Llamas and Alpacas?

[hummingbird]

I know you can use llamas and alpacas for pack animals, but can you ride them? I've never seen them ridden but I wondered about the possibilities. I was down in the Smokey Mountains once and they used llamas to transport supplies up to a group of cabins up on one of the mountains. It's beautiful up there too, BTW.

 

[ponderosa]

Llamas typically can carry only about 60-80 lbs for any distance, so no, an adult should not ride a llama. I assume the same is probably true for alpacas.

 

[CozInCowtown]

Why would you want to ride one?
They are the most nasty critter that hauks lugies the size of softballs.
I will never have one on my place ever again!!
I originally bought one to run with the goats, traded the idiot off and bought a donkey. much better critter!!
DC

 

[Tubby]

@ Coz! Yep, I've had the luggie bath from a llama before. Not one of the most pleasant experiences I've ever had. My cousin also had ostriches. They are some of the most nasty tempered creatures I have ever had the misfortune to meet up with.

 

[CozInCowtown]

Yeah, I like the donkey much better than the llama.
Very friendly, loves the kids and doubles an alarmclock for the entire county.
6 am every morning she lets us know it is time for breakfast.
DC

 

[ppine]

Donkeys are tough to beat. The camelids are gentle creatures that do not take well to being manhandled. Treat them kindly and they are really easy to work with. I will be at a party on Sun with 18 alpacas. There are usually crias (babies) this time of year. None of them can be ridden. Ride a good donkey and you will never ride anything else according to a lot of old timers.

My wife had a saddle donkey that was a lot of fun, but hard to manage on the ground as a young jenny. I have been a mule man since about 1980.

 

[calanta]

If you can get a donkey which is not (highly) stubborn its the best bet, I had the chance to do this and I totally understand what pine here is talking about. It is like the difference in car when you are comparing a smooth ride that feels like you are floating to one that needs some serious shock work setup.

 

[catspa]

I once kept a pair of alpacas for fur, and found them much more gentle and mellow than llamas. They mowed my lawn and produced fertilizer also. However, I couldn't see riding one, as they were only about 300 pounds or so. I don't think they could pack enough to justify the hassle of camping with them.

Parker

 

[ppine]

Llamas are the only real pack animals out of the 4 Camelids. Elk hunters are starting to use them regulary to pack out meat. They are much easier to handle than horses and mules for novices.

Camels are great pack animals but the hardest to handle in the group.

In the Andes they haul everything.

The stuborness portrayed in movies about donkeys and mules is related to their intelligence. They are much smarter than horses. They do not suffer fools. They can be negotiated with, but manhandling them creates real problems. A mule trainer is always good with horses. Most horse trainers have a hard time with mules and donkeys.

 

[Grandpa]

They are much smarter than horses. They do not suffer fools. They can be negotiated with, but manhandling them creates real problems.

Exactly.....

 

[oldsarge]

Go to the music thread, there is a great song about Llamas there!

 

[wvbreamfisherman]

Well, in my (very limited) experience, it's not tough for anything to be smarter than a horse...

 

[ppine]

I have been trying the last few days to find some donkeys to rent for a hiking trip. I don't really ride any more due to accidents. It is easy to find donkeys in Europe, Austraulia, S Amer, and even Africa to rent. In the US they have fallen out of favor, maybe because of the way they are incorrectly portrayed in movies.

I have found some llamas for rent. Does anyone have overnight experience with them? They always seem to be easy if they are broke to being handled by humans.

 

[catspa]

The llamas I've handled have been really spooky, that's why I got alpacas instead. But I hear they bond with you if you spend enough time with them.

Parker

 

[Grandpa]

sorry Ppine. My only interaction was in the Winds a few years ago. A family of 4 had rented two Llamas for a week pack trip. Our group and there's was on the same route so we ran into them often. These were rented llamas but the people said they were just fine. Just don't try to separate them.
Also, a co-worker had llamas for packing. He said they were very spooky around bears. But others have said they are protective around them. I know a lot of sheep herds are running a llama or two with the sheep and the llama's are very protective and stand guard against predators.

 

[ponderosa]

There's a guy around here who rents pack goats for a reasonable price. I'm trying to talk hubby into giving it a try next year. We don't need a lot of help, probably just 2 goats to handle most of the ultralight backpacking gear so we can carry our little girls. I've seen pack goats in the mountains a couple of times, and they seem pretty easy to manage.

 

[Judy Ann]

If I'm paying to ride a horse, don't bring me a mule. Just saying.

 

[Grandpa]

Ran into a couple of guys in the Sawtooths with goats. They said they couldn't make it over Snowyside, so they were resting a day. But I don't think he meant the goats couldn't make it.:tinysmile_twink_t2:

Son in Law has the goats and has the packs made for them but he hasn't worked them much yet. He got a horse this summer as well and hasn't done much with it either except around the yard. I think I may just take up horse packing again.:tinysmile_twink_t2:

 

[catspa]

JudyAnn, I'm authorized to offer you a 10% rebate if you'll agree to ride this goat...

Parker

 

[Judy Ann]

Parker, I'd rather make goat cheese for my salads and set them loose in the yard for the entertainment and trimming! Now if you were to adopt a couple of burros and clip those alpacas and teach me to dye and spin we might could discuss you not getting charged for the entertainment! LOL! ;-)