Myotonic goats are known by other names such as; fainting goats, Tennessee fainting goats, nervous goats, wooden-leg goats, and scare or scared goats. Myotonic goats are considered rare. The ALBC (American Livestock Breed Concervancy) classifies the Myotonic "fainting" goat breed as THREATENED, which indicates that there are less than 1000 annual registrations in the United States and an estimated global population of less than 5000.

Myotonic goats are often kept for novelty or as pets because of their sunny disposition and good nature. However, they also make good meat goats, due to their double-muscling, and have been known to provide a sustainable milk source for families and small farms.

While the true origin of the Myotonic goat is unknown, it is believed that they originated in Marshall County, Tennessee, somewhere in the early 1800s. Some beleive that the term "scape goat" was coined because of this breed. There is a story that suggests Myotonic goats were originally placed with other, more expensive livestock, as a means to protect the them. The idea was, that when a predator attacked, the Myotonic goat would faint, making an easy target, and the more expensive animals would escape unharmed. No one really knows if this is true, but it makes for an interresting story nonetheless.

Myotonic goats don't actually faint, but what they do resembles fainting. Due to a genetic condition called Myotonia Congenita, fainting goats experience an extended muscle contraction when startled. This tightening of the muscles often causes them to lose balance and fall over. Myotonia is not limited to goats alone. Humans can also express this genetic disorder, although very rare. Many dominant characteristics define the Myotonic goat breed, but it is this single recessive condition alone that makes the Myotonic breed unique among other goat breeds.

Click here to see a video of Crystal faint!