Findus
The pygmy goat from animal-assisted education
Findus, the dwarf goat from animal-assisted pedagogy
Two-and-a-half-years-old Findus is a dwarf goat with brown-grey fur and beautiful, curved horns and the most loyal goat eyes in the world.
Findus, which means "the faithful one", was used in animal-assisted education. This means that he used the healing powers that are said to come from the goat to help sick or behaviourally disturbed children and young people.
Unfortunately, Findus became an "attacker" and the danger for the children and staff of the facility became too great.
So now Findus was "judged" and the goat was taken out of the animal therapy programme. No one wanted young Findus with them and he was in danger of having to make the sad journey to the slaughterhouse.
Animals are bridge builders and coaches
Whether dog, cat, horse, pig, cattle, chicken, donkey, deer or goat - if we humans allow it, a wonderful connection to the animals opens up to us. The goat in particular is always underestimated. A negative designation like "stupid goat" is a humiliation and above all a misjudgement of the highly intelligent and sensitive animal.
How many donkey ears and horse ears have already "heard and felt" people's problems? The long donkey ears can "hear" by the heart rhythm whether the person is excited, sad or possibly ill.
How many people have been able to ground themselves, become calm and find ways out of the turmoil in their lives just by stroking the animal's fur? Animals - especially llamas, horses, donkeys and goats - are wonderful coaches for people.
But do we really want to allow the balancing abilities of animals? Isn't it easier to swallow medication to find inner balance?
"All you can do is complain!"
The goat actually grumbles when it wants to achieve something. Until it gets what it wants.
Goats are also said to have quite human qualities: for example, they are very curious, choosy about what they eat, clever, freedom-loving, cautious and prudent.
Patrick, a brown and white goat with great horns, lives on the estate in Henndorf. His mum is Tati, a black goat with a white heart marking on her forehead. Tati loves to eat flowers and Patrick especially loves horses. You could say that he is our horse therapist.
Patrick's special friend was a great one. The black horse Pinot Grigio, a former show horse, with a height of 1.92 metres. If Pinot was ailing, we knew it even before the horse communicated it: Patrick stayed in his stable and we knew each other.
"A goat that does not quarrel is not healthy" - it is said
Findus is what we call a "wrangler" in humans. In animal-assisted education, Findus' job was to help people and restore mental balance.
Goats are stress relievers. A walk in the middle of a herd of goats will always end well. The goat belongs to the sure-footed animals, it is very attentive and would never walk where there is danger.
Now Findus lives in a large herd of goats at Gut Aiderbichl Eslarn
As I said, Findus had to stop his therapeutic work at the therapy centre - something made him use his horns and his strength.
Maybe he was attacking because goats are actually herd animals. Something was out of balance for Findus, the therapy goat. Now he has found it and lives among many goats at Gut Aiderbichl Eslarn and Michael Meickl, the caretaker, has found a great, attentive friend in Findus.
"I often have the impression that Findus is reading my mind..." - says Michael, who loves to scratch Findus between his horns and loves it when Findus closes his eyes with pleasure and smiles.
"He who begins everything with a smile will succeed in most things " - Dalai Lama
Sincerely, your Gisela
