Llamas, llamas, and more llamas!

Saturday, March 26, 2016

Llama training

Rosselli in training with a saddle pack. Llama training at Spring Farm Alpacas, East Sussex. For more llama antics follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Llama cria 30 minutes old at StoneBridge Farm.

Llama cria 20 minutes old up and walking after just being born at StoneBridge Farm. She is a bit unsteady at first, but within an hour she is fine.

FULL ARGENTINE MINIATURE LLAMA CRIA w/ APPALOOSA markings!!!!

All cria this year were sired by: VML'S ARJENTO ARGENTINE an ILR and AMLA registered Full Argentine miniature llama sire standing here at: www.valleyminiaturellamas.com &

www.valleystables-exotics.com

I DO APOLOGISE for the sound quality of this clip. I tried to do a voice-over, but it is muffled. The gist of the film is that I am sharing the haltering problems that I seem to have a monopoly of, with anyone else that might have them. If you subscribe to my videos, you may know that my main interest is hands-off (off lead) training of llamas. It sometimes seems to me that as my hands-off work improves, my hands-on work, like haltering, weakens. Could there be a connection? Any ideas on this anyone..if you've done any operant conditioning of camelids?

Anyway, I think this clip more than redresses the balance of the clips that tend to show up my more successful aspect of llama training.

And I've put in a few ideas of things that have helped me with haltering on the occasions that I've managed to do it.

Dare I think that there are more people out there who have haltering problems than admit to it!!!

The mystery to me is why my llamas should all be completely easy to halter until round about three years of age. After that? Is it something to do with restraint..or unconnected?

I feel that haltering by overpowering is acceptable, and sometimes necessary. Indeed, I see it often with surprisingly few negative reactions from the llama but it is not what I, as a llama trainer, should be doing. I should be able to stand and slip it on a quiet, accepting llama.

And I knbow Marty McGee (for whom I have great admiration) halters using extended poles, wands and stuff and this is fine and useful...but I still want to do it ..well...do it quietly and without using anything but the halter, my voice and a few treats!