Russell Higgins has recently been holding several Evening Demo Masterclasses at his Brumby Farm in Te Awamutu. In ‘Trouble-Free Trailer Loading’ he is giving an insight on how to prepare your horse for safe loading, travelling and unloading …

Russell explains the four basic yields that need to be established before going anywhere near the Horse float: backwards, forwards, hindquarters and forehand. Without the ability to control the direction of the horse and be able to direct both ends it makes the risk of being run over by the horse so much higher during the loading process.

Russell explains that before any horse is expected to load into the trailer he gets it confident with obstacles for about a week. He teaches it to go through, over, between and under things so by the time it gets to the trailer it sees it as just another puzzle to solve.

Russell explains that when first teaching a horse to load he likes to it go in small stages rather than rush in with tension. During this teaching stage he allows the horse to back off whenever it wants to without resistance. "It is the ability to come off that builds the horse's confidence, not the going on", Russell explains.

And for your inspiration, here is a little video of Russell loading his horses Maxwell and Cassidy … #loadinggoals

Russell and Ruth have a busy schedule with many clinics at Brumby Farm in Te Awamutu and all over New Zealand. During the winter month they travel to hold clinics in South Africa and all over Europe. For more information and to view their clinic schedule please visit their website https://www.russellhiggins.co.nz/.