Equine Evolution

Horse harness quickly clears international hurdles

A company that has designed a new harness system for the safe transfer of horses into horse trailers is onto a safe bet when it comes to international sales.

When Huddersfield horse-lover Shelli Perkins created the Equisafe Easy Loader it was the result of working with a highly strung 17-hand show jumper who was particularly stubborn when it came to being loaded into the horsebox.

Shelli said: “Anyone who has tried to coax a horse into a horse trailer knows what a stressful business it can be, no matter how experienced you are as a handler. Once the horse digs in its heels there’s not much you can do to move the animal, and the whole process can become virtually impossible, not to say dangerous, if you are trying to do it single-handed.”

“It seemed like I had been struggling for years with the same problem, since even some of the best-tempered horses can become skittish when it’s time to go into the horsebox. This got me thinking about the process in a strategic, step-by-step way. I started to think about how a horse behaves and what triggers some of its movements. What I came up with in the Easy Loader was a safe system that takes the stress and the strain out of the whole process for both the horse and the handler.”

The Easy Loader is a softly padded harness that is fitted onto the horse then connected to the interior of the trailer using specially designed single-hand quick release attachments. As the horse instinctively steps back from the trailer, the locking mechanism applies pressure to muscles on the horse’s hind legs. Pressure to this area will encourage the horse to lift its leg and move forward.

Shelli, a former flat-race jockey in the USA for more than a decade, is now the owner of Equine Evolution, the company that is taking the horse industry by storm. In February 2008, the innovative Easy Loader system was launched at the British Equine Trade Association (BETA) show to international plaudits.

UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) has been working with Shelli who is already fielding orders for the harness from South Africa, USA, Dubai and Australia.

In October 2008 Shelli took part in UKTI’s third overseas International Business Network (IBN), in Milan. Along with more than 30 other companies from the Yorkshire and Humber region, Easy Loader was in Italy making a concerted bid for business. In a venture which involved the combined efforts of UKTI teams in both Yorkshire and Milan, Shelli had four one-to-one meetings with potential Italian partner companies who could help her to expand sales of her harness in Italy and beyond.

Shelli added: “Now that my business is taking off, I need to take every opportunity to showcase my product overseas. Italy was already on my radar as it has a significant equine industry, so when I heard about the IBN event in Milan, things just fell into place. What really surprised me though was the invaluable networking that went on among the Yorkshire companies who were thrown together in Italy for just two days. As well as furthering my business prospects in Italy I’ve made business contacts in Yorkshire that will assist my growth at home and overseas.”   

Two new Equine Evolution products are already in the pipeline for 2009 when the company will launch them at international exhibitions in Germany, Dubai and the United States.

Shelli concluded: “We are very excited about our new products which include a range of high visibility riding clothes. Here in Yorkshire we are now in talks with UK Trade & Investment about continuing our export strategy for next year. We are hoping to attract some funding assistance to establish our name and our products at some of the key trade fairs overseas.”

For further information please visit www.equinevolutionuk.co.uk