How to Participate in Llama Cart Driving

One of the most common ways for a llama to demonstrate its utility is by driving a llama cart, either by itself or in a team. You can even participate in competitions and exhibitions designed to show off how llamas can pull a cart through obstacles, turn on command and even reverse. Llama cart driving is one of the best ways to develop the talents of the brightest and most easily-trainable of llamas. Read on to learn more.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Llama cart
• Llama harnesses
• Training clicker
• Llamas

Participate in Llama Cart Driving

1. Determine if your llama is a suitable candidate to participate in llama cart driving. Your llama should already be trained to consistently follow such commands as stopping, turning around, resuming and switching from a walk to a trot.

2. Use a training clicker to positively reinforce the movements of the llama. Coupled with a soft, positive tone of voice, a clicker can be a quick, easy way to let your llama know that she is doing a great job.

3. Find out if your llama is comfortable with the motion of the cart by having one person pull the cart while you lead your llama alongside the wooden yolks. Switch sides so that the llama doesn't become too accustomed to one side of the cart over the other.

4. Have the llama walk between the wooden yokes of the cart while you continue to pull the cart. This will get the llama used to being in the correct position to drive the cart.

5. Fit the harness on the llama once your are confident it can take the next step by actually driving the cart. Make sure the harness fits slightly loose at first, and continue to help by pulling the cart, preferably with one person on each side.

6. Tighten the harness and allow the llama to drive the cart by himself. This is often the biggest step for the llama, and if he doesn't feel completely comfortable, he may kush, or lay down. Simply move back a couple of steps and repeat until the llama feels confident to move forward with the training.

7. Take the final step and get into the cart, and allow your llama to pull you around. For more detailed tips, check out the cart driving tips on the "LlamaInfo" website (see Resources below).

Tips & Warnings

• Llamas can become very bored with training over an extended length of time; so make sure you vary the length and location of your training routes.

Resources

• Llama cart driving tips on LlamaInfo.org

[zanyzoo]

on 7/19/2007 I've been driving my llamas about three years now. Started out driving one llama at a time then switched to driving tanden llamas. This helped with the one llama who wasn't quite sure he wanted to participate in the activity. We drive on the county roads in MT. so there are several months they can not be driven due to ice on the roads. It's lots of fun and good exercise.
lynn