There is a breed of goal in the U.S. that is prone to ‘fainting’ fits. The goats suffer from a genetic condition called Thomsen’s disease. The goat’s leg muscles tense up when the animal is startled or frightened and don’t relax. This causes it to fall on its back or side with the legs stretched out stiffly. However, the goat does not lose consciousness or feel pain. After 20 seconds, it stands up and trots off nonchalantly!
The goats have various other names, such as Tennessee wooden legs’, ‘nervous goats’ and ‘fall-down goats’. The goats were first bred in the early 1880s in Marshall County, Tennessee. A farmer named John Tinsley is said to have brought a number of goats with these symptoms from Canada. They were raised for this particular trait by a local medic.
The condition doesn’t affect the entire herd uniformly. Some stiffen up every time they are startled. Other goats adapt and will faint only occasionally. Baby goats are more likely to fall over at even the slightest shock, but it wears off as they grow older. Mature goats manage to avoid tumbling down altogether and merely run away on stiffened legs.
Most farmers raise fainting goats for meat but often, they are kept purely to raise a laugh. There are videos of these comical creatures on the internet, with people deliberately startling the goats into taking a tumble!
Picture Credit : Google
