Llamas come in variations of these distinct body types. The distinctive type recognition is important because the change in one of the elements of structure will effect another. For instance a taller llama should have a medium length back but a small or medium sized llama will be structurally sound with a proportionally longer back because shorter limbs lessens the stress on the lumbar area. Dividing llamas into heavy and light wool doesn’t cut it. Observe in nature animals like alligators and badgers have longer backs in combination with shorter legs. Giraffes for instance have very long legs and short backs. Wide, deep bodies are a disadvantage. Long legs proportionally are an asset.

1. Full sized - Tall Narrow frame, long legs, medium bone, medium length back, chest muscling evident. Tall llamas must have a shorter back proportionally than medium sized llamas. This llama covers distance, will pack a heavy load, can step over downfall other llamas have to jump and is easy to handle if trained properly. Pack bags are high off the ground and don’t drag and catch on rocks and brush. This llama type has an efficient, straight forward stride and the load does not sway going down the trail. Some tall llamas walk exclusively and almost never pace (walking is a more stable gait for packing). With his level top line he is graceful going up or down hill.

Full Sized - Narrow to medium width, heavy bone. The mid - full sized llama is a powerfully built llama with the bone and muscling of the muscle llama and the streamlined body of the tall. He has well defined, long knee joints for strength and power in his legs. His ample leg length give the appearance of a lanky but solid built llama with good strength and stride. I’ve seen him in sizes 42 to 47 inches.

Muscle Llama - Medium-width frame, big bone, big muscling, chest muscling ties into forearms, good ground clearance, medium length back. The Schwarzenegger of llamas - this muscle llama is a powerful looking beast. He must have a good ground clearance ratio or he becomes a short winded heavyweight. With long legs on him (proportionally) though he becomes a distance packer and will pack a heavy load. This guy seems to have better endurance in the under 47 inch range. Perhaps in the 47 and up he is packing too much body bulk.

Medium Built - Narrow frame, medium height, a lot of ground clearance, medium bone, longer back. A great all around llama, the medium built llama has a narrow frame and is a little longer backed proportionally than the other types but his neck is long also to balance out. His bone is small to medium size and the muscling is evident. The legs are shorter than the tall which puts less strain on the back. Still they have a very good leg/body depth ratio and are very graceful leaping over downfall or into a pickup truck. This build type ranges from 42 to 45 inches in wither height. Over that they become long backed and are too tall for their proportionately longer back.

Desirable - Lower to the ground. Longer neck balances long back. Shorter legs but still legs are longer than body depth. Very athletic

There are techniques in selecting a llama, but it is not as complicated as it seems. Keep in mind the structure guidelines and watch your animal move. If the llama moves effortlessly it will most likely have what it needs mechanically. Movement and function are the result of excellent structure.

Take into account the reproduction service and age of females. For females, reproducing continually with little exercise is more detrimental to structure than packing in the mountains is for males in excellent condition. Most females don’t get a chance to keep their muscles toned and will normally get a little saggy in the back after years of being overweight due to pregnancy.

Most "first time purchase male llamas" are not adequate stud material. Before you breed your first female consult with experts in the business about your stud selection.

If you’ve experienced dragging a llama up the trail a few miles you quickly become a connoisseur of structure and function. When breeding for show, it is hard to bypass beauty for a slight structural defect. The ultimate goal in llama raising is to have beauty along with function. This is a tough order to fill. However, it is possible and can be an attainable goal.

2. Llamas should have longer legs than depth of body. Deep and wide bodies are not a plus. (depth of girth should be less than 21") Llamas with short legs may not keep up. Deep bodies limit limb movement and add extra weight. I quote Murray Fowler DVM, "Natural pacers, such as Camelids, have relatively long legs. This allows the animal to develop a long stride."

3. Llamas should have a level top line. It is common but not desirable for a llama to be shorter in the shoulders than in the hips. (based on my own experience) Llamas that are short in the front legs have a difficult time negotiating down hill trails with a load on. Longer legs in the front are a distinct advantage in the mountains, allowing the llama to develop a longer stride in the front end. Mules are higher in the withers than the hips which give them a noticeable advantage over horses in the mountains. Llamas, therefore to have an advantage in the mountains, should not be lower in the shoulders than in the hips.

4. Llamas should be under six inches between the forelegs. It is an obvious disadvantage for the llama to be wide between the front legs (because of their natural pacing gait). Llamas that are wide between the front legs usually have weak shoulders or a wide body that produces a weak and waddley gait.

Some Typical Undesirable Characteristics!

5. Llamas should have a narrow to medium width frame. There is no functional advantage for a llama to have a wide body. A wide body leaves the llama packing extra bulk, bogging him down, shortening his endurance, and causing a waddley inefficient gait.

6. Llamas need evident chest muscling to tie forelegs and shoulders into their chest. Chest muscling is a well recognized necessity in horse breeding. Chest muscling completes the shoulder attachment and keeps the shoulder attachment tissues from sagging and getting fibrous, stiff and sore in later years.

7. Llamas should not be gelded before 1 1/2 years old. It is preferable to wait until their fighting teeth are fully mature or around three years old. It’s a fact that many llamas gelded prematurely get sore, stiff joints and develop lameness.

8. Llamas must have a long, free stride with their front legs to have endurance on the trail. Avoid llamas that have a short stride in the front end and need to trot to keep up with a normal pace. They will tire quickly on the trail. Their forelegs must easily reach out in front of their chest. This indicates proper angulation of the shoulders. Their front structure is so important because their front end carries most of the load and does most of the work (especially going down hill).

9. Llamas must have good general conformation with strong ankles or pasterns. Weak pasterns is a common failing in llamas. Watch them when they walk and trot to make sure their ankles do not have a spongy, weak action. Good general conformation is very important.

10. Llamas should be under X pounds. (Extra weight is a disadvantage for pack animals not a plus. Bragging about a llama’s weight does not prove he or she is an excellent pack llama.) A small obese llama can easily weigh over four hundred pounds. A llama’s weight needs to correspond with its height. Height and weight are a meaningful correlation.

Generally, llamas over 420 pounds are already packing too much body weight to support the additional burden of a pack on their back. Many of them are too long-backed, wide-chested, and deep-bodied. X varies with each llama type. Mucho pounds in llamas isn’t better. The goal is "the most machinery for the least weight." From the "a llama will pack a % of their weight" theory, llama novices think the heavier the llama the more he will pack. So let’s fatten up our llamas so they will pack more - right. Not!!!! It’s just the opposite. The heavier a llama is in relation to his height - the less he will pack.

The rule of thumb is only true for the ideal type llamas in trim condition. Deep-bodied - long-backed llamas tire quickly. One of my better packers is 49" tall and weighed 350 pounds at his last weighing. He will pack 25% of his weight comfortably. He has 28.5 inches of ground clearance and can get over logs easily. Most llamas pack 20% of their weight or less.

Most good packers in trim shape will weigh from 280 to 380 pounds. We are breeding some good ones now that will go over 380 but they are very tall and proportionally balanced. I have owned several llamas over 500 pounds that couldn’t carry their own weight up the trail. They were not proportioned properly and had weak shoulders as well as other problems.