5
5. From the left side of the llama, reach under and grab the front cinch. You may
need someone to hand it to you from the other side if your llama is
uncooperative. Run the side release/cam buckle strap through the larger cinch
ring and snap the side release into place. If you have given the cinch adjustment
strap plenty of slack, this should be easy to do.
6. With your left hand behind the cinch ring, tighten the cinch by using a ratcheting
motion with your right hand. See below. For first-time fitting, both sides may
need to be adjusted to keep the cinch centered. After the front cinch has been
tightened, repeat the process with the rear cinch. Keep in mind that the rear
cinch is placed directly in front of the penal sheath on males and in front of the
udder on females. This placement is critical in keeping the pack from sliding
forward. If placed in the proper position and cinched tightly, use of a rump strap
or breeching is not necessary.
A. With the end of the cinch adjustment strap in hand, raise your hand away from
the saddle. With steady tension on the strap, lower your hand and take up slack
through the cam buckle. Do this in a smooth ratcheting motion. Keep your free
hand behind the cinch ring to keep the fiber from being pulled.
Pulling fiber into
the cinch ring is the main cause of llamas being hard to saddle, so please take
care to avoid it at all costs.
At this point, the saddle may be tight enough. If you
feel it is not, and you have the secondary cinch ring on your cinch, see paragraph B.
B. Place the end of the cinch adjustment strap through the secondary cinch ring
(see illustration). Tighten the cinch some more by pulling and lifting. Usually, you
can tighten the cinch adjustment strap another inch or so. The cinch will be tight at
this point, and you may need to pull straight away from the llama.
C. To remove the saddle, depress the cam buckles (on your working side only) and
give enough slack to be ready for next time. The cam buckles are used to loosen
and tighten only and are generally not disengaged from the cinch adjustment strap.
Squeeze the side release buckles and release the cinch adjustment straps from the
cinches.
