I have never owned a goat but have read quite a bit about them. From what I remember the standard is using a hardware cloth for the main fence (2 by 4 inches or so depending on the goat size, don't quote me). Also, run 2 rows of barbed wire above the wire mesh. Some even place a string of barbed wire at the base of the mesh to prevent the goats from getting under it. No need to worry about malfunctioning equipment.

I have even heard of using multiple rows of barbed wire, skipping the mesh altogether.

I may get some goats for my retics to play with one day.