This morning after breakfast the girls traveled single file across the pasture to their favourite summer hang-out. A sure sign that spring is here!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
The Rodeo Part 2
Today marked the first day of lead training for the Rocaro cria, after having the month of January lesson free.
It was a warm day, the kind where you don't have to bundle up or wear gloves. It's icy outside so the first session is in the barn. Normally there are two people working on lead training so the whole group can go together at first...safety in numbers from an alpaca point of view.
This is not the case today as I am here alone. I managed to get halters on and everyone tied without trouble. Then the fun begins.
It made sense to take two cria along with Andele for the first lesson because Andele, age 2, is already lead trained and the non-trained alpacas should follow along. Step one is get the girls out of the barn so I don't have a repeat of The Rodeo. Accomplished.
I then get Andele in hand along with two others and head for the door. Andele follows well, however the other two are having nothing to do with this. A little alpaca is surprisingly strong when leaning backwards with front feet splayed and determined not to move. Hmm, I have no one to get behind and give them a shove. Somehow I manage to keep the leads in front of Andele and reach behind the stubborn ones and provide some incentive. We make a tour around the barn and back home. The first lesson is always short.
Away we go with group two, Andele in the lead. Same situation however this time in my wisdom I wrap the excess leads around my hand. Or so I thought...really they were around my fingers. Fingers are not meant to bend in that direction! Thankfully nothing is broken.
Along with the commotion of trying to get the second group moving, the dogs caught a glimpse of Tab the barn cat prowling the barn near the gate, right under the dog's nose. Of course this is too much for a dog to ignore and the barking and leaping on the gate commences. Naturally the gate flings open, the cat disappears and the dogs bound through and towards the cria who have just stepped past the door.
Panicked cria; once again this is not how fingers bend. There is nowhere handy to tie the alpacas while I get rid of the dogs & shut the gate. Arrgh!
Eventually everyone had their lesson, and I can't wait to do it all again tomorrow.
It was a warm day, the kind where you don't have to bundle up or wear gloves. It's icy outside so the first session is in the barn. Normally there are two people working on lead training so the whole group can go together at first...safety in numbers from an alpaca point of view.
This is not the case today as I am here alone. I managed to get halters on and everyone tied without trouble. Then the fun begins.
It made sense to take two cria along with Andele for the first lesson because Andele, age 2, is already lead trained and the non-trained alpacas should follow along. Step one is get the girls out of the barn so I don't have a repeat of The Rodeo. Accomplished.
I then get Andele in hand along with two others and head for the door. Andele follows well, however the other two are having nothing to do with this. A little alpaca is surprisingly strong when leaning backwards with front feet splayed and determined not to move. Hmm, I have no one to get behind and give them a shove. Somehow I manage to keep the leads in front of Andele and reach behind the stubborn ones and provide some incentive. We make a tour around the barn and back home. The first lesson is always short.
Away we go with group two, Andele in the lead. Same situation however this time in my wisdom I wrap the excess leads around my hand. Or so I thought...really they were around my fingers. Fingers are not meant to bend in that direction! Thankfully nothing is broken.
Along with the commotion of trying to get the second group moving, the dogs caught a glimpse of Tab the barn cat prowling the barn near the gate, right under the dog's nose. Of course this is too much for a dog to ignore and the barking and leaping on the gate commences. Naturally the gate flings open, the cat disappears and the dogs bound through and towards the cria who have just stepped past the door.
Panicked cria; once again this is not how fingers bend. There is nowhere handy to tie the alpacas while I get rid of the dogs & shut the gate. Arrgh!
Eventually everyone had their lesson, and I can't wait to do it all again tomorrow.
The Rodeo
A couple of days ago I was doing evening chores as usual. Things were still frozen tighter than a cannon ball, including the door that separates the cria from the moms. The door being frozen is not a big deal, it simply stays shut for short times while hauling water & hay.
As usual, I didn't latch the door. Well, along came a huge gust of wind through the barn and blew the door wide open, with me nowhere in sight.
So the wee ones took advantage of the situation and wandered over to see their moms. Now this is not cause for concern however Andele, a teen age male is also living with the little ones. Being a bundle of raging hormones Andele wasted no time making his way to the girls of his age. He's not really old enough to do any damage (he thinks he is) but we don't want to take any chances.
I start to herd him around to the open door to his residence and away from the ladies, but on the way he ducks through the door to the pasture that is frozen open. Around we go in knee deep snow, Andele much more agile than myself. Finally I get him back in the barn and the outside door blocked off. Around the barn we go, all the while the girls providing distraction for the young man. At one point someone kicked open the gate to the main barn area. The dogs delighted in this new development and added to the confusion by barking and trying to join the chase.
Eventually Andele is back where he belongs and the door latched. Training for the cria is to begin in a week, so I need to get 5 cria back to their home.
One at a time, I manage to herd them towards the latched door, however keeping a hold on them and trying to get to the hook on the opposite side of the door and get it open is nothing short of a challenge.
After an hour and a bit all was back to normal.
As usual, I didn't latch the door. Well, along came a huge gust of wind through the barn and blew the door wide open, with me nowhere in sight.
So the wee ones took advantage of the situation and wandered over to see their moms. Now this is not cause for concern however Andele, a teen age male is also living with the little ones. Being a bundle of raging hormones Andele wasted no time making his way to the girls of his age. He's not really old enough to do any damage (he thinks he is) but we don't want to take any chances.
I start to herd him around to the open door to his residence and away from the ladies, but on the way he ducks through the door to the pasture that is frozen open. Around we go in knee deep snow, Andele much more agile than myself. Finally I get him back in the barn and the outside door blocked off. Around the barn we go, all the while the girls providing distraction for the young man. At one point someone kicked open the gate to the main barn area. The dogs delighted in this new development and added to the confusion by barking and trying to join the chase.
Eventually Andele is back where he belongs and the door latched. Training for the cria is to begin in a week, so I need to get 5 cria back to their home.
One at a time, I manage to herd them towards the latched door, however keeping a hold on them and trying to get to the hook on the opposite side of the door and get it open is nothing short of a challenge.
After an hour and a bit all was back to normal.
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