FLORIDA MESA
An unusual sight treats observant passers-by on County Road 220. In a field off the road, a horse and a goat can often be found sitting together, enjoying the sun and each other’s company.
The two may seem a unique pair, but to them, it’s totally normal. They have been living together for over six years, since Bailey, the goat, was born. She and Shamal, the horse, are now so close they even eat together and live in the same stall.
“They’re kind of to themselves, they’ve never really been around other animals,” said Mary Anne Griffin, who is temporarily taking care of the two on her farm.
Bailey and Shamal come from a ranch outside of Kanab, Utah, but Griffin agreed to take them for several months while their owner underwent knee replacement surgery. When Griffin volunteered to take Shamal, she learned he was one-half of a package deal.
“They said, ‘If you take Shamal you’ve got Bailey too,’” Griffin said.
The duo have gotten along well in their new surroundings, though there have been a few learning adjustments.
“When we first got them here, we let Shamal out in the front field, and it’s a much bigger space than he’s got in Utah,” said Emily Anderson, who helps Griffin care for the animals on the farm. “He just took off running around the field, and poor little Bailey thought she was going to get left behind and tried to keep up with this giant Arabian horse.”
Fortunately, Bailey has since learned that Shamal won’t be gone long and has taken to sitting in the field until he returns.
“By the end of the day, Bailey’s sitting in the field and Shamal is just hanging out next to her,” Griffin said.
Jodie Peterson, a retired big animal veterinarian in La Plata County, said inter-species bonds such as the one between Bailey and Shamal are not uncommon.
“Horses are typically herd animals, and they live in groups naturally,” said Peterson. “I knew several people over the course of my practice who would buy a small goat for company.”
The connection between Bailey and Shamal, she said, makes a lot of sense because the two were introduced at Bailey’s birth. Before Bailey, Shamal found companionship with an older goat named Nancy, Bailey’s mother.
When Bailey was born, she and Shamal were introduced, and have been inseparable since.
“Nancy died, and it was down to just Bailey and Shamal. So all Bailey has ever known is Shamal, living out in a corral together in Utah,” Griffin said.
The development of their friendship doesn’t surprise Peterson.
“Pretty much anything you put with an orphan they will be bonded to it like it’s their mom or it’s their companion,” she said.
That’s not to say there aren’t occasional spats.
The two are fed out of the same stall here, though they are separated in Utah. But no matter the circumstances, Bailey always seems eager for a taste of Shamal’s food.
“Even though they’re getting the same hay, she’ll crawl under the stall,” Anderson said. “There’s enough of a gap under there that she can get under it. You can look in, and there’s half a goat sticking in between the two stalls.”
Shamal may occasionally give out a warning nip to remind Bailey to stick to her own food. But at the end of the day, the two can never be found far apart.
“If we leave Shamal anywhere, Bailey is right next to him or right underneath him, trying to keep up,” Anderson said.
Even in their new surroundings, Bailey and Shamal have been able to find comfort in being together.
“We were worried when we brought them here because they’re so used to being in their own surroundings,” Griffin said.
“It was all kind of this desperate experiment that turned out really well for them.”
Sarah Ford is a junior majoring in journalism at the University of Denver. herald@durangoherald.com.
