A farm in Fife is the first place in Scotland to run pilates classes…with pygmy goats. Gayle heads along for a session…
You have “goat” to be kidding me, I’m thinking, as I head to Fife for a new and unusual kind of pilates.
Based at Bellcraig Farm near Glenrothes, the fitness class I’m about to join has become the first in Scotland to practice the discipline – with pygmy goats.
Instructor Jo Munro, 39, was inspired to launch the classes in Courier Country after trying goat yoga in California.
“It’s massive there so when I was on holiday in the US, I tried it, loved it and decided to bring it back to Scotland,” she tells me.
Jo’s studio, The Pilates Attic, is based in Edinburgh, so she was lucky she had a goat-mad friend in the country who was keen to help out.
Step forward Holly Patrick-Thomson, a self-proclaimed “goat wrangler” and owner of the farm.
“I’m obsessed with goats,” says Holly, offering me a giant scone and mug of coffee in the farmhouse kitchen.
“I follow lots of goat-themed accounts on Instagram and love watching videos of the animals.
“They’re such sweet, intelligent creatures and they absolutely love interacting with people.
“When Jo told me her plans, I was excited to help out by letting her use my two goats for the sessions.”
Let’s be clear – this is not pilates as you know it.
“The focus is more on the goats than the pilates!” laughs Jo.
“But you can definitely get a decent workout. If there’s a 10kg goat on your back while you’re doing a plank, it’s obviously going to be much harder!”
There are six folk in the class and we start by collecting the goats – one-year-old twin sisters Hazel and Mabel – from their field and offering them handfuls of seeds and nuts.
They’re friendly, inquisitive creatures, sniffing our feet and legs and gently butting us with their heads.
One thing that strikes me is they don’t stink.
“It’s important that folk realise that,” says Holly. “There can be a perception that all goats smell bad but that’s not the case. It’s only the bucks, intact male goats, that might do.”
The class takes place inside a cosy stone-built cottage, bedecked with fairy lights and a heater.
We each take a mat and stand at the end of it while Jo kicks us off with some basic breathing and stretching exercises.
As I bend down to touch my toes, Mabel comes for a sniff. “She’s such a cuddle bunny!” says Jo, as I reach out to give the wee cutie a hug. Her coat is surprisingly soft and her cheeky face is full of mischief.
When we get down on our hands and knees to perform the plank – great for the abs – the goats can’t resist the urge to leap onto our backs.
The downward dog, side stretch and leg lifts are great moves, too, and again, the goats clamour to jump up on to us.
It’s not sore at all but it is rather surprising when they leap from one person to the next and land heavily!
When they stay on top of you for prolonged periods, it challenges your ability to balance and makes your core wobble a lot.
The feeling of their little hooves on your back is a bit like a massage, but perhaps not one you’d risk with bare skin!
It’s no surprise the hour-long session has us all in stitches and grinning from ear to ear. This absolutely must be good for you – physically and mentally!
Jo agrees. “There’s definitely an animal therapy side to it. When you’re around the goats, you release endorphins that make you feel good, just like when you pet an animal. They also make you relax more.”
Readers may be wondering…do the goats ever pee or poo during classes? The answer is, of course, yes.
Thankfully, they don’t let fly on top of any of us, but Jo reveals this has indeed happened on previous occasions.
No sooner than I’ve mentioned this than there’s a noise and looking round, I witness Mabel releasing several dozen tiny pellets onto the straw.
It’s absolutely hilarious and nobody, myself included, seems to mind.
Jo and Holly plan to run classes through summer and judging by how popular the goats are on social media, the sessions will be completely booked up, so sign up now before it’s too late.
“Mixing yoga and pilates with other stuff is a big trend,” says Jo.
“There’s paddleboard yoga, beer yoga, dog yoga, lemur yoga…so why not goat pilates?!”
Whatever floats your goat!
info
Pygmy Goat Pilates takes place at Bellcraig Farm near Glenrothes. Classes are in the stone-built cottage or outdoors in the garden if the weather is good. Classes take a maximum of six people to allow for maximum goat interaction. For more details, see
facebook.com/pg/pygmygoatpilates
