There is a lot that happens between breeding a young horse and watching that horse step into the show ring years later. At KB Sporthorses, Kellen and Rachel Brady get to be part of nearly every step of that journey.
KB Sporthorses breeds and trains Warmblood show jumpers, with much of their program focused on developing young horses from weanlings through six or seven years old. Their days are spent riding, training, managing the farm, and raising the next generation of horses. For Kellen and Rachel, it is more than a business. It is what they love to do.
Building the Horse Before Building the Athlete
Developing a young sport horse takes time, and Kellen believes some of the most important work happens long before competition. Turnout, good nutrition, daily management, and consistent training all play a role in helping a young horse develop the muscle, strength, and stamina it will eventually need as an athlete.
As Kellen puts it, when competition can come down to hundredths of a second, the small details matter. That philosophy carries through everything they do at KB Sporthorses, from how their horses are raised to how they are fed.
Watch: Inside KB Sporthorses
Forage as Part of the Program
One of those small details is nutrition. Kellen describes forage as "the base of any good nutritional program," and consistency is especially important when horses are growing, training, traveling, and eventually competing.
Anderson Hay happens to play a small part in that program. KB Sporthorses feeds MAG Bales at home and uses our Compressed Bales when traveling, allowing their horses to stay on consistent forage even when they leave the farm. For Kellen, knowing what his horses will be eating regardless of where they go provides one less variable to worry about.
Looking Toward What's Next
This fall marks an exciting step for KB Sporthorses as the first group of horses bred through their program heads to championships in California. It is the culmination of years spent breeding, raising, feeding, training, and developing these young horses.
We are grateful to play a small role in that journey, but even more excited to share the story of the people behind it. Kellen and Rachel's commitment to their horses is exactly why we created Life Behind the Bale, a new series introducing you to the customers, growers, retailers, partners, and people who make up the Anderson Hay community.
Behind every bale there is a story. Life Behind the Bale is about telling those stories.
