We did lots of halter training our junior show team at the beginning of the year as we were running up to the West Shires Halter Show at the Three Counties Showground in Malvern.
Once that was over we heaved a sigh of relief as we were no longer trying to persuade reluctant alpacas that walking was a really good idea.
Alas, we have had to start again, to get our pet male weanlings ready to go to new homes. There are six of them for sale and training starts by getting them used to wearing a halter for ten minutes or so every day. We never leave them in their field with halters on as alpacas can be very, very stupid and get hooked up on something.
Then we begin walking along our enclosed track. Occasionally there is an angel amongst them who walks nicely immediately. More likely they will leap in the air or lie down and pretend to be dead. Patience is a virtue and it certainly is in this game. The moment you get annoyed they sense it so you have to practice your best Zen calm mode.
Sometimes you have one who you think will never get it but hallelujah they do in the end.
