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Combined driving horses perform work similar to eventers—they need a balance of steady energy for the dressage, explosive power and stamina for marathon, and speed and precision for cones.

Kentucky Equine Research has a long association with 15-time USEF Champion driver Chester Weber, who sits in second after the dressage. Leading up to FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2018, Chester has worked closely with company president Joe Pagan, a Ph.D. equine nutritionist, to optimize his horses’ feeding programs and conditioning regimens.

Currently, Chester uses our Restore SR electrolyte, EquiShure hindgut buffer, and All-Phase ration balancer. Restore SR contains a proprietary slow-release mechanism that allows sodium to be released gradually into the gastrointestinal tract for sustained absorption. When sodium is delivered slowly, more is retained and utilized by the body.

Elite combined driving horses require concentrates in their diet to meet energy requirements. To ensure all nutrients are absorbed and utilized by the horse, and to support healthy digestive function, Chester uses EquiShure hindgut buffer. When large amounts of starch are fed, some may move into the hindgut without being adequately digested. As digestion of easily-fermentable starch progresses in the hindgut, the production of VFA and lactic acid increases, causing a significant decrease in the pH. Additionally, because lactic acid is stronger than VFA, it can cause serious damage to the intestinal mucosa. In severe cases, lactate may contribute between 50 and 90% of the total acids in the hindgut.

Research trials at Kentucky Equine Research tested the efficacy of EquiShure on hindgut acidosis in horses fed a high-grain ration. Fecal examination indicated that nonsupplemented horses had decreased fecal pH after feeding when compared to horses supplemented with EquiShure hindgut buffer. In addition, EquiShure supplemented horses had significantly lower fecal lactate concentrations, suggesting that lactate was being used by lactic-acid-utilizing bacteria to produce VFA. The VFA are subsequently absorbed by the intestine and are metabolized as an energy source in the liver. These significant results suggest that EquiShure prevented the decrease in pH associated with rapid starch and sugar fermentation after a large grain meal, enabling lactate-utilizing bacteria to thrive and convert lactate into VFA.

Chester’s team travels frequently to compete in Europe. To maintain consistent nutrition no matter where he is in the world, Chester feeds a custom mix designed by Kentucky Equine Research technical staff and based around KER All-Phase ration balancer pellet.

In preparation for the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2018, Chester has also been dialing in his team’s exercise regimen with the help of KER ClockIt™, a mobile application developed by Kentucky Equine Research to measure equine heart rate and response to exercise. Kentucky Equine Research interns in Ocala helped Weber use ClockIt to monitor and optimize his conditioning program in preparation for WEG and future competitions.

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