Sport
28 January, 2025
Breaking world records the goal
In February, 4BP Horses, based at East Greenmount’s Lauralla Lodge, is aiming to set new world records.
In 2022, Joe Hughes and his wife Miranda bought Lauralla Lodge, a 152 acre horse property on the New England Highway at East Greenmount where he now uses his unique 4BP horse training methods (4 Brumby Protection) to transform wild brumbies for a life working with people.
Joe is world-renowned in the field of horse breaking, having achieved a world record when he broke in
55 horses in 6 days.
In 2018, he took on the challenge of training 70 wild brumbies to accept
a rider in 70 days for an ABC documentary.
In February, Joe said he has more world record broking in sight as he plans to break in ten horses in two weeks, and then twenty horses in five days.
The horses include quarterhorses, wild brumbies and Tennessee Walkers, which are very rare in Australia.
Joe said they have been sourced from across the continent, from Gladstone to Western Australia and down to Albury-Wodonga and are all aged five years.
Using 4BP training methods, the average horse takes three hours to train.
He has been on the hunt for courageous horse people to ride the 30 broken-in horses.
A wide range of people have shown interest in taking part, from typical horse people to real estate agents and stock agents.
Aside from breaking world records, Joe and the 4BP team also use horses to help people, akin to equine therapy.
The Brumbies 4 Recovery (B4R) not-for-profit, funded by donations and government grant, runs Community Wellbeing Clinics and Suicide Prevention programs.
Joe said people suffering from mental hardship really benefit from working with horses because it doesn’t have the stigma of more traditional approaches.
“When you’re suffering from mental illness, PTSD, drug addiction, schizophrenia, you don’t want to people to know,” he said.
One girl who Joe has had working with horses recently had attempted suicide. He said after just three days her suicidal ideations had gone away.
Another girl who has recently been treated, who was on he cusp of attempting suicide, is also on the mend.
The public will be able to witness the action at Lauralla Lodge in February free of charge.
As times and dates are yet to be finalised, keep an eye on the ‘4BP Horses’ Facebook page or the website 4bphorses.com over the coming weeks.
The 4BP Facebook page has over 75,000 likes and has reached millions of people.
Those interested in becoming involved with February’s activities or the 4BP program in general can contact Joe via his website.
“It’s all about having fun,” he said.
