Best thing a complete novice could do is to go to some outfit that rents llamas and be trained by them as if you are going to rent. At least then you will have a foundation of knowledge on which to build. There is an unbelievable amount of untrue info out there concerning llamas and their real, and imagined flaws/abilities. Tack is pricey, I make my own Trained llamas are pricey, I train my own. I am up to 24 and need 80 to cover hunting season rentals.
They are very unique critters that fill a niche in the pack animal world between dogs, goats, and horses/mules. Unlike the one story above they are VERY low maintenance in the back country and easy keepers in the pasture. It is a cyclical market and right now it is favoring the seller.
If you go to my web site at corralcreekllamas.com you can poke around and hopefully learn some stuff, same facebook page name Keep an open mind but verify all this "free knowledge" you can glean.
They will change your whole approach to back country travel as long as there is a reasonable trail system where you are going, if no trail you can still do it but not as a beginner, walk before you run, and try before you buy...
Have fun!
