Image Courtesy of UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine Center for Equine Health As the president of Richdel, my daily focus usually centers on the microscopic details of equine nutrition. I spend a significant amount of my time analyzing the precise ratios of amino acids, minerals, and vitamins that help our horses perform at… Continue reading Points of Precision: Analyzing the Data Behind Modern Equine Acupuncture
Author: Richard Merriner
Life Lived in Faith
Image by Shutterstock Leadership often carries a heavy weight, and as the President of Richdel navigating an ERP evaluation and implementation alongside a management transition, I am reminded of the call to be a Kingdom-minded leader. This journey requires a foundation that is Christ-centered, biblically focused, and obedience driven rather than one based on prosperity… Continue reading Life Lived in Faith
The Invisible Hurdle: Why IBD Might Be Affecting Your Horse’s Performance
Image by Shutterstock As an MBA candidate at the University of Nevada, Reno, I spend a lot of my time focused on identifying inefficiencies and finding data-driven solutions. Whether I am in the classroom or leading the team at Richdel here in Carson City, the goal is always the same: keep the organization running at… Continue reading The Invisible Hurdle: Why IBD Might Be Affecting Your Horse’s Performance
The Collagen Connection: A Smarter Path to Equine Soundness
Image by Shutterstock If you’ve ever watched a horse move with effortless, floating suspension, you’re witnessing a remarkable feat of structural engineering. Every stride depends on a finely tuned system built for strength, elasticity, and resilience. As President of Richdel, Inc., my focus has always been helping horse owners support that system with products they… Continue reading The Collagen Connection: A Smarter Path to Equine Soundness
Fix the Cause, Not the Symptom: Leading with Clarity
Image by Shutterstock Managing a team at Richdel, Inc. while pursuing an MBA at University of Nevada, Reno often feels like balancing two worlds. At the plant the focus is speed and results; in the classroom, it’s reflection and deeper analysis. The tool that connects both is Root Cause Analysis (RCA). Whether reviewing a spreadsheet… Continue reading Fix the Cause, Not the Symptom: Leading with Clarity
“Moody Mare Syndrome” Revisited: A Scientific Reappraisal
Image by Shutterstock The Data vs. The Myth In a study of over 14,000 mares, researcher A.M. Kareskoski found that behavioral problems were not repeatably verified to be associated with estrus. In fact, 56.8% of mares presented for "strong estrous behavior" were actually in diestrus (the phase where they are not in heat) at the… Continue reading “Moody Mare Syndrome” Revisited: A Scientific Reappraisal
The Nutrition of Recovery: Why “Forage First” is the Strategic Play Post-Colic
Image by Shutterstock Colic is the word that keeps every horse owner up at night. As President of Richdel and an MBA candidate at UNR, I tend to look at challenges through two lenses: the biological necessity of the horse and the strategic frameworks we use to manage their health. A recent scoping review in… Continue reading The Nutrition of Recovery: Why “Forage First” is the Strategic Play Post-Colic
Navigating Ethical Dilemmas in Animal Health
Image by Shutterstock As the President of Richdel, Inc., my journey has always been about more than just business metrics; it’s about the people and animals in our orbit. Lately, I’ve been wearing two hats, one as a leader in the animal health industry since 1989 and another as an MBA candidate at the University… Continue reading Navigating Ethical Dilemmas in Animal Health
The Microbiome Edge: Boosting Horse Health from the Inside Out
Image by Shutterstock New research is changing how we understand equine gut health, especially the role of the hindgut in energy production and overall performance. The Hindgut: Your Horse’s Energy Engine The hindgut acts as a fermentation system where microbes break down fiber into short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), including butyrate. These compounds provide a major… Continue reading The Microbiome Edge: Boosting Horse Health from the Inside Out
The Cost of the Call: Leadership, Failure, and Restoration this Easter
Image Generated by Gemini AI The Cost of the Call: Leadership, Failure, and Restoration this Easter Easter is, without a doubt, my favorite time of year. There is a specific kind of joy that fills the home, the laughter of friends, the warmth of family gathered around a table, and the vibrant promise of new… Continue reading The Cost of the Call: Leadership, Failure, and Restoration this Easter
Supporting Healthier Animals & Developing Successful People 