Cardwell Park is a boutique pony stud located in the beautiful south coast of New South Wales (NSW). Stud proprietors Tessa Lehan and Steve Peacock are primarily breeding from Arabian and Welsh pony stock with the aim of producing ponies with outstanding temperaments, movement, and conformation for the show ring. This goal has certainly been attained with a stunning palomino colt they bred in 2010, who goes by the name of Cardwell Park Houdini (Harry).

Cardwell Park Houdini

Harry is by the Cardwell Park-owned stallion Marconi Gold Strike (buckskin Welsh B) out of the pure Arabian mare Bluegrass Cast A Spell. Both sire and dam have had exceptional performances in the show ring in their own right, with the dam earning a championship at every outing and the sire being a Sydney Royal Show Champion. Harry is boldly following in their footsteps and was recently sashed Supreme Coloured Exhibit at the recent NSW All Breeds Foal Show.

Tessa and Steve are fastidious about the nutrition of their horses, which has led them to seek advice from the experts at Kentucky Equine Research. Harry in particular has required a carefully planned diet due to the demands placed on him by his show schedule. It is important that Harry receives the nutrients required for sound growth and development in combination with a safe energy source so that he remains in top condition without jeopardising his future as a performance pony. Tessa and Steve have found that Equi-Jewel is absolutely ideal for conditioning Harry, providing him with a low-starch energy source for superior muscle development without the risks often associated with grain. Harry is also on Bio-Bloom, a dual-action hoof and coat conditioner, to add that extra sparkle in his coat and strength to his hooves.

Kentucky Equine Research wishes the team at Cardwell Park a very successful 2011-12 show season.

Meet Greenwood Lodge Samuel, known to friends as "Sam." This faithful pony has been in the Martin family for over 35 years, and at the grand age of 37, is happily living out his retirement alongside his pasturemate Katie, a 25-year-old Palouse pony.

Sam was purchased as a two-year-old by Jess Martin's grandmother for her grandchildren, the eldest of which is now 41 years old. As a cryptorchid, Sam was never allowed to take part in Pony Club, but this never stopped him from having his own fun at home.

"When I was 18 months old I began riding him being led, but because he is a rig he did like to show off to the ladies and would rear, buck, and pig-root very frequently," said Martin, now 17 years old. "When I turned 5 and wanted to join Pony Club, mum had to buy me Katie. Since then Sam has been mostly retired, other than the odd ride from other children, but he comes out into the house yard to pick at grass. When you say, 'Sam, in your paddock,' he can still gallop flat sticks back. He has no arthritis at all."

When Sam recently started having trouble maintaining his weight, Jess sought help from a Kentucky Equine Research (KER) nutrition advisor, who recommended a diet of forage, Speedi Beet, Barastoc Senior, and KER Equi-Jewel. Within a few weeks Sam had gained weight and was maintaining it consistently. Martin said: "I have gradually changed Sam onto the diet you recommended, and he has put on weight again. He is very happy on his new diet, and it has made a great difference to him. So thank you very much!"

For advice on feeding a special horse in your family, contact a KER nutrition advisor on 1800 198 772.

A show pony in New South Wales has found success on supplements from Kentucky Equine Research (KER) and feed from KER Team Member Barastoc.

Corvan Park Queen of Hearts was named Reserve Champion Pony Club Mount under 14hh at the Parkes Show in August 2010. Owner Marie Cooper of Stockleigh Ponies recognizes the importance of nutrition in producing a top-notch equine athlete. A KER nutrition advisor recommended Queenie's current diet of Barastoc Calm Performer, KER Nutrequin and KER Bio-Bloom daily. Cooper purchases her feed and supplements from Parkes Farm Centre.

"My ponies all look good and are staying calm and relaxed," Cooper said. "Everyone who saw Queenie at this show said she had never looked and worked better."

For a free diet analysis contact the KER Nutrition Advice Line on 1800772198 to speak to a nutrition advisor.

Originally purchased in Germany, the pony jumper Janika had talent to spare. Though small in stature (137 cm at the withers), Janika regularly competed over 1.2-meter obstacles. As the pony competed more and more in Norway with her new owner and despite the best of care, she developed a sour disposition and unruly behavior. Believing diet might be partially to blame, the owners changed her feed, but this only made matters worse, as she lost weight and became more nervous. The owners were facing a crisis as the pony was becoming too dangerous for their daughter to ride, leaving the alternative of sending the pony to a sales stable. The stable manager then contacted Kerstin Egeskog at FKRA for advice because she believed Kerstin could help the pony.

This proved to be the right choice as Kerstin offered to take the pony on as a project for her own daughter Ronya. The first management decision Kerstin made was to change the diet and introduce Equi-Jewel, a high-fat stabilized rice bran that provides horses with cool energy. Within one month, the pony's temperament improved, and she was being ridden in a softer bit.

Ronya competed Janika in both speed jumping at 1.05 meters and style jumping (equivalent to hunter competition in the United States), winning second place in one class of 35 entries, only one-half point behind the winner. Ronya and this amazing pint-sized athlete were chosen to ride on the Nordic Development Tour for pony riders.

"Several of my customers have tried Equi-Jewel, and they are all happy with the results," said Kerstin.

Equi-Jewel is available internationally. For more information on other products developed by Kentucky Equine Research (KER), go to www.ker.com.

Egeskog works with Felleskjøpet Rogaland Agder (FKRA), a legally and economically independent cooperative based in Stavanger, covering the southwest part of Norway. FKRA is a feed manufacturer and a leading supplier of animal feed, fertilizers, and machinery for the Norwegian farmer with a history that dates to 1899. The company has approximately 20 shops spread throughout the region that supplies the farmer and items for home gardens and pets.

Diminutive equines took center stage at the 2010 United States Equestrian Federation Pony Finals National Championships, held recently at the Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, Ky.

Ponies compete in hunter and jumper divisions at the Pony Finals National Championships.

Championships in six hunter divisions (green and regular) were bestowed to ponies in three height categories: small (not to exceed 12.2 hands), medium (over 12.2 and not to exceed 13.2 hands) and large (over 13.2 and not to exceed 14.2 hands). In addition to hunters, pony jumpers vied for a national championship, and riders from across the country tested their riding skills in the EquiSport Insurance/USEF Pony Medal Finals.

More information on the competition can be found on the USEF website.  

Ponies are notoriously easy keepers. Ever wonder how horsemen keep hunter ponies in top competition weight? Kentucky Equine Research (KER) went straight to the source. As part of a larger survey of feeding management practices of sport horses, KER nutritionists polled the owners and trainers of ponies to see exactly what they were being fed. The results of the survey are included in a paper titled "Feeding Horses at the Winter Equestrian Festival: A Review of Common Practices," featured in the proceedings of the 2010 KER Nutrition Conference, Feeding and Veterinary Management of the Sport Horse. 

The Kentucky Horse Park is the site of this year's Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. You can win tickets to this exciting international event by signing up for one of KER's free electronic newsletters. Enter to win now!

Pony breeder and aficionado Cynthia Bellis-Jones brought home multiple honors from this year's National Dressage Pony Cup, held July 31 - August 2, 2009 in Wilmington, Ohio. Her Welsh Cob stallion Nistar Blazing Kansas earned the Mature Horse Championship as well as the overall Grand Championship. Bellis-Jones, of Paris, Kentucky, feeds her world-class ponies products formulated by Kentucky Equine Research (KER) and manufactured by central Kentucky KER Team Member Hallway Feeds. The National Dressage Pony Cup is dedicated to the promotion of ponies as dressage mounts in the United States.