Challenge In The Llama Corral

Lakota Little Brother of Little Utah Farm one of our llamas
This is Lund, Utah. Photography and art design by DeborahMoen©
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Lakota Little Brother is one of my llamas. He got a large branch wound up in his fiber. 

Llamas love to nibble and strip the bark of Elm branches. On this day my neighbor and I fed them several branches she had just sawed off her tree. 

 Hours later I fed the llamas their dinner inside the shelter and nearby the sky was blackening again with lightening and thunder. I noticed a branch trailing under Lakota and onto the ground and out between his back legs. My eyes followed the branch upwards beyond his shoulders almost all the way to his head. As he moved the branch stayed in place and I knew it was tangled in his fiber.

For a moment I watched him and tried to see where it was hooked or if it fell free as he moved. It was bound up tightly with his fiber. I felt the rain drops begin to fall. I felt alone for a moment then I remembered to take it one step at a time. 

 I reached out and pulled a bit on the upper part of the branch and it was steadfast, wrapped around an 8" length of 5" long of both the stiff outer coat and the soft undercoat or down . The limbs of the tree had been nibbled down making it a snare like many little crochet hooks. I wished I had my husband to help me or a friend that could help me. That was not possible at that moment. 

I ran to get the big branch clippers and some scissors and the halter. I had not haltered him in a long while and usually brought him into a sort of chute called a catch pen to make it easier. I came back with the clippers and some sharp scissors. I remembered to use my focus and mindfulness to communicate with him and also breathed to remain calm. I focused on Lakota's rear end to move him out of the shelter away from the others. I felt this ease as he moved out without having to trip over the branch. I also knew he was willing to communicate. We remained silently in sound and connected through mind.

I walked towards him and he walked on and I stopped and focused. on the thought, “We must get this done now.” He knew it too because he stopped at that moment.

 I got the halter into position. He remained calm and still. ( Llamas are not fond of having their heads touched but Lakota has been trained to be haltered and I drew on that image to complete the task). He continued to hold his head and body still as I slipped on the black halter with the purple lead rope attached. I buckled the strap behind his ears and we were good to go.

 I lead him slowly to the corral panel to tie him up with a release knot. Gracefully we worked as a team. His big black eyes knowingly looked down on me with confidence. No other llama I have met has this unique piercing gaze. It can signal get away or it can show he trusts you. 

I made some cuts in the tightly bound hairs and used the big old branch lopper to cut the upper part of the branch. Not one stir did he make as I severed it.  I began to pull the twisted bunched up hairs, a small clump at a time, away from the branch. Little by little we released enough for me to cut through with the scissors and the stick gently fell away between his legs and Lakota remained still. The whole experience was surreal like time stood still. 

In the moments to follow I savored taking off the halter with not a move of his head and feeling it slip gently off his nose. Lakota was free yet he remained standing. "Go, you are free" I said softly.  He turned and went back to his hay, undisturbed and calm.

Here is the branch that got stuck in Lakota's fiber.
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The storm had arrived and rain fell. Like so many times before I walked between the big drops to the hen coop and checked on bun bun ( my rabbit). I called the girls (hens) in to have some scratch while it rained.

I now have hope that I will indeed walk the llamas soon. That working with them everyday has changed our relationship and brought us closer. 

DeborahMoonMoen
of Little Utah Farm

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Until next time 

Believe in your dreams,

Deborah Moen of Little Utah Farm