Llama Walking

This afternoon I spent some extra time desensitizing the llamas, especially Cataleya.
She spat at me about 2 weeks ago while I was trying to groom her. Nasty stuff!
But her fiber is just so gorgeous that I want to make an effort to keep it from getting matted and full of organic matter.

So, after haltering her and tying her up to the poles in her pen, I groomed and touched her all over. I even spent some time on her front legs using the TTouch explained by Linda Tellington Jones. I first learned about this through reading a book I ordered through Useful Llamas, called CameliDynamics. Fascinating stuff inside and much to learn.

I was surprised with how readily Cataleya allowed me to handle her legs and feet, because since she'd comes to live with us, whenever I tried to even get close to her legs, she would kick out at me. But it's important for llamas to allow their owners to handle their feet so their nails can be trimmed.

Cataleya did threaten to spit at me several times, but I was able to thwart the spit attack by telling her firmly "No!" and pushing her face firmly away from my direction.
After I pushed her face away, I would scratch her cheeks, which is one of her favorite touches she happily allows me to do.

I also gently handled her mouth, ears and head, which once she stopped tossing her head and became calm she allowed me to do, as well.
What was interesting to me was how she instantly calmed whenever I talked softly to her while looking deep into her beautiful eyes.

Afterwards, I took both her and Catlinite separately, up and down our road and around our house for a walk. I wonder what our neighbors were thinking if they happened to look out their windows only to see a woman walking a long-necked, fuzzy, big-banana-eared llama down the road.