Tucker

Tucker is the youngest and largest of my llamas.  As of this afternoon he has gone on to a new adventure as companion to Miss Maggie, an aging llama who just lost her pasture mate.

My friend Nancy Naron contacted me on Saturday.  One of her llamas had just died and she was looking for a new friend for her remaining llama, Maggie. I told her I would be happy to sell her one of mine since llamas don't do well by themselves and I have three.  She and her husband came over on Sunday afternoon to look at Tucker, Shiraz and Smoky.

Nancy fell in love with Tucker immediately.  It turns out that both Maggie and Tucker came from the same llama breeder who lived just up the road from me.  She said the llamas weren't the same color but were exactly the same size and looked like they could be siblings.  OK then.  The deal was struck.

I should say that Shiraz and Smoky were trained to halter and lead by Sean Price fo Figment Ranch.  Sean is our llama shearer so he gives them a quick annual reminder lesson every spring when he comes out to shear.  Tucker, on the other hand has had almost no training.  Sean always did his annual reminder lesson with Tucker too but without a background of training it's not quite the same.   I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to get the halter on Tucker and I was right.  I managed to get the halter around his neck but couldn't get it up over his nose and around his ears.

Enter my wonderful daughter.  She showed up this morning after shopping for us in town.  We haven't been able to find any toilet paper, paper towels or kleenex at the stores out here so she decided she would make a run out here with helpful supplies.  My daughter is an accomplished rider and showed Welsh Ponies for years.  She isn't at all anxious around large animals.  She managed what I could not.  It took her some time, a bit of sweet talking and scratching appropriate places  but she managed to get the halter on Tucker with no trauma or hysteria.  Timing is everything and I'm so glad she picked this morning to show up at my door.

So about lunchtime today, Nancy and her husband showed up with a lovely horse trailer.  I lead Tucker out of the barn and into the trailer with no problems.  He paused at the door and sniffed the ramp but with just a few clucks of my tongue he was loaded and ready to go.  I'm sure he will have a great life at Nancy's.  She has more property than we do and he will have a new friend to explore it with.