Goat yoga turns out to be success with full sessions

Mark DeLap
Posted 5/4/21

Was that the “downward goat” position that people were experimenting with in the Guernsey yoga class last week?

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Goat yoga turns out to be success with full sessions

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GUERNSEY – Was that the “downward goat” position that people were experimenting with in the Guernsey yoga class last week?

There were many curious people who had signed up for one of Geraldine Delgado’s goat yoga classes held April 28-29 in her back yard under temporary tents.

According to Delgado, this is a unique opportunity to create a balance between yoga and nature while interacting with adorable baby goats. The sessions were packed, and according to Delgado, even in sessions where there were no reservations made, people just showed up with their yoga mats.

“The response has been fabulous,” Delgado said. “Every time I open another session, it fills up. We had 28 (participants) on the first night and it’s full again tonight. I don’t think once a month going forward as the people may get tired of it, but once every three months or so.”

“Everyone that has come has asked us to do it regularly,” said Billie Jo Stoneking from Finally Home Ranch who own the goats. “They all want to do it again. Today, we even had the youth leadership team from Wheatland here among others who heard about the sessions last night.”

People came from as far away as Cheyenne and although it was mostly local Platte County people, there were many satisfied customers. Each night there were two sessions. The first was for anyone, but the second session was for 21 years of age and older and included a happy hour bar with wine, goat cheese, meat and hors d’oeuvres. 

There were 20 goats in all, some adults and some young babies that needed to be socialized. There was also a cleanup crew that kept the goat pellets to a minimum and away from the yoga mats.

“The real stars of our yoga session are provided by Macoyia Stoneking from Finally Home Ranch,” Delgado said. “Macoyia raises Nigerian Dwarf dairy goats and is Youth Ambassador for the American Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goat Association. What better way for her to share her passion and love for this breed with others. A little exercise and focus with these cute little guys and gals is guaranteed to be entertaining.”

In actuality, the Stonekings are thankful for the opportunity because they “socialize” all of their young goats so they will not be mean spirited or wild. Stoneking, a senior at Guernsey-Sunrise High School is somewhat of a goat whisperer. She has successfully raised a herd of goats on her family farm that are trained to be as obedient as puppies. The trick is socializing the goats

“Macoyia spends hours and hours with her goats getting them used to human contact,” said Billie Jo Stoneking. “She is the reason our goats are tame and manageable.”

Some say it started in the ‘60s in Hippie communes, and another claim is that it started in 2016 by Lainey Morse, an Oregon farm owner who was already organizing a “goat happy hour,” which was an event where people spent time with her goats.

When the suggestion of throwing  some yoga into the mix was suggested, they laid claim to be the inventors of what is now a popular activity and after the inaugural sessions in Guernsey last week, it could be a regular crowd pleaser. Now, there are also T-shirts that sing the praises of goat yoga with the slogan, “yes it’s a thing” that can be ordered through Delgado.

The number one asked question was, “Can I take one of these goats home with me?”

The Delgado residence is 387 South Idaho Avenue, Guernsey. To RSVP, please call Geraldine Delgado at 307-331-8460. Thank you to sponsors Finally Home Ranch, Geraldine Delgado and Tri-City Parks and Rec.