Haute Goat — Attraction in Port Hope

I cannot recommend Haute Goat Farm enough! My partner and I had a wonderful experience spending the whole day at the farm. We did goat yoga, goat shmurgles, and alpaca knuffle shuffle. The animals were all incredibly friendly and have lots of personality so you really become connected to them. During every activity the staff were amazing, they were kind, knowledgeable, and fun. Below are a detailed review of each of the experiences;

Goat Yoga: We did this in the morning at 11 and I don’t think I have ever started my day in a better way. This was done in a smaller group than the shmurgles with only 9 people and the instructor. The goats loved laying with you on your yoga mats and never minded supporting me in some of the stretches. Our instructor made the yoga fun but still purposeful with me really feeling relaxed and more aware of myself. I would recommend this to those looking for a more chill and low key experience as the shmurgles can be more high energy. I will 100% be coming back for goat yoga.

Goat Shmurgles: Fun for all ages and gets you out and moving with the goats. You get to walk them around the farm as they graze and they are always happy to eat any grass you pick for them. They are always so gentle when they eat out of your hand and after the walk you’ll get to learn a lot about their personalities. I think it is impossible to not fall in love with one of the goats during this experience because they love to get to know you and show affection. Again the staff were amazing, making the whole experience fun and are so knowledgeable that you can ask questions the whole time and they are happy to answer.

Alpaca Knuffle Shuffle: this is definitely not for young children but a great experience for those with older children or adults who want to connect with an alpaca, this is the experience for you. The alpaca’s have more personality than celebrities and before the walk you get to know them so that both you and the alpaca are happy to be together. Do not worry tho there is always an alpaca for you in this experience. My partner and I walked Bella. She was a beautiful alpaca who always acted like a queen but just like the goats they are happy to be fed from your hands. Over all an amazing experience. I cannot stress how amazing the staff were at this experience just like the others, without such amazing staff the farm would not be the place it is.

Conclusion: Haute Goats are a must see for those looking to destress, love some animals, and experience something new. I got the Al-Pac-A-Goat Package for the Shmurgles and Knuffle Shuffle, it saves you money getting both in the package and both are amazing. Even if you do not have the money or time to do the experiences at the farm I highly recommend coming to walk around and see the beautiful animals because the farm is a pay what you can entrance so anyone can visit. I wish I could remember all the amazing staffs’ names to give them shout outs but they really...

My rating is more of a 3.5/5 than a 3/5. We never got a proper introduction to anyone when we arrived. I only realized who the hosts were from their website. The woman in the gift shop is fantastic. We did not feel any pressure to buy anything. I picked up the day cream, alpaca wrapped soap and bath bombs. I came here with my friend this past weekend to try Goat Yoga. I had really high expectations because of the pictures I saw and the lovely reviews I read online.

As "city folks" (we were referred to), we would have enjoyed ourselves more with more guidance and attentiveness. For example, we purchased the lunch before the class. We arrived early so we decided to spend time in the gift shop figuring out what we wanted to purchase later. We lost track of time that by the time we thought we should head to the kitchen, most people were already eating. There was coffee, bread and butter, farm fresh egg frittata, soup, salad, smoked salmon (but only two small pieces left by the time we arrived) and cookies and goat milk ice cream for dessert. We loved the spacious kitchen and homestyle feel but it felt a little unorganized and we would have appreciated if someone got us when it started.

Another example is that we weren't properly directed on where the goat yoga was taking place in the nearby barn. We had to ask a few previous morning attendees who happened to be walking around at the time. When we got inside, we had to search for the separate "room" but it was locked. We didn't know we had to pull the string very hard to open the door.

As for the goat yoga experience, it is NOT for everyone. I really wanted to love it. Again, if the individuals running the session were more attentive, I would have had a better experience. We stationed ourselves at the back of the room and ended up hardly getting any goat love during the one hour session. We cracked several jokes between each other that we were lonely in the back but no one did anything until it was too late. The instructor came by at the very end and tried to lure the goats to the back of the room but most didn't budge.

DO bring a cheap yoga mat. There will be goat poop on and around your mat. There is no avoiding that. However, if you are REALLY lucky, like the lady in my class, a goat may pee on your mat as well. DO bring clothes you don't mind getting dirty. DO skip the lunch. DO choose a space closer to the instructor. DON'T expect to do much yoga because the goats stand and move wherever they please and it is really distracting!

Will I come again? Probably not. But it was worth trying. Not everyone can say they tried goat yoga...

I have visited Haute Goat twice, and will definitely be back again in the future. The first time I went was for the Alpaca Sleepover and Goat Yoga. Staff is friendly, welcoming, and knowledgeable. The farm is a beautiful and peaceful place. We enjoyed walking the trails in the evening and early morning, and sitting with the friendly alpacas next to the fire with a coffee in the early morning quiet. Being able to access the alpaca pen to spend time with the animals was a very special and unique experience. The bunkie was small and cozy, with a comfortable bed and a friendly cat (named JeffandSue) who came in to visit. Breakfast in the morning was hot, fresh, and delicious, including one of the best cups of coffee I’ve ever had.

Goat Yoga was well worth the extra money to add to the experience. The class was light on actual yoga poses, but connecting with the goats was more therapeutic than any non-goat yoga class. These animals are charismatic, friendly, and a delight to be around. The little babies are adorable, and many of the adult goats will come over and lie on your mat for a cuddle. The yoga teacher was friendly, and made sure everyone got the chance to interact with the animals.

The second time I visited the farm I took my children (7 and 9 years old) for the goat shmurgle. We all loved walking the goats through the fields and then patting and snuggling with them in their “playground”. My city kids were delighted to feed the goats grass and cedar, to pat and cuddle them, and to decide who their “best goat friends” are. After the shmurgle we walked around the farm to see the other animals, had some goat ice cream in the cafe, and played on the (human) play structure. They didn’t ask about video games or YouTube the entire time we were there! It was a really refreshing way to spend an afternoon in the country, and we will absolutely...