Heads and Halters - Alpacas and Llamas

Page 3

There are a wide variety of alpaca and llama halters available. The three most common designs are (1) the fixed noseband (solid sewn circle noseband), (2) the X-style and (3) the adjustable noseband.

Fixed Noseband Halter

The fixed noseband halter is the most unlikely of the three to easily fit properly. Remember the children's toy "Rings on a Cone"? The colored rings are of varying sizes with each ring able to move only so far down the cone as is in accordance with its inner circumference. So it is with the fixed noseband halter. It will only move as far up the nose of our alpaca or llama as its inner circumference will allow. Like the ring on the cone, it is not possible to adjust it any further than it will go. Wherever that might be, all we can then do is fasten the crown piece about the neck.

X- Style Noseband Halter

The X-style halter really has no fixed noseband to speak of in providing a distinct way to stabilize and maintain a proper noseband adjustment. To expand the noseband, slack must be taken from the area of the throatlatch forcing both the cheek pieces and the crown piece downward. To make it smaller, a great deal of slack must be taken up in the crown piece crimping the cheek pieces. With any pressure, the ring to which the lead is attached is often free to move from side to side along what would be a combination of the noseband and throatlatch. This can have the effect of changing the placement and size of the "noseband" from side to side as it follows pressure and changing angles from the lead rope. This frequent movement under the chin area can trap bits of fiber pulling it out by the roots.

Adjustable Noseband Halter

While either of the above halter designs can fit and function well on a specific animal, the only halters that can truly be adjusted to fit nearly every alpaca or llama face are those with an adjustable noseband. It follows that a halter with an adjustable noseband providing a large range of options for proper fit would be a safe, non-distracting and comfortable choice. Keep in mind - any halter has the potential for disaster if not properly adjusted.

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