PTLA
This is a controversial topic, I admit.
What is the value and role of PTLA events? How important and in what ways is it important to you, your ranch and your packing experience?
I think it had a lot of potential, but it has fallen far short of what it could have been.
Some good results
Ever since the idea was promoted by Wes Holmquist and later adapted and refined by others from WILA, it has been good for the pack llama community. It got everything thinking about some standards and expectation.
It has give some an outlet for packing-like experiences that they just did not get involved with otherwise.
It gave some a drive to get themselves and their llamas into shape.
It drew attention on the need for llamas to be handled.
It gave a chance for llama packers to get together. For many of us it was a fun social event. Pack llama people are great to be around.
It was great for those who raise the "other kind" of llamas, who do not have a background or experience in pack llamas, and who want to gain some credibility in the area.
Some less than expected results
It took a lot of dedication, time, and effort on the part of those running the operation and setting up different events. A lot of time. It burned people out as do most voluteer efforts that take a lot of involvement.
It was never able to come up with enough events and a wide variety of locations to make it really practical. It benefited the gas companies a lot because there was so much travel for many people. People who were really into PTLA lamented loudly about the parsity of events. Some traveled 10 hours each way to such events when they could find them. There should be a number of them every year and in every area where pack llamas are widely used. Without that the value is really limited.
With the time, money, and lack of events it really was not practical to expect too much of a significant role for PTLA for most packers. Most packers conditioned their animals and themselves well, handled their animals a lot, and knew that their animals were good at the task at hand. PTLA was not needed to prove anything to them.
There were some reservations about rules, such as animals that were obviously very poor functionally and should never be thought of as a "pack llama". There were instances where llamas were really improperly saddled, etc. The process was a good training for people who were unaware of some of those things, but still letting them go through and make qualification as a pack llama? The pack llama and the handler are a team and when one or both are ill-equiped for the process, maybe something should have been done to tell them so.
Well, that should stir up some thoughts, counter-arguments, and good discussion. Have at it.
What is the value and role of PTLA events? How important and in what ways is it important to you, your ranch and your packing experience?
I think it had a lot of potential, but it has fallen far short of what it could have been.
Some good results
Ever since the idea was promoted by Wes Holmquist and later adapted and refined by others from WILA, it has been good for the pack llama community. It got everything thinking about some standards and expectation.
It has give some an outlet for packing-like experiences that they just did not get involved with otherwise.
It gave some a drive to get themselves and their llamas into shape.
It drew attention on the need for llamas to be handled.
It gave a chance for llama packers to get together. For many of us it was a fun social event. Pack llama people are great to be around.
It was great for those who raise the "other kind" of llamas, who do not have a background or experience in pack llamas, and who want to gain some credibility in the area.
Some less than expected results
It took a lot of dedication, time, and effort on the part of those running the operation and setting up different events. A lot of time. It burned people out as do most voluteer efforts that take a lot of involvement.
It was never able to come up with enough events and a wide variety of locations to make it really practical. It benefited the gas companies a lot because there was so much travel for many people. People who were really into PTLA lamented loudly about the parsity of events. Some traveled 10 hours each way to such events when they could find them. There should be a number of them every year and in every area where pack llamas are widely used. Without that the value is really limited.
With the time, money, and lack of events it really was not practical to expect too much of a significant role for PTLA for most packers. Most packers conditioned their animals and themselves well, handled their animals a lot, and knew that their animals were good at the task at hand. PTLA was not needed to prove anything to them.
There were some reservations about rules, such as animals that were obviously very poor functionally and should never be thought of as a "pack llama". There were instances where llamas were really improperly saddled, etc. The process was a good training for people who were unaware of some of those things, but still letting them go through and make qualification as a pack llama? The pack llama and the handler are a team and when one or both are ill-equiped for the process, maybe something should have been done to tell them so.
Well, that should stir up some thoughts, counter-arguments, and good discussion. Have at it.
posted by BCL at 1:10 PM
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