Heads and Halters - Alpacas and Llamas

Page 5

Proper Fitting and Adjustment

Considerable instruction has been given over the years on ways in which to fit a halter safely, functionally and with comfort to the face of a specific alpaca or llama. In over 20 years of haltering alpacas and llamas (not only my own but 100's of others), I have experienced the explanations of a wide variety of "how to" methods. With awareness, properly fitting a halter for an alpaca or llama is fairly simple. Assuming you are using a halter with an adjustable noseband, simply set the size of the noseband at a larger sizing. Placing the halter on your animal, fasten the crown piece in its proper position - somewhat high behind the head and tight enough to be quite secure in its placement, but not uncomfortably tight. Go back to the noseband and adjust the size to fit the shape of your particular alpaca or llama face leaving enough room for eating, chewing cud and other various needs/functions. Should the noseband be left too large, it is possible for it to move/bend forward at the top to an unsafe position. A properly sized and placed noseband does not have to be fit tightly. As long as it is not loose enough to move forward, it will be held in position by the crown piece.

You can check your adjustments in three ways. The crown piece should be secure and not easily moved up or down. Checking the noseband, place your hand on each side and check the forward movement. Will it slip forward? If so, tighten the crown piece. By standing in front of your alpaca or llama and bending the noseband forward towards you, will the top portion of the noseband move off the bone? If so, take up some slack in the noseband. It is always wise, especially when there is a good bit of fiber present on the neck to check the crown piece adjustment after about 10 minutes. It is possible for the halter to settle into the fiber and become loose. Should this happen, simply tighten the crown piece another notch to account for the slack created as it has settled into the fiber.

Many have asked me if enough room in the noseband can be adequately measured by our ability to place one or two fingers between the noseband and the animal's face. While this could be an adequate measurement depending upon the specific animal face and the size of the particular human fingers, it has been my experience that following the suggestions listed above for fitting a halter and subsequently checking the fit is much more accurate.

It is not my intention in this article to endorse or promote any specific halter or vendor. My intention is to provide as much information as possible regarding halters. Halters are one piece of equipment we use nearly every time we interact with our alpacas and llamas. By taking the time to consider the many aspects that go into choosing a halter, it becomes possible to make our choice based on safety, comfort and performance - as well as for a specific color! And. their very lives depend on it.

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