Driving llamas is one of the most fun and unique things to do with your llama. People often drive their llamas in parades, on beaches, in competition at llama shows, or just for fun. To be successful with training a llama to drive it is essential to select the right llama, use equipment that is made for specifically for llamas, and to use good training methods. Training a llama to drive is hard work and there are rarely, if ever, llamas for sale that are already trained. Below we have included a story about Cadence the Llama who was trained by her owner, Barb Romano, to pull a cart. Barb includes recommendations for those interested in driving llamas or learning more about this fun hobby. Cadence the Cart Llama |
We greatly appreciate this opportunity to promote carting within the llama community. Cadence was the first cria ever born on our farm, 3 years ago in March 2018. Her sire was 4L&M Ice Breaker, and her dam is Cadrianna ABSR. Shortly after her second birthday, I began to notice an unusual behavior. Cadence would often leave the herd and stand at the corner of the fence, watching our door. She seemed to be asking for human interaction. After noticing this behavior a few times I began to realize that Cadence was bored. So, I put a halter on her and began walking with her around the yard, teaching her the verbal commands for carting (right, left, whoa, and walk-on). Every time I said “whoa” she would get a treat. After just a few times doing this, Cadence clearly understood the verbal commands. |
We were lucky enough to have friends Greg Hall and Vicki Sundberg to help us get set up with an appropriate cart and a harness with proper fittings. The fit of the harness and dimensions of the cart are all very important factors in the success of driving, and having these two knowledgeable mentors helped us get off to a great start. When we hitched Cadence to a cart, she quickly understood what all the ground training had been about.
Cadence is best described as smart, level-headed, brave, and dignified. She is not afraid to go into unfamiliar territory and experience new places and people. She’s ridden on a ferry boat where she was greeted by several dozen tourists flocking around her (which she enjoyed very much). She also made an appearance in support of the Garret Torney foundation which assists veterans suffering from PTSD.
Cadence is getting a Summer break from training. This Autumn, Pete and I hope to take her back to the beach for a cart ride which will be videotaped for her YouTube channel, Cadence the Llama. Carting is mostly about having fun and we always make sure she’s having fun too. Although we’ve never urged her to run, sometimes she chooses to run out of pure exhilaration. When we continue her training, we will start working on obstacles such as maneuvering the cart around cones. She will not be required to work hard at all, because she is expecting a cria in Spring 2022. We have high hopes that her cria will inherit the amazing qualities of both parents.
My advice for anyone interested in carting is to build a strong bond with your llama before beginning the training. Not all llamas are well-suited for carting and it’s something that should not be forced. The llama must be able to trust that you will not ask him to go anywhere that’s dangerous, and that you will be patient with him. The handler must be able to trust that the llama will make sensible decisions while pulling the cart. With Cadence, the bond came naturally because she was born on our farm and I’ve spent hundreds of hours sitting with the herd, simply enjoying their presence and photographing them. A good mentor is also recommended when getting started with carting (and llama ownership in general).
I became interested in carting as a safer alternative to horseback riding. I’ve owned horses for over 35 years and suffered a leg injury from a horse-related accident in 2015. Our horses are now retired on our farm, while we focus on raising llamas that are show quality with luxurious fiber and great conformation. Cadence’s younger sister, Cypress, shows a lot of potential as a carting llama so we will be training her too, eventually. We will also be exploring the possibilities of fiber products with all this amazing fiber we’ve accumulated over the past few years.
Last year Vicki and I decided to put together Steampunk costumes to occasionally wear while carting, because the costumes seem to enhance the somewhat eccentric aspect of llama cart driving. Wikipedia defines Steampunk as: “a retro-futuristic subgenre of science fiction that incorporates technology and aesthetic designs inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery.” We will probably participate in a Halloween event downtown this year with some sort of creative costuming and decor for Cadence and the cart.
Most of all, I enjoy the daily activities of caring for the llamas. They are truly magical creatures and have contributed so much to my own personal growth as an artist, and as a human being. The llamas have also brought so many amazing people into my life that I never would have met otherwise. Hopefully a few more people will join us in the adventures of llama cart driving.
Click here to visit the Cadence the Llama YouTube Channel
A huge thank you to Barb for sharing your and Cadence's story!
A huge thank you to Barb for sharing your and Cadence's story!
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Author
Kyle Mumford is a third generation llama owner, and his family has owned llamas since 1980. Kyle and his wife Jerrika have a herd of approximately 25 llamas in Southwest Washington.
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