Halter Breaking

Its been a busy time around the farm (ok, when isn't it?) trying to get ready for the 25th Annual Sheep Festival in Waterloo, IL this weekend. I'm very excited about it as it is my favorite festival of the year! This year I want to bring some of the crias from last year. It is a job, to say the least, to get them halter broken. They need to be able to walk on the trailer and from the trailer to walk inside the building at the Fairgrounds. I have been working with them for a few weeks. I only work them a couple of times a week though. I like to do it gradually. I have encountered over the years several types or personalities if you will, of crias when it comes to halter breaking. The first is Lonestar to the right here. He thinks if he pretends the halter is not on him and he doesn't ever make eye contact with me that he can just stand there and I'll go away. He will plant his feet straight legged and not move. He is figuring out that I'm not going away though.

Another type is Vienna. She's a frogger. She takes a tiny step and then leaps forward into the air. Over and over frogging across the pasture. Even the other alpacas think she looks silly doing it! They will give us an audience while she does it, too.

Then we have Diesel, who likes to play "Dead Baby Alpaca!" He has flopped himself down so many times even his mom, Sara, had to come over to make sure he was still alive! He was the most difficult of them all to break, but he was the first one that would load onto the trailer! As you can see in the last picture, he is very proud now of being halter broken and he thinks he looks very handsome with a halter and lead on. That Diesel is something else! Come to Monroe County Sheep Festival on April 9 and see them. www.mcsheepproducers.com for more info.


Talk to you soon, 

Tammy