So, yes, goats can walk backwards—but it’s not their first choice.
It’s awkward and likely a little uncomfortable for them to do so, but they can and will do it if needs be.
Let’s find out more.
Do goats walk backwards?
Yes, they do, and they are completely capable of doing so.
That said, it is not something they do terribly often.
Most animals have some ability to walk backwards—this allows them to get out of tight corners, and generally to get themselves unstuck.
It also can have some application in fleeing from predators, although goats are a bit clunky when walking backwards.
Walking backwards, then, is not going to be something they do very often.
They will always walk forwards first, and if they can get somewhere in a straight line, that’s the route they will take.
Going backwards is slow and awkward, and they will only do it for a few steps at most.
So, they can, and they do, but not that much.
As I said, most animals can do this, and very few quadrupeds are prohibited from walking backwards by their anatomy.
Some breeds of goat no doubt have an easier time of it than others, but they all can, to varying degrees.
Why, then, do they do this?
Why do goats walk backwards?
Usually, it will just be a few steps backwards, if they have gotten themselves stuck in a corner or something similar.
They can often lose track of where they are, particularly while eating, before realizing they’ve become stuck somewhere.
Walking backwards is sometimes their only way out of this.
So, the simple answer is they do it because they get themselves stuck.
But there’s also the matter of their personal bubbles.
Goats like to maintain a certain amount of space around themselves.
If you approach from in front of them, they may walk backwards to get a few paces away from you.
So, again, it’s just about getting themselves out of an unwanted situation.
In both of these cases, though, if they can walk forwards to get out of the situation, then they will probably do so.
Is there anything to worry about from your goat walking backwards?
What to do if your goat is walking backwards
Generally, you don’t have to do anything.
It’s perfectly normal behavior and doesn’t indicate any particular problems.
It is very rarely a symptom of anything worse, either—there aren’t many illnesses or injuries that would cause them to walk backwards habitually.
If your goat does seem to be walking backwards a lot, then it may be worth speaking to a vet—there may be something minor causing it to be disoriented.
But only a vet can really tell you this.
Walking backwards isn’t a specific symptom of any particular illness.
Are there any animals that cannot walk backwards?
What animals cannot walk backwards?
There are several, in fact, and some of them are very interesting.
There are really only two species that we can say for sure cannot walk backwards.
Kangaroos are the first—the way their legs are arranged just makes it virtually impossible for them to walk backwards.
The other is not a mammal but a large bird—the emu.
They also cannot walk backwards, though we really don’t understand why.
Similar large birds, like ostriches, seem capable of doing so.
There are a few other potential candidates.
Penguins, for example, struggle to walk backwards.
Alligators also struggle to walk backwards, although they usually can just about manage.
So, as you can see, there are really very few animals that cannot walk backwards at all.
It’s a pretty important ability to be able to have, even if it is only used rarely.
Are there any animals that only walk backwards?
What animal can only walk backwards?
As far as we know, there are no animals that only walk backwards.
Crabs are perhaps the closest answer, as they always walk “sideways”.
But this is really all just about our own point of reference.
To a crab, perhaps we are always walking sideways!
Either way, there is no animal that walks backwards because, even if there were, that would probably just end up being their front facing direction.
You can’t and shouldn’t walk backwards into what you can’t see!
Walking backwards is a normal, if uncommon, behavior, then.
Your goats will use this ability to get out of tight corners where they need to, but nothing more, really.
It’s nothing to worry about if your goats walk backwards a bit.
If they do it a lot, there may be something more going on.
But it’s in general a normal behavior.