So, yes, goats definitely have tails.
You aren’t imagining things if you can’t remember but are sure goats have tails.
They are a universal feature among all goats, though some have much longer tails and some have much shorter tails.
They all have them, to some degree, and use them for the same things.
Let’s find out more.
Do all goats have tails?
Yes, they do.
All goats have tails, no matter the breed, the gender, the age—tails are a universal feature of all goats and serve a number of important functions in their day-to-day behavior.
That said, there is a great deal of variation in the tail lengths of goats.
Some have longer tails, some have fat tails, some have short tails, some have very bushy tails.
But they all have them. in many fiber goat breeds, bushier tails are a selective trait bred into the goats so that there is a greater deal of fiber to harvest from the goat.
The variety in tail shape and size is due to our own selective breeding, although it isn’t typically something that is specifically bred for.
There are two reasons breeders might want a certain length of tail, though.
Certainly, people have their preferences, and today more than ever, goats are favored as pets.
But this is not new.
And when an animal is kept as a pet, people want a lot of variety to choose from.
So, some might prefer long tails, some short, some bushy, and so on.
The other reason, as I mentioned, is the fact that with a bushier tail on, say, an Angora goat that is bred for mohair, you’ll get a higher yield per goat if they have a bushy, fibrous tail.
So, this is the long way of saying that yes, goats have tails, and they come in all different shapes and sizes.
Without our own intervention in mind, then, what do they use their tails for?
What do goats use their tails for?
Goats use their tails for a few different things.
To an extent, they are important for balance.
However, this is less true than it is of, say, cats, who balance very precariously on things.
Goats can balance and are good climbers, but they get most of their balance from their weighty head and shoulders.
Like many herd animals, goats spend a lot of time standing around chewing on food.
While they are stationary like this, they are a prime target for flies and biting insects.
Even for a big, hardy animal like a goat, biting insects can quickly drive the animal to despair.
Tails are a great way of swatting flies off without having to stop what you are doing.
To a lesser degree, tails can also be used to communicate.
Goats communicate mostly through vocalization, but it’s also a great way to add an accent to your vocalization by swishing the tail.
This can be understood as intuitively as we understand eyebrow movements and how they convey emotions.
Can goats have long tails?
Yes, goats can have long tails.
As I’ve tried to explain, a goat’s tail can essentially look however a breeder wants it to, if they have the patience to selectively breed through a few generations.
So, yes, many goats do have quite long tails, although they are usually quite short.
For whatever reason, breeders have actually preferred to focus on breeding for impressively long ears.
This is something that many collectors and exotic pet owners see as a mark of a pure pedigree.
But yes, goats can have long tails.
They aren’t usually long, though.
They typically stick up only a few inches out of the goat’s body, and no more.
But some certainly have much longer tails than that, stretching about midway towards the ground.
But what about this question of a raised tail?
Are goats’ tails up or down?
An animal’s tail can either point up or down.
A goat’s tail points upwards.
The goat breeds we have that most closely resemble their undomesticated ancestors all have short tails that stick up at the back of their bodies a few inches.
Some goats have longer tails which make it appear as though they fall down.
But the initial joint where the tail meets the rear end is still short and upward pointing, not downward.
Dogs are an example of an animal with a tail that points down, though, again, looks can be deceiving.
It’s not about how they move it, but how it protrudes from their body.
Tails are really useful for goats, then, and generally, a longer tail is better than a short one.
That said, a medium-length tail does most goat breeds just fine, and they can happily swat flies away and keep themselves happy and free of mites and bugs.
They are almost always upward pointing, even if they are sometimes turned down against their legs.
Yes, goats have tails!