the couple who drove from D.C., who said they were prepared to be the only adults with no children in tow. I told them what Matt had mentioned to me — the farm is no stranger to adults without children, and groups of senior citizens which to my surprise, make up a large chunk of their clientele. “It’s a release for people to just come and sit in a lawn chair with some goats,” he said.

Charming Hill offers farm tours, goat cuddling, goat yoga (which is exactly what it sounds like, a yoga class where you are surrounded by goats) and a mobile petting zoo to supplement the costs of its upkeep. Matt said the animals have “their own” bank account with money made from visitors and animal sales. The money is used to pay for things like vet bills, food and enclosure maintenance.

I initally thought an hour sounded like a long time to stand around and pet goats, and that I, or the goats, would get bored after 20 minutes. That was not the case. I felt like a kid again, and several times caught myself giggling, looking around for the next goat in need of attention. 

As I was about to leave, I glanced down at my hands, pitch black with an hour’s worth of goat dirt, and took that as a sign of time well spent. 

Goat cuddling tips

Wear close-toed shoes: The chances of encountering goat poop are very high.

Hydrate beforehand: The summers are hot in Rappahannock, and the goat pen is only shaded in small areas. Be prepared for some sunshine.

Bring hand sanitizer: Goats, afterall, are farm animals, and love to roll around in the dirt. Bring some hand sanitizer or wipes for your hands. If you forget, Carlos will happily provide a baby wipe.

Don’t wear shiny things: I learned that goats are attracted to shiny things like jewelry, sequins or camera lenses and may try to nibble at or take them.

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