Handing alpacas is simply successful

Victoria Barrett of SimplyAlpaca explains why understanding and working with natural behaviour makes sense and for easier training for camelids

- Victoria Barrett

Victoria came across Camelidynamics soon after buying her first alpacas and has updated her knowledge almost every year since taking part in courses in the UK and US with its founder Marty McGee Bennett. Camelidynamics is kind and respectful way of handling and training alpacas and is a collection of methods that represent the least intrusive, most positively reinforcing techniques for managing these gentle animals.

She is now a Senior Camelidynamics Consultant, Camelidynamics Specialist Instructor offering courses at Camelid Connection, the training and therapy arm of SimplyAlpaca, and other venues, and is the only instructor teaching this method in the UK. Alpacas are prey animals - herbivores, it was thought that they would instinctively run from anything unfamiliar and ideas of 'hold him until he stops struggling', or 'you have show him who's boss' were common.