Gary Kaufman has asked me to give my thoughts concerning information on using llamas as packers. The format is a series of excellent questions that he posed to me. For the most part these questions are the very ones that a person getting started should be asking. The answers are my opinions and probably would be the responses of most experienced llama packers. There is certainly more than one acceptable answer to Gary's questions so please don't think my responses are written in stone.

As a matter of introduction Gary's first question was how and when did I get started in llama trekking.

Way back in 1980 my wife and I reached the conclusion that if we were to go on longer treks we needed help. Later that year I saw an article about a llama ranch in a near by town. We went to visit and it was obvious that a llama was the answer to help us carry more and better gear. Back then males went for $500 and females for $3500 without regard for conformation, age, wool etc. In fact you got on a waiting list because they were very difficult to obtain. Lucky for us the llama ranch we visited purchased a herd from Idaho in early 1981 and they had a adult male available. He was a stud but we had him gelded and he became our first packer. He patiently taught us about llamas and took us on many long treks. Later in 1981 we got on the list for two other llamas that turned out to be a nice female and second male who became another packer and stud. This female is still with us after 13 great babies. She has been retired for many years, and remains the herd leader.

We were very lucky to get two great males since we did not know anything about llamas at that time. From then on we were hooked and have continued to produce individual animals suitable for packing, gradually upgrading quality and size. The herd numbers 25 now, all of which are from original North American lines. They live on 25 acres of forest and pasture at the base of the Olympic peninsula in Washington state.

The second question: Lots of new llama owners get them because they want to pack, but can just any llama make a good packer?

The important word in this question is "good". Most llamas will go for a walk but not all will carry a heavy pack on a mountain trail. Not all llamas are physically or psychologically able to do the job. I will get into some specifics in another question about both of these factors. Trying to pick out an individual llama as a packer presents different questions depending on the age of the animal. With a weanling, size and ultimate conformation cannot be known for sure. More importantly personality of such a young animal is not completely formed. Although most personality types can do packing, I have found that the more assertive crias will make the better packers. It is very important to look at the mother and father. The chances are better of getting a good packer if the dam, stud, or both have been used as working animals.

The parents' ancestry is also important, as several lines are well known for producing packers. When your prospective packer is older or an adult it is much easier to discern their suitability. Even if your prospect isn't well trained any seller should allow you to test drive the animal to see if he or she has the right stuff. For a beginner this can be an overwhelming problem and perhaps taking someone along with experience could save a great deal of expense and trouble.

Many people would be well served either not to purchase an untrained animal but to search for one with trail time. Even then there are unscrupulous sellers that will dump a broken down or otherwise unsuitable animal on the unsuspecting. Really good experienced packers may be hard to find because their owners do not wish to sell them. Very superior packers probably are not available since these are not common and would be rather expensive.

There is no set price for a working animal but generally would be higher as the age, training and experience increase. To produce a llama, trained with trail experience takes the seller 3-5 years, so you should expect to pay for the time and expertise required. My preference would be to acquire the animal at a young age and train it to my requirements, but not everyone will have the time or inclination to do this. I have found that my relationship with the animal is much closer if they were born here or arrived as a weanling. This makes for a much more trusting relationship which translates into faster training, less trouble and a happier human. This lead me to the third question below.

Just how do you go about training a llama to carry a pack?

Of course the type of training is dependent on the llama's age and what skills he/she already has. Whatever the age the most important thing is to build a trusting relationship with the llama so he can concentrate on learning, not on worrying if you are going to doing something bad to him. Most of my training has been with crias but the same principles can be used for adults.

First, I do not consider my interaction with the babies to be training but merely guidance. With the lines in my herd and with more experience initial training does not take long and involves no physical force. At birth all my crias are Mallon-trained which has been very helpful in allowing them to be much more receptive to human interaction. During the later part of their first month they are allowed in the barn and a halter placed on them. They are allowed to wander around the barn for a short time then the halter is removed. I repeat this procedure several times.

Next, the cria is haltered and attached to a lead rope with a bungee tied to something solid. The cria is observed while on the lead but no personal interaction takes place. After several sessions the cria should be ready for leading. Leading lessons should be short--less than 5-10 minutes. Because llamas are very insightful please do not attempt any of these training session when you are upset or angry. The trainee will pick this up and respond adversely. These lessons should be all business with no emotional overtones.

I do the initial lead training in the barn and with no other llamas to distract. With small tugs on the lead rope and much encouragement my cria will figure out the situation and respond with a few steps. Most of my recent babies get the idea within several minutes and I take them outside for a short walk. After several of these short walks they are introduced to some obstacles. During their first year I take them for brief walks on the premises and through the obstacles.

At about a year of age a small training pack is put on with just enough weight to hold the panniers down and they go on short walks and through the obstacle course. About this same time they learn how to back up. Usually I wait until 18 mo-2 yrs. to teach them about being staked. It seems that it is easier for a taller animal to handle the stake line.

When staking them out it is best to closely observe them at first to make sure they do not injure themselves or get really tangled. After a few tangles they catch on and respect that stake line. From 18 mo. on they are large and independent enough to go on some longer walks with their training pack and even lead behind an experienced packer. A few have gone on wilderness trips with a small size pack but very minimal weight.

During all this education, praising the animal goes a long way toward giving him confidence. I do not use treats in any of this training but see no reason not to if they have difficulty with a particular skill. They do not know that they can do these things and it is up to us to teach the youngsters that they have the ability to be a packer. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of letting the trainee know he is doing a good job.

Again, forming a good relationship with the animal is all-important. If you can establish trust they will really try their best.

More questions and answers to come in following issues...