Instructions
Evaluate its physical and emotional maturity. Pushing your llama too fast can result in physical harm to not only your llama, but also to yourself.
Wait until it is 4 years old. Riding your llama before this time can result in strained tendons, skeletal damage and sore muscles. Larger llamas tend to take longer to mature than smaller llamas, and the females often mature a full year faster than their male counterparts.
Teach your llama to carry a pack saddle. This saddle is lighter than the saddle that you will ride in. The pack saddle is an excellent way to teach your llama to accept a small amount of weight. The pack saddle will also teach your llama to accept the confining feeling of straps wrapped around its body.
Practice tacking up (putting on the saddle) from both the left and right side of your llama. This will help prevent your llama from becoming lopsided.
Start adding some light packs to the saddle. Leading your llama in loops and circles and up and down hills will help your llama develop its muscles during the training processes. Continue to gradually add weight to your llama's packs.
Once your llama has grown accustomed to carrying a humans weight in packs, switch the pack saddle with the saddle you'll ride in. Lead the llama around until it appears comfortable with the feel of the new saddle.
Flap the stirrups and tap your hands against your llama's sides to simulate the feel of your legs. The more you tap and stroke your llama's sides, the less likely it is to bolt when you use leg pressure to signal it to walk.
Have a friend hold your llama's head while you mount. Sit on the llama for a few seconds and dismount. Praise your llama and put it away for the night.
Continue to repeat the process until your llama is comfortable with your weight. Ask your friend to lead the llama forward a few steps. Keep repeating this process until your llama is comfortable walking around with your weight on its back.
Riding a Llama
There are many reasons to own a pet llama. Llamas are a unique way to mow your lawn, can be used as a 4-H project, can be sheared and their hair used to make clothing. What's more, llamas are affectionate and are extremely hardy animals. Best of all, llamas can be trained to be ridden on.