Llama Association of Southern California

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Collar That Llama

By Elaine Partlow

Reprinted from LANA News, Spring 2005

If you ever go packing overnight, your llama will, of course, be tethered in some fashion near your campsite. However, even if you don’t own a pack and never hike further than from the house to the barn, your llamas could still benefit from knowing how to negotiate a picket line. Those who live on a dry lot or a very sparse pasture really enjoy a couple of hours grazing on your lawn or the weed patch behind the garage (check for poisonous plants first!). A routine of this with a hard-to-catch llama may soon have him looking forward to seeing you arrive with a halter or—the point of this article—a collar. Being able to stake out your llamas would also be a great help in unexpected situations or emergencies, such as a damaged fence, fire, breakdown while traveling, etc. It’s easy to teach. But not what you want to be doing under stressful conditions.

For their safety and comfort, when picketing my llamas, I always use a neck collar. Even an experienced llama can occasionally get tangled in his picket line, especially if there are bushes or trees near enough for him to walk around; and if the nose band of his halter slips or is pulled down just a little, he could suffocate. The other danger is panic. If the llama is startled by something and he runs full speed to the end of his picket line, which do you think could better withstand the impact: the base of the neck or the head? And since that line is typically 20 to 25 feet long, I feel it is much more comfortable for my llama to have it connected to his neck rather than having to pull it around with his head.

Some people argue that their llama can pull the picket stake out of the ground when wearing a collar. If the ground is that soft, it would be better to tie a line strung between two trees or, if trees aren’t handy, leverage the llama could use on the stakes [sic].

When selecting a collar, choose a large nylon dog collar that will fit snugly around the base of your llama’s neck. Be sure it has a regular metal buckle, not a plastic catch, and that it has a ring for attaching the picket line. I always use a carabineer or a locking snap to connect the line to the collar—one escape and subsequent five-mile chase taught me not to trust a lead line snap. Your tie-out line should be flat nylon or cotton webbing, usually about an inch wide, so it will be less likely to chafe if the llama gets tangled.

The first time you stake out your llama, give him only 10—15 feet of line attached to his collar but leave the halter on as well. Try to picket him where there are no obstacles to get wrapped around, and observe him from nearby.

When he gets tangled, give him some time to work it out. If he’s totally hog-tied or has fallen to the ground, approach calmly and untangle the line. You may need to put a lead line on the later and unclip the tether line to loosen it. One serendipitous result I have observed from the process is an increased bonding with or trust from the llama because I have rescued him from a situation he got himself into. Most llamas will learn quickly how to move around with the line and untangle themselves or will wait quietly for help. You will also be able to lead with the collar in familiar surroundings, but since there is much less control, don’t rely on it if you are unsure of your llama’s response.

The next time you picket your llama, whether packing or at home, try using a collar, and see if you don’t think it’s more comfortable for him.

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