KERx News

The Thoroughbred mare Camille gained acceptance into the Hanoverian studbook. She is fed KER-formulated products.

The Thoroughbred mare Camille (Prize Ring/Crystal Glen-Rotunda), owned by Neil and Mary O'Connor, was the highest scoring non-Hanoverian mare at the American Hanoverian Society and Mid-Atlantic Hanoverian Breeders Club Mare Performance Test, Inspection and Foal Registration, held November 7 and 8 at Morven Park in Leesburg, VA.

Camille was accepted into the Hanoverian studbook, and her offspring are eligible to receive Hanoverian approval upon inspection.

Camille is the dam of O'Connor's two-year-old filly named As Di Ani Z and a 2010 colt named As Di Valentia, recently purchased by Diane Halpin of Great Falls, VA. Both youngsters are sired by the jumper stallion As Di Villagana. The colt was at Camille's side during the inspection, and he was accepted and branded as Hanoverian.

One product used by the O'Connors is Re-Leve.

Neil and Mary use several KER products on their horses, including Re-Leve and EquiShure. KER Team Member CFC Farm and Home Center provides scientifically formulated feeds for all of the horses managed by the O'Connors.

Three horses recently underwent gastroscopy to ascertain stomach health. Brief descriptions of the three horses, all with a different history of RiteTrac™ administration, follow:

Horse 1: 10-year-old Thoroughbred gelding in light training that competes occasionally but travels several times a month; diet includes a well-fortified grain mixture, alfalfa-grass hay, and free-choice pasture; never given RiteTrac™; somewhat nervous by nature and oftentimes cranky;

Horse 2: 6-year-old Thoroughbred gelding in light training; diet includes a well-fortified, high-fat, high-fiber grain mix, a balancer pellet, and free-choice access to good-quality pasture; given RiteTrac™ once daily when cribbing frequency increased; and

Horse 3: 11-year-old Thoroughbred gelding in heavy training, ridden six to seven times weekly; diet includes a well-fortified, high-fat, high-fiber concentrate, free-choice grass hay; given RiteTrac™ as indicated on the label, twice daily mixed thoroughly in a grain meal; during stressful times, he tends to lose his appetite and fret.

Gastroscopy results indicated diverse gastric environments.

Interior view of a horse's stomach.

Horse 1, the gelding that had received no RiteTrac™ whatsoever, was diagnosed with roughened gastric tissue and small pinpoint lesions that ran the entire length of the lesser curvature of the stomach. No healing lesions were noted. (See a detailed diagram of the equine stomach.)

Horse 2, the gelding that had been placed on RiteTrac™ a few weeks prior to gastroscopy, was also diagnosed with roughened margins and minute lesions along the length of the margo plicatus. Hyperkeratosis (thickening of tissue) and a moderate-sized healing ulcer were also noted along the greater curvature of the stomach.

Horse 3, the gelding that had received RiteTrac™ as indicated for a several months, had the healthiest stomach environment. Though there was evidence of healed ulcers, there was no active disease and no noteworthy lesions.

RiteTrac™ provides total-tract support for horses involved in all disciplines. RiteTrac™ is one product in the KERx range of nutritional supplements.

For more information on gastrointestinal ulcers, check out "Overview of Gastric and Colonic Ulcers," written by Frank M. Andrews and published in Advances in Equine Nutrition IV, edited by Joe Pagan, Ph.D., founder and president of Kentucky Equine Research.

Olympian Karen O'Connor has set her sights on this fall's Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, reports veteran groom Max Corcoran. O'Connor, who is sponsored by Kentucky Equine Research (KER), holds one of 16 spots on the 2010 Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team Short List with longtime mount and Olympic partner Mandiba.

Their next steps in qualifying for WEG will include dressage training with Oded Shimoni and competing in jumper classes at the HITS Culpeper Spring & Summer Show Series. Their next event will be the Richland Park Horse Trials in late August, before heading to the official selection trials, the Land Rover/USEA American Eventing Championships at Chattahoochee Hills.

Corcoran is responsible for O'Connor's top horses, and works with Karen and consultants at KER to assess each horse's different nutritional needs. Each one has to be catered to differently in order to perform its best.

"The most important elements leading up to a competition are overall health of the horse, starting with nutrition," Corcoran said. "Without proper nutrition you cannot have a healthy horse and a healthy horse is a sound horse. My priorities until that time are fitness and soundness as well."

KER products used by O'Connor team include EquiShure™, Restore™, DuraPlex®, Nano•E™, Triad™, Bio-Bloom™, and Hemabuild™, while feed is provided by KER Team Member Pennfield Equine Feed Technologies.