TEAMWORK

It’s about teamwork, particularly for “up-and-comers,” such as Jared Leclair and Trent Pedersen. “This isn’t a one-man show, it’s a team effort, from farrier to vets, the people who work for me, our dentist and everyone who has a part in getting horses to the show pen,” says NRHA Professional Leclair, of Leclair Performance Horses, Pilot Point, Texas. “And for sure, customers! They’re the ones paying, and they’re the biggest reasons for the success we’ve had to date.”

It’s also about mentors who help young trainers develop into mainstream professionals. Leclair immediately recognizes Tim and Colleen McQuay for mentoring him when he was their employee. “I wouldn’t be where I amif not for Tim,” says Leclair of the NRHA Hall of Fame member and Two Million Dollar Rider. “He was—and is—a great influence onme andmy business. He and Colleen taughtme a lot about how to take care of a horse and how to maintain them over the long-term. They taught me that you have to know how to keep horses going and showing.”

Likewise, Pedersen, of Trent Pedersen Performance Horses, Eagle Point, Oregon, singles out his time working for NRHA Futurity champions Bob Avila and Todd Bergen, also an NRHA Professional and Million Dollar Rider, as laying the foundation for his successful training business. His advice to other young trainers is to work hard and to put in lots of hours. He’s constantly trying to get better by watching other trainers and trying to learn and hone new techniques.

Both Pedersen and Leclair are goal-setters. For Pedersen, his goal is “to be successful. I’d like to be recognized as a good horse trainer, good person, good showman, and have a good family life, as well.”

Leclair says he wants to be recognized as a successful trainer who contributes to the industry. “I want to be a good influence on the reining horse industry,” he says. “And of course, I want to win the NRHA Futurity, like everyone else.”

THE COMMON DENOMINATOR

Both Pedersen and Leclair share the work ethic noted by Donnell. But a common denominator for them, along with McLaughlin and other Top 50 trainers, is their reliance on Adequan® i.m. All three trainers treat joints with Adequan® i.m.

Jared Leclair and Stun Gun, owned by Victoria Lambert, Hempstead, Texas, made the intermediate open finals at the 2007 NRHA Futurity.

“Horses we treat with Adequan® seem to feel better when they move,” says Pedersen. “Their joints are free and lubricated. And after they have been on Adequan® treatments, horses aremore willing to perform. We treat horses with a seven-shot series prior to big shows and more often if customers are willing.”

McLaughlin, Leclair, and Pedersen have all recognized a decrease in the need to inject hocks with hyaluronic acid. “With Adequan®, we don’t need to inject hocks as much,” says Leclair. “Some horses don’t need hock injections as frequently; Adequan® in the muscle takes care of their joint needs.”

Research has shown after a single intramuscular injection,
Adequan® i.m. reaches peak therapeutic levels in joints within two hours and is detected in cartilage and subchondral bone in 96 hours. In the same study, the hyaluronic acid in the synovial fluid nearly doubles within 48 hours of a single Adequan® i.m. injection.

“I don’t feed any of those supplements, lubricants, joint fixeruppers, whatever you call them, because I figure it’s just going straight through the horse,” says McLaughlin, who times his sevenshot regimen of Adequan® i.m. to administer the final injection the night before performing. “With Adequan® I know exactly where it’s going and it’s not coming out the other end. I’ve used Adequan® for the past 10 years ormore. I’ve tried other stuff, but I’ve always come back to Adequan®.”

“There is no generic Adequan® … it doesn’t exist,” emphasizes Donnell. “There’s only one Adequan®.”