There has been a great deal of controversy about this subject (the use of nose pegs) in the United States. First, a few quotes from two leading camel authorities:
Alex Tinson (from the book Camels - a compendium): "Depending on the tradition of the region all camels may have a provision for the use of a nose line, or only camels which require finer control are so equipped."
Murray Fowler (From the Journal of Camel Practice and Research): "In countries where camels have been beasts of burden for centuries, head restraint may consist of a wooden peg placed through the side of the nostril. A small cord is attached to the peg. Pressure on the peg signals to the camel a desired response. Usually, the tactile contact is accompanied by a verbal command. This practice may not be acceptable in some cultures, if they are looked upon as inhumane. In reality, they are no more inhumane than piercing the ears, as practiced in people."
Consider the following points:
We Americans are some of the most poorly educated people in the world when it comes to camels. Although we may be much more advanced in other areas, we need to look to societies whose lives have depended on camels for generations to be our teachers.
India, where camels are still employed for patrol work by the Border Security Forces (BSF), has some of the finest trained riding camels in the world. The BSF, which never use whips on their camels, perform with up to 50 camels at a time at the festivals in Rajasthan. Their performances and maneuvers are spectacular: lofty extended and collected trots such as are seen with equine dressage, crawling on the knees, lying on the side, dog sitting, single and multiple gymnastic riding, carrying lighted fire sticks through fiery hoops, and parades in troops. These camels, as well as all working camels in India, are fitted with nose pegs.
Australia, which has some of the best trail riding camels in the world, has a long tradition of using nose pegs. The Australian outback was completely and successfully settled using camels in the 1800's, and camel riding, sometimes for thousands of miles, continues to be popular today. All of these camels are routinely trained with nose pegs. In Australia it is reportedly illegal to use a horse bit in the camel's mouth; they consider a bit to be inhumane.
In China and Mongolia, bactrian camels are ridden, driven, and packed through sometimes mountainous, forbidding country. All working camels in China have nose pegs.
In short, most of the countries where camels are historically worked routinely use some type of nose peg. In countries where the nose peg isn't always used, such as the Arabian countries, other methods of control such as a long whip or a jaw chain are used. Also, many of the lead camels in these countries have a nose ring or a thong pierced through the side of the nostril. Because of their small surface area, unlike a nose peg, these rings and thongs often tear out. It is common in these countries to see camels with multiple scars along the edge of the nostril from this tearing. In the United Arab Emirates, the racing camels are controlled only with halters. However, they are on a fenced-in track with a group of other camels. They are also trained several hours a day, and their grooms literally live with the camels day and night. The lead (or "winch") camels in the UAE, which are used to lead and train the racing camels, are often fitted with nose rings or cords.
When I first began to learn about camel training ten years ago, after a lifetime of training horses, I was open to "whatever works." However, I initially tried going without the nose pegs, and using only halters and hackamores. Knowing nothing, I felt that I would rather not blemish the camels' noses. I did some trail riding, and some movie work, and some public rides. However, when I spent some time with Noel Fullerton in Australia, he said, "Do whatever you want with the camels when no one except you is going to be around. But if your camels are going to be around the public, you must put nose pegs in them."
So I followed his advice and over time I have found what he said to ring true. Granted, there are individual variations between animals and training techniques. Some of my animals did very well without nose lines. But when my camels are working with the public, I feel that public safety overshadows all other prejudices or ethical considerations. The bottom line is that, regardless of type of training, nose pegs afford a greater degree of control than any other type of headgear. How much you use them depends on how much control you want. Sure, the camels may behave just perfectly most of the time with only a halter or hackamore. However, when it comes to the safety of others I feel that it is our responsibility to maximize that control.
I have had very little negative response from the public regarding the nose pegs. Certainly, some people question what they are, but when I explain that "a camel uses a nose peg instead of a bit," they are satisfied. I attach a short 100 pound test line to the reins, and this is attached to the peg. The line breaks if necessary; this way the nose will not be damaged. I also always have a halter on as a backup in case the string breaks.
I have been told by countless people -- from major movie corporations to camel enthusiasts who have ridden camels all over to church leaders who have worked with different camels in church plays -- that my camels were "the best trained and best behaved camels" that they had ever seen. I would like to attribute this to my training techniques, or to my animals being exceptional. However, that would be giving myself too much credit. It's the use of nose pegs that makes my animals look good. And well trained animals improve the public image of camels in general, which is something we are always striving for.
When I am leading four young children atop one camel with a hot air balloon hovering overhead, or riding my bull camel in a parade where people are pressing in eight deep on both sides of a narrow lane, or when I am riding down a steep, rocky trail which drops off to a cliff on one side, or galloping alone down a desert wash, I don't want to have to pull hard on a hackamore or chain to get control. I want the light control that you can only get with a nose peg.
The nose peg gives the camel a clearer signal, and encourages the sensitivity, responsiveness, and lightness that we want in a well-trained animal. The training premise of "release as the camel responds" can be more easily used with the nose peg than the halter. The camels just don't fight or lean on the peg like they sometimes will the halter and chain. However, it doesn't seem to be painful at all to them, just more sensitive. You know how camels will squawk when something is painful...they don't squawk with the nose peg unless the rein gets accidently caught on something and pulled very hard (they will also do this with the chain). Camels also do not have the degree of sensitivity (or reactivity) in general that horses do (which definitely has it's advantages), and so similar cues and tack will not necessarily evoke the same response. I believe that is why the nose peg was developed in the first place.
One final point: Invariably, those people who talk down nose pegs are always those who have never used them. And those people who support the use of nose pegs are those who have used them and are keenly aware of their advantages. It would be difficult to find a trainer who had fairly tried nose pegs and then went back to using just halters. However, talk is cheap. If you are wondering about nose pegs, try them out. It may make a difference in your training relationship with your camel. Done properly, the pegging procedure poses very little discomfort to the animal. If you don't like the peg, you can cut it out, and only a very small scar will remain. At least then you will have made an educated decision.
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| Nose pegs may be made of a very hard wood or are often made of plastic. Metal should be used with caution, because if the weather is hot, the metal may heat up and hurt the camel's nostril. | |
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