Heads and Halters - Alpacas and Llamas

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By Cathy Spalding
www.gentlespiritllamas.com

Much has been written, discussed, designed and manufactured when it comes to "head gear" for alpacas and llamas. As long as one can get the nose through the noseband and buckle the crown piece on the back of the neck, it should work... or does it? An alpaca or llama halter is one of the most important pieces of equipment we will ever consistently use with our animals. A proper fit is absolutely crucial to safety, comfort, behavior and performance.

To see just how this is so, it is important to understand the physical dynamics involved. Alpacas and llamas are obligate nasal breathers. This means they are obligated to breathe primarily through their nose in order to sustain life over the long term. For them, halter placement is crucial to their ability to breathe freely. There is a significant difference for why halter placement on many other animals may not normally require as much precision. Many animals have an extra length of bone that extends out over the nasal passage as seen in the photo of the horse skull.

                           Horse Skull
Unlike the horse, alpacas and llamas have no protective length of bone and very little room for variance in safe halter placement. The noseband of their halter must fit safely and comfortably around the face between the eyes and the point at which the nose bone dramatically declines. As can be seen from the photo of the skull of the adult male alpaca and adult male llama below, this is not a very wide distance. Cartilage begins where the bone ends and becomes softer and more easily compressed on its way towards the lips.

                      Adult Male Alpaca
Imagine both this alpaca and llama once in full fleece with big brown eyes. Imagine how much longer and firm the length of the nose would appear. This length, however, is in appearance only. What we see can be quite deceptive regarding just how much area truly is available for appropriate placement of the halter noseband. The safe, comfortable and optimum performance area for placement must be on actual bone. As can be readily seen in the photos, this area is rather narrow.

                    Adult Male Llama
What happens when the halter is not sitting on the firm, stable and immobile bone surface and there is a pull on the lead rope? It can compress the cartilage. The further down the nose the noseband sits, the more severe the possible compression. This compression restricts airflow (hence the ability to breathe) as it begins to flatten the passageways through the nose to the lungs. In extreme cases, this has actually caused the death of an alpaca or llama. This is absolutely true. Proper halter fit can literally mean the difference between life and death.

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