Rocky Mountain Highlight

The Freestyle Obstacle class is an anything-goes class where the llama's ability to pay attention to and deduce the instructions of the handler can be put to the test. In this instance, a rookie llama might evade the handler by walking around the hose; as one person commented, this kinda looks like things found on most peoples' farms anyway, so it's less of a test than it might seem to be.

And no, mylar streamers are not found on the trail either, except perhaps singly, and away from the center of the trail. Llama performance classes have some ... problems.

The hind feet copy whatever the front feet have already done (see previous photo). They've done studies with horses, walking them across a low barrier with their front feet, removing the barrier, and continuing on. The horses lift their hind legs as if the barrier was still there. Llamas' brains work the same way. Apparently it's more advantageous to memorize what needs to be done for the hind legs and focus on what's coming up.

Stairs are almost never found on a trail open to llamas (though they are, sometimes). More commonly, they are found on trails NOT open to llamas (not saying I've never oopsie taken my llamas somewhere like that ... ). According to the showing rules, Highlight has just committed an error by skipping a step. According to reality, he's doing fine.

In case you are wondering what a plastic wading pool filled with styrofoam peanuts has to do with llama packing, you're not the only one. This is supposed to represent snow, but only humans understand "represents". To the llamas, it's a plastic wading pool filled with styrofoam peanuts, even if they don't have words for that.

New to the farm as both packing and stud propect. He has to excel at the former to remove "prospect" from the latter.

Tied to Rangervan, not-so-patiently awaiting the start of the Master's level course, Happy Hummers 2010 PLTA pack trial near Burns, Oregon.

Jim and Rocky Mountain Highlight, Master's course, Happy Hummers 2010 PLTA pack trial near Burns, Oregon.

Rocky Mountain Highlight and Jim, Master's course, Happy Hummers 2010 PLTA pack trial near Burns, Oregon.