Thou shalt NOT SPIT!

I had to move sheep tonight, including the new llama.  Buckley is a tall white creature who would be elegant if he did not react to any intrusion on his world by screaming and spitting.  Since our first few interactions have shown that he loathes the halter but does not mind the trailer I decided to just herd him into the trailer on the last load with a few sheep and the other llama.  It started out rather well.  He was willing to run down towards the trailer to join the last of his pasture mates.  Then he changed his mind.  I started moving to block his escapes and push him back down towards the trailer.  He started grunting and groaning.  I held my ground.  He started screaming.  Between screams you heard the telltale gurgling as he prepared  vile mouthfuls of rumen contents as ammunition.  He’d come towards me screaming and gurgling, whipping his tall white neck back like a dragon ready to blast me with flames.  He waited carefully to spit till he was within range.  I went right back at him, arms raised out to the sides with a buggy whip in one hand.  It was like a battle in some medieval fantasy “Maria Slays the Dragon”.  He got louder and faster and more aggressive.  I kept meeting him half way, arms out and up, moving fast into his space and using the whip every time he pushed into me or tried to spit.  In all this he noticed that when he backed off the pressure so did I.  He got quieter, the screaming stopped, the gurgling stopped, and I was able to slowly work him down and into the trailer.