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.

Considered the most arduous endurance race in the world, the Tevis Cup is contested over 100 miles of rugged California trail.

In addition to grueling terrain, the scorching heat offered challenges this year. Temperatures soared into the 90s, and this single factor caused many of the horse-and-rider teams to go slower than normal or retire. Fewer than half of the starters finished the trek.

LR Bold Greyson, ridden by Shannon Constanti, finished in second place. The Crandell family of Star Tanney, Va., owns both Heraldic and LR Bold Greyson, a homebred. Crandell and Constanti finished two hours in front of the other competitors.

Crandell uses several KER-formulated products to produce winning results including Preserve and Hemabuild. In addition, he also uses the KERx Wellness Supplement specifically designed by KER nutritionists. Crandell is brother-in-law to Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D., a KER nutritionist based in Virginia and an endurance enthusiast.

Kathleen Crandell has spoken extensively on feeding and managing elite endurance horses, most recently at this year's KER Nutrition Conference, where she presented the paper "Observations and Recommendations for Feeding the Endurance Horse."

For a limited time, Kentucky Equine Research is offering a clearance sale on Equine Ester 100 at 50% off its regular price. Purchase a 750 gram jar--that's 50 servings--for $21.50. Learn more about Equine Ester 100 and buy online.

Chugg, who is sponsored by Kentucky Equine Research, will train and compete in Europe for the summer and is hoping to represent Australia at the World Equestrian Games to be held this fall in Kentucky. He uses Endurance feed from St Hippolyt, KER's Team Member affiliate in Germany, and has selected KER products Restore, Glucos-A-Flex, EquiShure, EO-3 and Preserve to support his horse's training and performance. "This horse just keeps getting better," Chugg commented after finishing the World Cup competition.

In addition to her balanced diet, Macatina has been prepped and raced on Equi-Jewel and EquiShure. Because Macatina is a high-strung filly, the combination of a hindgut buffer and a high-fat diet has assisted her in reaching the winner's circle.

When not in active race training, Macatina is fed All Phase Feed Balancer Pellet and rich West Gippsland pasture to ensure that she receives all of the essential nutrients required to recuperate and prepare for her next victory.

"KERx is pleased to introduce three new products to the marketplace. RiteTrac, Nano-E and EquiGlyde have a real place in the management of horses used in all activities, whether it's high-level competition, production, or pleasure riding. As with all of the KERx products, these were created using sound science," said Anne Burton, sales manager for KERx.

RiteTrac is a proprietary blend of ingredients designed to support total digestive tract health. Targeted at both the foregut and hindgut of the horse, RiteTrac works in two distinct ways. First, with its combination of fast-acting antacids and coating agents, RiteTrac quickly neutralizes excessive gastric acid, protecting the sensitive nonglandular portion of the stomach and restoring the normal gastric environment. Second, RiteTrac contains EquiShure, a time-released hindgut buffer designed to act on the cecum and colon by minimizing the effects of subclinical hindgut acidosis.

Nano-E is a liquid natural-source vitamin E product. The availability and necessity of vitamin E in equine diets is well established. Using a unique delivery system called nanodispersion, Nano-E increases the bioavailability of vitamin E, making it more immediately available for use as a body-wide antioxidant essential for tissue repair and for its imperative roles in various body systems. Nano-E is available in easy-to-measure packaging to ensure quick, accurate feeding.

To protect joints and other connective tissues from injuries caused by athletic training and performance, choose EquiGlyde, a safe, highly digestible form of sodium hyaluronate. EquiGlyde supports athletic performance by reducing friction in the joint, increasing flexibility and range of motion, and supplying much-needed nutrients to the joint capsule.

Through its research and consultation efforts over the last two decades, Kentucky Equine Research (KER) has taken a leadership role that has positioned it as an authority on equine nutrition and exercise physiology. To extend the scope of its services to the equine and veterinary communities, KER established KERx Special Needs Nutrition, an array of services designed especially for horsemen and veterinarians that includes the formulation and manufacture of innovative nutritional supplements. KER nutritionists design KERx products to meet the needs of today's horses.

To learn more about KERx and its products, visit www.kerx.com.

Australian Megan Jones couldn't have had a better start to the 2009 eventing season with both her and her mount Kirby Park Irish Jester receiving many accolades for their outstanding 2008 season. Megan and Jester were awarded the following honors:

There is no slowing down for Megan and Jester. The pair flew to New Zealand to take part in the first of the HSBC FEI World Cup Eventing qualifiers held at Kihikihi in March. Megan and Jester produced an outstanding dressage test and clearly led the field with a score of 38.1. Jones produced faultless cross-country and show jumping rounds to finish on their dressage score, earning $23,000 in prize money.

Megan and Jester will now head to Sydney for the second World Cup qualifying event. The World Cup Finals will be held in Poland later this year.

Megan feeds KER-formulated products from Barastoc (Ridley AgriProducts) to all of her mounts including Jester, and she uses several KER supplements such as Preserve, Bio-Bloom, EquiShure, Glucos-A-Flex, and others.

Hall dominated the first four races of the card with blitzing performances by Telecom Emperor, Jade Dancer, Silent Dragon and Siameric Te Specso. To top off these stunning victories Hall also took out the quinella in the final race of the day when Ouraja beat stable mate Prime Score.

"There are so many well respected trainers here, and to win multiple races, two, three or four on a day is very tough but to win five in this company is something really special that I'll always look back on" said Hall when interviewed by the China Morning Post.

David Hall is most well known in Australia for his success with the incredible mare Makybe Diva. Hall trained 'the Diva' to her first Melbourne Cup victory in 2003 before relocating to Hong Kong where he currently holds 7th position on the trainers leader board. David has long been associated with KER and uses Equi-Jewel, EO-3 and the Pennfield manufactured E°Clipse Equine Racing Formula to assist in bringing out the best performances in his horses.

"I am thrilled that RE-LEVE is making an impact in preventing the pain associated with tying-up, and that KER is able to get it into the feed bins of horses across the world. It is great that the creativity of academia can partner with the practicality and resources of industry to make such a remarkable difference in the lives of horses," said Valberg, who first collaborated with KER nutritionists to formulate RE-LEVE in the mid 1990s.

RE-LEVE dealers can be located by going to the KERx Web site at www.kerx.com. A portion of all proceeds from the sale of RE-LEVE will be forwarded to the University of Minnesota for continued support of equine research.

Kentucky Equine Research congratulates U.S. dressage rider Chris Hickey and his mount, Regent, on their recent success at the 2007 Pan American Games. Chris and Regent were the Individual Gold Medalists, as well as members of the Gold Medal winning U.S. Dressage Team. Chris is the head trainer at renowned Hilltop Farm, based in Colora, MD. Hilltop Farm participates in the KERx Wellness Program and includes the KERx Prescription Wellness Supplement as part of the farm's nutrition program.

"We have been thrilled with the results of the Wellness Supplement for both our competition and breeding horses. We love being able to feed only one supplement to take care of the horses' joints, coats, hooves and digestive tracts. We have great confidence in KER, because of their excellent reputation and the extensive research they put into their products. We would also like to say a special thanks to KER for providing nutritional research to support the efforts of the USEF and the 2007 Pan Am Teams." - Chris Hickey, Hilltop Farm.