“Equine Both Strength: Factors influencing skeletal health” is a two-part presentation designed for veterinarians, trainers, and horse owners who desire to promote skeletal strength in the horses under their management.

Dr. Nielsen is a professor of Equine Exercise Physiology in the Department of Animal Science at Michigan State University where he has a teaching and research appointment. He has presented this information to audiences across the United States and the world including in England, France, Northern Ireland, Canada, Mexico, Norway, Sweden, Spain, Turkey, Japan, and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

In the first part, Dr. Nielsen introduces some surprising concepts on how to improve skeletal health in horses and then explains how bone grows and repairs itself, as well as how it responds to exercise and training.

In the second part, Dr. Nielsen details important research findings conducted at Texas A&M and Michigan State University over the last 25 years that have provided a better understanding of what does and does not improve bone strength.

The take home messages from this presentation will allow you to avoid commonly made mistakes that lead to weakened bone and should allow you to produce a horse that is better able to withstand the rigors of training and competition with less soundness issues and to have a more successful career.