Saracen Feeds' Enduro 100 is the feed of choice for Pat Crann, whose jumpers need both quick energy and stamina to give their best performance. Jasper, Pat's mount at the Veteran European Championships, helped the team win their first medal at this level. Pat also had excellent finishes at competitions in Belgium and France, including several Nations Cup wins.

Hallway Feeds products are the choice of many top trainers in the United States, where Bobby Frankel was named Thoroughbred Times Trainer of the Week after sending Latent Heat to the victory circle in the $250,000 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita. Another of Frankel's charges, Citronnade, won the $150,000 San Gorgonio Handicap, helping breeder Frank Stronach clinch the position of Breeder of the Week. Hallway enthusiast Neil Drysdale trained Barathea, winner of the $150,000 San Marcos Stake. The seven-year-old gelding was squeezed into last place early in the race but then flew down the stretch to win his first stakes race by a short length. Drysdale also trained third-place finisher Obrigado in the same race.

Dave and Sandra Dalzell own and operate a breeding, boarding, and lesson facility near Orono, Ontario. They stand a stallion from the Poco Bueno line, start young horses, and practice team penning in their spare time. Last year they and two friends became the first Ontario team to compete in the $250,000 team penning event at the Calgary Stampede, where they finished in fourth place out of 160 teams in the open class. To fuel their horses to this impressive first-time effort, the Dalzells trusted Brooks Feed Store. "Our horses looked terrific and performed so well," said Dave. "There's no question that sound nutrition was a big factor in our success."

Saracen Feeds fueled Priceless, a pony piloted by Sara Howe, to a first-place finish in the Driving National Championship class for single ponies. Saracen is proud to sponsor this fine pony and her driver. Saracen also provides feed to the stable of driving horses owned and trained by Georgina Frith, winner of multiple championships in European competitions and coach of today's top pony drivers.

A good start is essential in any endeavor, and optimal nutrition of stallions, broodmares, and foals is a key factor in producing the best young horses. On the Thoroughbred Times list of the top ten farms of 2006, Hallway Feeds and Brumfield Hay and Grain provide feed to five: Claiborne, Pin Oak, Overbrook, WinStar, and Lane's End. Need more proof? In the first year of its Breeders' Incentive Fund, Kentucky sent the two largest checks to Overbrook and WinStar. The bonus goes to breeders or breeding partnerships and is based on race results for 2006.

The North American Department of the Royal Warmblood Studbook of the Netherlands, or KWPN, has strict breed standards by which young horses are judged. Anime, a yearling filly fed by Brooks Feed Store, was presented for evaluation by an international judge who commented, "She is perfect, exactly what a yearling should look like. Her weight and the quality of her coat are ideal." Anime was given "First Premium" at a KWPN keuring in Maine, signifying she surpassed the breed standard, and was also named Best Young Horse at that inspection. After completing their tour of breed presentations and looking at many young horses in Canada and the United States, the same judges placed Anime first in their comprehensive Top Ten list. Owner Suzanne Trickey credits Brooks Feed for helping her filly reach these achievements.

At the British Dressage National Championships, Olympic rider Carl Hester won the Derby House Prix St. George class on Blake's Da Vinci and paired the victory with a top finish on Valegro in the Shearwater Supreme Championships. The wins brought Hester's total of national titles to 39. Saracen Feeds is a sponsor for this top competitor.

The mare has a tremendous effect on development of the foal until it is weaned. Broodmare nutrition through pregnancy and lactation influence the size and growth rate of the foal, and recent research has shown that some of the foal's metabolic patterns can be altered by deficient maternal nutrition. Glucose and insulin levels in young horses have been linked to the occurrence of developmental orthopedic disease. Guidelines and implications of feed management can be found in Nutrition of the Dam Influences Growth and Development of the Foal.

Unlimited access to fresh spring grass can lead to health problems, according to an article by KER nutritionist Peter Huntington. In an article in "Diet and the Hoof--Piecing Together the Nutrition Puzzle," a hoof care report published by the American Farriers Journal (www.americanfarriers.com), Huntington explains that sugars contained in grass can trigger episodes of laminitis. EquiShure™, a time-released hindgut buffer distributed by KERx, can prevent some of the drastic changes in intestinal pH level that can lead to laminitis. For specific suggestions on avoiding laminitis problems in pasture-kept horses, see Equine Review SU 34, "Countermeasures for pasture-associated laminitis in ponies and horses." Kentucky Equine Research advises owners to seek immediate veterinary care for any horse showing signs of laminitis.