John Mallon — Gentling & Training Llamas & Alpacas

More about Ruminations…

Description | Covers | Table of Contents

Sample Pages | Back to Videos & Books

Description

Spiral bound
8½" x 11"
118 pages
$14.95 each + $5 shipping & handling per book

Autographed copies
available when you
order from
John’s website!

In Ruminations from the Back Forty (A Practical Guide to Living with Llamas & Alpacas), you’ll discover some old cowboy sayings, a few codes of the west and just plain common sense.

These are the concepts and practical solutions you need to help you be more successful with your animals (and other ranchers) because there are some lessons you just don't want to learn the hard way.

These tips and tricks are common sense to anyone who’s worked on a farm or ranch for most of their lives.

Whether you’re just starting out, or have been ranching for years, you need these creative and practical ideas to solve problems before they cause any trouble.

BONUS! John will personally autograph books purchased via PayPal through this website. You may specify a short dedication in the OPTIONAL INSTRUCTIONS box when you order.

Covers

Front Cover

Back Cover

Table of Contents

Training/Facilitation

• To Train, or Not...

• Spitting Problems

• Obedient or Trained?

• Don’t Train or Teach—Facilitate

• Help Him into His Halter

• Perceptions

• Social Status

• A Different Culture

• Making Training Easy

• Stubbornness or Confusion

• Make A Plan and Stick To It

• The Plan

• Expectations

• Partners

• Affixing your Lead Rope to the Halter

• Stress-Free Teaching

• A Lama Doesn’t Have to Like the Lesson

• Choices

• Normal is Normal

• Rewarding Behavior

• Dinking With Your Llama

• Be Consistent with Cues

• Getting it Right the First Time

• Keep Your Head

• Brain Work

• The Source of the Problem

• Change Requires Change

Around the Barn

• Halter and Lead Rope Organizer

• Individualize Your Tack

• Installing Hooks

• Making Holes in Nylon

• Bent Hinge Bucket Hanger

• Keeping Buckets Clean

• Bucket Liners

• The Right Way and the Wrong Way

• Pack Saddle Rack

• Easy Blanket Rack

• Weather- and Rodent-Proof Bins

• Grain/Salt/Pellet Containers

• Treating Hay

• Rinse the Dust Out of Your Hay

Around the Paddock

• Make it Simple

• The Panic Snap

• Staking Out without a Stake

Around the Paddock (cont’d)

• Quick Release Knot

• Golf Carts are All-Terrain Vehicles Too

• Self-Grooming Llamas

• Insanity Defined

• Gravel Paths

• T-Post Caps

• Handy Tack

• Gaining Skills

• Securing Bucket Handles

• Skimming the Water Trough

• Handy Bucket Holder

• Straightening a Sagging Fence Post

• Figure Eight Wire Splice

• Opening Gates

• Barbed Wire Fencing

• One Small Step . . .

• Extending Your Reach

• Round Pen Training

• Cutting Corners

• Creep Feeders

• Multipurpose Gate

Health Tips

• Trimming Nails

• Cleaning Your Brushes

• Grooming the Withers

• Developing an Eye for Trouble

• Applying Fly Spray

• Monitoring an Animal’s Temperature

• Shot Chart

• Both Ends Working

• Hydrating your Lamas

• Important Terms to Know

• Wrapping Tails

• Ain't Doin' Right

• Solar Water Heater

• Normals

• Monitoring Your Barn from Home

Traveling Tips

• How to Leave a Gate

• Getting Along in Groups

• Moving your Lamas

• Backing Up Your Trailer

• Attitude

• Learning to Load

• Hauling Your Lama

• Driving Friendly

Sample Pages

Sample pages from the “Training or Facilitation” section of John’s new book are below.

To Train or Not...

When we wrote that check to purchase our llamas or alpacas, we signed a contract of care; we agreed to look after them, not just look at them. In order to properly care for these animals, we must be able to trim toenails, give shots, administer worming medications, groom, move from place to place for weighing, etc., and do it all as safely and as stress-free as possible. This is where training comes into play…

…Training is of the utmost importance if we are to have a civilized relationship with the lama, a relationship that is compatible rather than adversarial.

>> More

Spitting Problems

The single best way to avoid spitting problems is to never hand-feed “treats.” Observe your animals—the overwhelming majority of spitting occurs at feeding time. I have nothing against hand-feeding personally, but 20 years and many thousands of lamas have taught me that this practice almost invariably leads to problems.

Obedient or Trained?

Question: What is the difference between an obedient dog and a well-trained dog?

Answer: An obedient dog will get off the sofa every time he is told to, but a well-trained dog wouldn’t get on the sofa if the carpet was on fire.

Don’t Train or Teach—Facilitate

I don’t like the word “training” as it implies I can make something happen. Even “teaching” suggests that. I am only a facilitator, setting up a situation in which the animal can most easily learn, and making the choice I want him to make more attractive to him through an understanding of his psychology.

Help Him into His Halter

Hold this page away at arm’s length, then bring it quickly to your nose. WOW! Can you imagine how haltering must seem to a lama? He doesn’t know if that thing is going to stop, what it is or why you would want to throw something at his face. If all his experiences with the halter have been frightening and difficult, the next time haltering will be, too. Don’t think to yourself, “I’ve got to go catch him and put his halter on.” Rather say to yourself, “I’m going to go help him into his halter.” You’ll have to change your attitude before he can change his.

Due to the overwhelming demands on John’s time, he can only answer training and behavior questions for those people who have attended his clinics in the past. This assures that everyone is “on the same page,” and John is not faced with the impossible task of trying to condense a nine-hour day’s worth of foundation into a few paragraphs.

For your convenience, John offers “Private Telephone Consultations.” See Products & Services for details.

19526 Rancho Ballena Road • Ramona, CA 92065
Phone: 800 594 7254 • 760 789 7944 • Fax: 760 789 8688