Description:
Have you ever heard someone ask, "Did they get your goat?" It doesn't mean that a person literally and physically took a live goat from you. It's an expression that means somebody upset you. In fact, the word "goat" is a slang for 'anger' or 'unsettled' or 'upset.' An old story talks about a race horse that could sense his owner's tenseness just before the race. To calm down the horse, the jockey put a goat in the stall as a companion. The horse did indeed calm down and as a result, won the race. This became a pattern - the goat calmed the horse and the horse won the race. Unfortunately, those who wished the horse to lose removed the goat before a race. The horse was more than upset at the fact that his goat was missing and lost the race. Hence, it was bad if someone "got your goat."
................................................A real goat is called a Capra aegagrus hircus. Nowadays, goats are pets as well as farm animals. The goat is a member of the family Bovidae and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. The wild goat originated in southwest Asia and Eastern Europe.
................................................There are over 300 distinct breeds of goat. Goats are one of the oldest domesticated species, and have been used for their milk, meat, hair, and skins over much of the world. The goat in this painting is being used "just for fun." Many stories are written about goats. A favorite of many children is "Three Billy Goats Gruff."
................................................This image began as a painting and then was enhanced digitally. Circles, x's, stars, squares, swirls, and graffiti were then added. The vibrant colors used make the painting a lot of fun.
