Mt. Sopris Llamas Unltd.

FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION

PRODUCTS

   "When the Ralide saddle was first introduced to the llama market in 1984, I have to admit that I was skeptical. I didn’t like the looks of it; it appeared to be too large and the rigging was a nightmare. Since that time, however, the Ralide has performed day in and day out in commercial pack strings across the country. Bill Redwood, an outfitter friend of mine, was persistent in telling me that this was a very good saddle. I got to thinking that in the decade that I’ve been in the llama pack business, I’ve never heard of a Ralide saddle causing a sore, nor have I heard of any llama behavior problem associated with this saddle.

   Bill’s insistence and the Ralide’s record convinced me that I needed to take a closer look. I rigged the tree to Sopris standards to make it easy to use and interchangeable with all Sopris pack gear. I tested it on a wide range of llamas in Bill’s commercial pack string and on our pack clinic trips. I found it to be extremely stable in rough terrain while carrying heavy, awkward loads--which means it fits the llama well, which means it’s comfortable. The Ralide is durable and it’s economical.

   Now Mt. Sopris Llamas is the only llama equipment dealership authorized to sell Ralide pack trees. If you are an outfitter, if you lease llamas, if you need a heavy use pack for hunting, trail work and so forth, and if you are not overly concerned about aesthetics, the Sopris Rigged Ralide Pack Saddle is for you."

                                                                             ~Charlie Hackbarth