# My horse is TERRIFIED of alpacas. Please help!



## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

I had a polo pony that was very afraid of llamas. There was a herd right across the fence from the parking of trailers for the Sunday matches. It had to be resolved as he was going to hurt himself or people or other horses. If he had continued to act up he would have been banned in order to avoid injury to him or anyone or other horse.

What I did was work him quite hard, to the point of being tired, and only let him rest very close to the llamas. 

Sounds simple, but he was already very fit. It took hours. The first couple rests, he was recovered within minutes and back to panicking about those animals. Off we went again. I tired and called in reinforcements, meaning I letting others trot him for miles until he was tired, and I'd offer rest again. 

Finally late afternoon he stood for 40 minutes and barely looked at them. A couple easy walks for the horse and rest and cold hosing legs and a bit to drink and eat at the llamas fenceline. 

Many people mistake a horse being warmed up for being tired. I am not talking relaxed and over any hi-jinx or distractions. I am talking about head dropped, foot dragging tired. 

It's been four years now and although he raises his head and looks their way, he does not act on fear. I reinforce that proximity to llamas is good by doing a final rub down after the game as close to the llamas as possible.


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## secuono (Jul 6, 2011)

I wish I could help, since I recently added 3 alpacas & introduced them to my 4 horses. But they couldn't of cared less. =/

Hopefully, someone else can help you. 

Alpaca are highly timid creatures, but also very curious. I don't believe they run to the horses to scare them at all, they probably like the horses or want treats the nearby humans may have. If you glance or lift a hand the wrong way at mine, they will teleport away. 

Now llamas...Those guys are more rough n tumble...


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## mmshiro (May 3, 2017)

Are those alpacas friendly to people? Could you borrow one? Put you horse into a round pen so she can move her feet and desensitize her to the alpaca as though it was a motorcycle or a chain saw: approach and retreat. Trying to work your horse until she's tired can backfire: I once let my horse gallop a long oval in a field, back and forth, not for punishment but for her to have fun; in other words, I wanted to let her run until _she_ had enough. It was _I_ who had to throw in the towel and beg her for mercy...


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

For us it was emus. When it was realized there was no money in them people were turning them loose. They in turn tore out fence, invaded our pastures and hid in the tree lines and brush jumping out to scare the horses. It took several strands of high tensile wire and extra grounding but after a few encounters with a super hot fence they moved on. I'd say tiring them out is your best option. That's what finally got through to ours. They'd run themselves until they would just about drop but the birds were still there.


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

In a situation like this, I think desensitizing the horse to alpacas would be easier/safer than flooding (making the horse deal with exposure while frightened). In my opinion, the reason desensitizing has failed is because the horse was brought to the point of fight or flight where she couldn't think and process. 

What I would do is figure out how close you can lead the horse toward the alpacas where she remains mildly concerned but not overly upset. I would bring her to that spot and no further and get her to relax, feed her hay, let her graze, etc. Spend at least 15 minutes of relaxed time. If she gets upset, you are too close. Go farther away, no matter how far that is.

Then I would work incrementally closer to the alpacas with many sessions over a few days. If she ever starts to get more concerned, go back to the last spot where she was comfortable. Keep her on a long line so she can leave if she gets concerned, and don't try to trap her. Do not try to bring her closer until she is ready to go without being pulled or coerced.

Over time, your horse will be able to gradually get closer to the alpacas. Keep working on this with her until she is unconcerned about being right next to them and does not notice them moving around. You may have to "start over" several times, but eventually the horse will learn that alpacas are harmless.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

Are any of those alpacas halter broke? If so, have someone lead one of them, in the arena, door closed, and let your horse follow it.
Horses get a lot of confidence, if their object of concern, seems to yield to them
First time I took Charlie to one of the local shows, there were driving classes, and mini horses. That combo put the fear of God into her, so she was ready to 'leave the country, as I was trying to warm her up outside, and where driving hroses would come up behind her.
I then asked one lady, if I could just follow behind her cart. It helped, as Charlie saw herself as moving that object of concern
When I had my reining mare down at Spruce Meadows, for demos, during the Masters, I had to ride in the evening parade, that went through the International ring. I was placed right behind a woman leading a lama.
The woman told me'go ahead and let your hrose have a sniff', when my mare seemed a bit concerned.
I gave San Stone a loose rein, and reeled her in, just in time, as she was going to take a hunk out of that beast!
How about a stall? Do you have good solid stalls at those facilities, and can you put the alpaca in a stall across from your mare?
No, flooding might not be the answer, as in throwing them in together, but at the same time, you are allowing her just to fuel her own irrational fear and doing nothing, far as solidifying any trust in you and your judgement.
If you take her near those alpacas, you must first be sure that you will remain calm, give her that leadership security, and also keep control of her, otherwise, you are obtaining 'negative training, which is worse then no training, far as accepting those beasts


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

I agree with Smilie, if you can get her 'chasing' the beast chances are she will accept them better. 

I had a horse that was frightened of cattle, he wasn't terribly bad about them but would try and run away from them. 

An elderly farmer was waiting for some cattle to come up to the gate and asked me as I was riding past, if I could go round them up. The horse was in a state, I could hear his heart beating and he was so tense. I gave the cattle a wide berth until I was behind them and then started moving them forward. Once the cattle were walking away he settled and by the time we had got them onto the road he thought he was a cutting horse. 

When she gets uptight don't soothe her and tell her 'It's all right' correct her, make her concentrate on you.


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## SilverMaple (Jun 24, 2017)

Do you have access to stalls? Can you put a couple of alpacas down at the end of the barn from your mare and move them one stall closer each day until they're next to her?


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

What I know about llamas a d alpacas can be written on a postage stamp. I do know they spit. 

A farmer had a pair, that was fine but when the female died the male became very aggressive with horses. We rode past the farm most days and he would hide at the end of a stable block and either wait until we were level with him and spit or, charge down behind the stables snorting and spitting. 
One mare I had was petrified of him and reacted like your horse. 

I was out on her one day and knew he was waiting at the end of the stables. The mare was sweating and shaking in anticipation. A ground of donkeys was stood sun bathing by the gate and the mare loved donkey above anything else and wanted to talk to them. I sat on her as she sniffed and scratched he donkeys. 
The llama getting fed up with waiting came charging along, ears back, snorting and ready to spit. The Dinka scattered and the mare was so disappointed at them being chased off she swung her head to the llama and bit him hard on his neck. 
She had a mouthful of llama hair and he had a big saucer sized bald patch on his neck which was white and then showed pin ****** of blood before really bleeding hard. 

Oddly she never worried about him again and he left her alone too.


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## baysforlife (Jun 5, 2016)

Smilie said:


> Are any of those alpacas halter broke? If so, have someone lead one of them, in the arena, door closed, and let your horse follow it.
> Horses get a lot of confidence, if their object of concern, seems to yield to them
> First time I took Charlie to one of the local shows, there were driving classes, and mini horses. That combo put the fear of God into her, so she was ready to 'leave the country, as I was trying to warm her up outside, and where driving hroses would come up behind her.
> I then asked one lady, if I could just follow behind her cart. It helped, as Charlie saw herself as moving that object of concern
> ...


We considered that as well. We do have access to secure stalls, but we didn't know how well it would work. She had an injury to her leg over a year ago that caused her to be stalled for 3 months straight. The vet didn't want her to walked much, so we were only allowed to bring her out to clean her stall or to give her a 15 minute period of grazing outside. From being stuck inside a stall for long, she went stir crazy. She got so anxious, pacing and pounding at the door to leave. Ever since then she doesn't like stalls much. We can tack her up in a stall, but for an extended period of time or overnight she doesn't like.
So we thought combining something she doesn't like, alpacas, with something else she doesn't like, being stalled, wouldn't really produce positive results. But who knows, it might be worth a try, since everything else has failed.


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## baysforlife (Jun 5, 2016)

boots said:


> I had a polo pony that was very afraid of llamas. There was a herd right across the fence from the parking of trailers for the Sunday matches. It had to be resolved as he was going to hurt himself or people or other horses. If he had continued to act up he would have been banned in order to avoid injury to him or anyone or other horse.
> 
> What I did was work him quite hard, to the point of being tired, and only let him rest very close to the llamas.
> 
> ...


This is a good idea, something I haven't thought of yet. Will be trying it soon, thank you!


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

QtrBel said:


> For us it was emus. When it was realized there was no money in them people were turning them loose. They in turn tore out fence, invaded our pastures and hid in the tree lines and brush jumping out to scare the horses. It took several strands of high tensile wire and extra grounding but after a few encounters with a super hot fence they moved on. I'd say tiring them out is your best option. That's what finally got through to ours. They'd run themselves until they would just about drop but the birds were still there.


Intending to scare horses is far more credit than I would give any emu. A chicken is a genius compared to an emu.


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

Really like the idea of someone leading an alpaca and her following it. I had a similar experience to Foxhunter with cows. Don't know why but Brooke was terrified of them, and nothing helped except the opportunity to boss some calves around. Following has also helped with tractors, donkeys, those giant horse balls, a cowhide, and many another thing that threw her at first.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

Yes, that leading and following works great, BUT whether you do it riding or walking, you first must make sure that you can keep control of your horse, which has not been the case in the past, going by original posts

We don't have cattle ourselves, so first time many of my horses encountered them , was riding down the road or riding in grazing leases.
Esp, fun, in the spring on a green hrose, when those newly turned out heifers come bucking and leaping up to the fence!.
I always made my horse face them, and with some body control, stand there.Heifers would stop at the fence and stare,and i could then, with body control on my horse, ask the horse to actually move towards those heifers, and with a little arm waving from me, get those heifers to back from the fence some.
That gave my horse great courage, seeing he could move those beasts, tot he point the horse would see them as harmless, and then relax, even graze in the ditch right beside those heifers,while just keeping an eye on them


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## elkdog (Nov 28, 2016)

If you think alpacas are difficult, try to put a dead bear or cougar on a pack horse. To say they don't like it is a huge understatement. They hate it! A little Vicks vapor rub on the nose goes a long way. They can't smell anything over it. I've never had a lot of problems with my horses but I've answered the phone to "Can you come help me find my horse?"

He had put dead elk on a horse and the thing exploded. Took off running and bucking into the wilderness. It got dark, so he went home and called me. We spent two days looking for the horse. When we found him, he was off in an old burn with pixy-stick trees everywhere. How the horse got there without breaking a leg, I'll never know. The elk was gone but the pack saddle was still on him.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

Nothing like trying to pack out an elk, on a horse that has never packed meat before!


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

But Avna their timing was perfect. While I agree it probably wasn't intentional it sure looked that way. They more than likely were just curious about what was coming up to the fence. That and they get scared mindless when coyotes and dog would come through the brush after them. I'm just glad they're gone. There was only one sane one in the bunch it seemed and that one liked to play with swings and when not at the neighbors was just hanging out near where the horses were fed.


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