Halters
Appropriate Alpaca halters leads and training will bring lifelong benefits. You should only be put on an Alpaca when you want to train them, move them, or restrain them—which means that you are always with them when they have them on. They should never be left on the Alpaca long term. We even remove them after they are put into the trailer. Leaving them on for any other length of time is dangerous. The can get caught on something and cause the Alpaca to panic. Also, leaving them on all the time causes the fiber to grow around it, and the stain on the halter to transfer to the Alpaca. It’s not a pretty sight. We’ve seen an Alpaca with blue lines on its face and head.
Halters should be fitted on alpacas so that the nosepiece allows for chewing. But, take care that it cannot slide down onto the soft cartilage of the nose and cut off breathing. The band behind the ears should be high and snug, holding the noseband in place. Improperly fitted halters can be life-threatening because, unlike some animals, camelids are obligate nasal breathers; this means they cannot breathe through their mouth if the nose is obstructed.
©️Charles Ashley 2015
There are various brands of halters, with several being made in cottage industries by knowledgeable and talented people. Cathy Spaulding has been to our home to present an Alpaca Talk seminar and she markets her own line. (http://gentlespiritllamas.com/html/store/store.htm)
While Zephyr is one brand that we have found to be worth the money, we have also utilized other brands with success. You should be looking for an appropriate number of adjustable points. Also, having the bottom ring made into a non-movable position on the second chin strap helps make an Alpaca being under better control when on the lead.
Leads
A good lead is one that is round, soft and not too large in diameter. Buying them from a specialty firm is well worth the money that you will spend on them. Dog leads are usually flat and can cut into your hand if they jerk away. Horse leads are both too long and too large in diameter. We prefer 1/4″ and 3/8″ leads about 5’ long.
Learn how to tie a safety tie with your lead. It is a quick release method that holds you Alpaca securely to a rail or post. There are plenty of videos on this available online. Here is one: https://youtu.be/fuT-XiKY5uQ Here is another one: https://youtu.be/fG6LiX10hlU
Preparation for Training
When training a cria for the first time you should delay until they are at least 4 months old. Their nose is growing during their early life. Much of it is made of softer cartilage. Training too early can damage it.
We have a bungee type cria trainer but were not satisfied with how it made us and the Alpaca feel. It might work for you, so we are not ruling it out entirely. We have found that daily, short training times over 1-2 months works best. Walking them between two well trained older animals sometimes encourages them to accept their restraint of freedom.
Training Procedure
For us, we have been fortunate to halter a lot of our girls in the feeding area every evening. We do this to ensure that that the more aggressive dams only eat what is in their allotment. It also keeps the slower, younger ones from always turning around to see who is threatening their space. The side benefit, of course, is that they all see a halter daily. We have combined that feeding time with halter training time.
Many people recommend a slight tug, then release, then a slight tug, then release. If the cria makes ANY movement forward, immediately release your pressure on the lead. (Pulling on the lead puts pressure on the halter strap behind her ears, which is annoying.) If the cria moves forward to relieve the pressure, you reward her by letting the lead go loose so it gets the point—moving forward is the reward.
You can also reward with food, but don’t use this continuously as they might get pushy about it during training. But just like training dogs, food rewards do work. Start by rewarding even a baby step forward and, when they are consistently taking one step forward, start requiring two, then three, etc. She’ll be walking with you in no time. And, of course, patience is the key!
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