Instructor Bios

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Arlene White, PT M. AnimSt (physiotherapy) and founder of Animal Rehab Institute

Arlene received her Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Therapy from Florida A & M University, Tallahassee, FL in 1998 and her Master of Science degree in Animal Studies (Animal Physiotherapy) under the coordination and directorship of Professor Catherine McGowan, from the University of Queensland, Australia in 2007. Her research was performed in collaboration with Dr. Hilary Clayton at the McPhail Equine Performance Center at Michigan State University on equine limb kinematics using a tactile stimulation on the distal limb in horses which has been published in peer reviewed journals including Veterinary and Comparative Orthopaedics and Traumatology (2008) and the Equine Veterinary Journal (2009). In 2000 Arlene founded The Animal Rehab Institute, Inc. an educational institution for veterinarians, physical therapists, chiropractors, veterinary technicians, physical therapist assistants and horse enthusiasts. An aim of the Animal Rehab Institute is to bring together experts in each specialist field within the realms of Equine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation and to explore the new areas of research, evidence-based medicine, and clinical practice using a team effort. Arlene has lectured on equine rehabilitation at the Combined Sections Meeting of the APTA in 2001 and the International Association of Veterinary Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy Symposium in 2008. Arlene also co-authored the APTA’s Orthopaedic Section Physical Therapy Evaluation of the Equine Patient in 2015. In 2015 Arlene earned her USDF Gold Medal aboard her horse Zydeco; a true testament to rehabilitation of the equine patient.

Dr Hilary Clayton, BVMS, PhD, DACVSMR, MRCVS

Dr. Hilary M. Clayton is a veterinarian, researcher and horsewoman. For the past 40 years she has performed innovative research in the areas of equine biomechanics, conditioning and rehabilitation programs for equine athletes, and the interactions between tack, equipment, rider and horse. She has published over 250 peer-reviewed manuscripts on these topics and numerous articles in the lay press. In addition, she has written 7 books: Conditioning Sport Horses, The Dynamic Horse, Activate Your Horse’s Core, Large Animal Applied Anatomy, Clinical Anatomy of the Horse (published in English, Polish, Portuguese, French, Spanish and Japanese), and two editions of Equine Locomotion. Dr. Clayton is a pioneer of in the area of equine sports medicine. In the 1980s she was heavily involved with the Association for Equine Sports Medicine and served as president from 1990 to 1992. She has been active in the American Association of Equine Practitioners both in committee work and as a board member. She played a leading role in the establishment of the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation; she is a charter diplomate of the college and was president in 2012-2013. She has received several honors in recognition of her scientific contributions. In 2001 she was inducted into the Equine Veterinarians Hall of Fame and in 2011 she became an Honorary Fellow of the International Society for Equitation Science. She has also been inducted into the Midwest Dressage Association Hall of Fame and the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame Dr. Clayton retired from academia in 2014 but she is still active in research and teaching through collaborations with colleagues at the University of Central Lancashire in the UK, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Sweden, and Lusofona University in Portugal. She is currently a visiting professor at Nottingham Trent University In the UK. Her company Sport Horse Science, LLC, has been established with the goal of applying the results of scientific research in the development of practical tools and techniques to help riders, trainers and veterinarians. Products she has been involved indeveloping include Vert and Pace. A lifelong rider, Dr. Clayton has competed in many equestrian sports, including eventing, show jumping, polo, endurance racing, cutting and combined driving. She now focuses on dressage and trains through the Grand Prix level. She has earned gold, silver and bronze medals from the US Dressage Federation and is currently training two Lusitano geldings.

Dr Anna Firshman, BVSc, PhD, DACVIM, DACVSMR

Anna Firshman, BVSc, PhD, Diplomat ACVIM, Diplomat ACVSMR (Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation)Dr. Anna Firshman is an associate clinical professor of large animal medicine at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine and was previously a faculty member at Oregon State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She received her veterinary degree from Liverpool University, England in 1999 and became a Diplomat of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 2003. She completed a PhD involving the study of muscle disease in horses; with focus on polysaccharide storage myopathy in 2005. In 2010 she was invited to become a charter member of the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation. Dr. Firshman has a special interest in equine rehabilitation therapy and conditioning, and received her certificate in equine rehabilitation from the University of Tennessee. She is particularly interested in the use of rehabilitation techniques in the care of horses affected by neurologic and muscular diseases. She has written or co-authored a number of scientific articles concerning equine sports medicine and is a regular invited speaker of this topic at scientific conferences. Her current research interests involve the study of the effects of underwater treadmill exercise in horses.

Dr. Melissa King, DVM, PhD, DACVSMR,

Dr. Melissa King is a board certified equine sports medicine and rehabilitation specialist at Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Dr. King graduated from Colorado State Veterinary School in 1997 and completed an internship at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, KY. Upon completion of her internship Dr. King returned to northern Colorado to begin her career as an equine ambulatory clinician focusing on equine sports medicine. In 2011, Dr. King completed a PhD in Equine Biomechanics and Rehabilitation at the Orthopaedic Research Center assessing the efficacy of underwater treadmill exercise to diminish the progression of carpal osteoarthritis. Dr. King co-authored the APTA Othopaedic Section Physical Therapy Examination of the Equine Patient in 2015. Currently Dr. King is an assistant professor for the equine sports medicine and rehabilitation service at Colorado State University.

Dr. Lesley Goff, BappSc PT, M.Animst, PhD, MExSpSc, GDip ManipPhysio

Dr Lesley Goff is a Musculoskeletal and Animal Physiotherapist, practising in Queensland Australia. Lesley has masters in Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy, Exercise and Sports Science and Animal Physiotherapy, and her PhD was on the Kinematics and Morphology of the Equine Sacroiliac Joint. Lesley has published her PhD in scientific journals, contributed to an Equine Sport Medicine and Surgery text book, and is co-editor of the Animal Physiotherapy – Assessment Treatment and Rehabilitation of Animals, 2nd edition, 2016. Lesley lectures within Australia and internationally in animal physiotherapy and rehabilitation, and mentors and tutors Australian physiotherapists in musculoskeletal physiotherapy. In addition, she teaches equine physiotherapy to Australian and New Zealand candidates of the Veterinary Physiotherapy programme through the University of Liverpool, UK, and is on the board of directors of the International Association of Veterinary Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy (IAVRPT). In her spare time Lesley enjoys red wine, triathlon, and dry-land sled dog racing with her family.

Dr. Narelle Stubbs, B.App.Sc(PT) MAnSt (Animal Physiotherapy), PhD

Physiotherapist in Equine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation: International lecturer, Researcher and Physiotherapy consultancy. Official Australian Equestrian Team Physiotherapist 1998-current. Lecturer and research advisor: Animal Rehabilitation Institute, Loxahatchee Florida 1998-2014: Associate Professor of Equine Sports Medicine, Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy. Physiotherapy clinician and equine sports medicine and biomechanics research associate at the McPhail Equine Performance Center, Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, College Of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA. www.cvm.msu.edu Narelle originally graduated from the University of Sydney (PT), moving to the UK in 1995 she completed here ACPAT.A (Chartered Physiotherapy specializing in Animal PT) credentials in 1997. Following this she worked in large-small animal and human private practice in the UK until 2002. On returning to Australia Narelle completed the Post Graduate MSc at Queensland University (UQ) and taught on the Vet.PT MSc at UQ until 2007. Dr Narelle Stubbs’ PhD (UQ) focused on equine back pain using a human motor control approach under the supervision of Prof Catherine McGowan and Prof Paul Hodges. Her research focus is on equine Vet-PT-Rehabilitation including back and neck dysfunction, biomechanics, neuromotor control, the horse – rider unit and athletic performance. Narelle lectures regularly at scientific meetings, professional conferences and to riding enthusiasts internationally. She has authored many scientific publications, veterinary textbook chapters, lay texts and is co-editor of the Animal Physiotherapy text. Narelle has been the official Australian Equestrian Team Physiotherapist (horse & rider) at 4 Olympic and 5 World Equestrian Games (1998-2014), across all disciplines. Narelle currently consultants in Equine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation which includes clinical-teaching-outreach and research at multiple international academic and independent institutions, clients and international collaborations.

Dr Sybille Molle, DVM, DACVSMR, CERT

Dr Sybille Molle graduated Veterinary Medicine at the Perugia University, Italy in 2004. After a period of practice in equine medicine and surgery at AEMMECI equine practice in Rome (2001-2005) and at the Département Hippique of the Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire of Lyon, France (September 2008) she focused her interests on rehabilitation and physical therapy of the horse, which led her to become a Certified Equine Rehabilitation Therapist at Animal Rehabilitation Institute, Loxahatchee, FL in 2010. After that date she completely dedicated her professional activity to the treatment of sport horses focusing on manual therapies and the more innovative techniques of equine physiotherapy, athletic conditioning and re-education of posture. Curiosity and the desire to discover some additional techniques brought her to attend in 2011 the courses of the Kinesio Taping Association for human patients. After her initial contact the KTA asked her cooperation to become the first DVM worldwide to be a Certified Kinesio Taping Instructor. Since 2011 she started developing the education program for the application of the Kinesio® Taping Method for Equines. Dr. Molle has been teaching this program worldwide from 2012 until 2016. In 2016 she ended her association with Kinesio in order to expand this educational program with ARI. Dr. Molle has lectured at many national and international congresses in equine rehabilitation including the application of Equine Kinesio Taping, and was a guest author of the 2016 Rehabilitation of the Equine Athlete in Veterinary Clinics of North America, Equine Practice. Since 2019 Dr Molle is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation

Brian D. Nielsen, Ph.D., PAS, Dpl. ACAN

Dr. Brian Nielsen, Ph.D., PAS, Dpl. ACAN Professor Equine Exercise Physiology Department of Animal Science Michigan State University Dr. Brian D. Nielsen completed his undergraduate degree in Animal Science at the University of Wisconsin – River Falls and received both his M.S. and Ph.D. from Texas A&M University. He currently 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. Dr. Nielsen has authored over 50 peer-reviewed papers and nearly 200 book chapters, conference papers, and abstracts, and has secured $1.5 million in research funding. In addition, he has often been invited to speak to various audiences having given 45 invited international talks in countries such as Austria, Brazil, Canada, England, France, Germany, Mexico, Northern Ireland, Norway, Spain, Slovenia, Sweden, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. He also has given dozens of invited talks at national meetings and 57 invited talks within the state of Michigan. He frequently writes articles for popular press publications such as the Thoroughbred Times, Speedhorse, and the American Quarter Horse Racing Journal. He is an active member of the American Society of Animal Science, the American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists, and served as the President of the Equine Science Society – an organization that presented him with the “Outstanding Young Equine Professional Award” in 2001. Additionally, he was awarded the “Outstanding Teacher Award” at the Midwest Section of the American Society of Animal Science and the American Dairy Science Association in 2005 and the “Equine Science Award” by the American Society of Animal Science and Equine Science Society in 2010. Besides being on the editorial board for the Journal of Animal Science, The Professional Animal Scientist, and the international journal Comparative Exercise Physiology, he is a Diplomat in the American College of Animal Nutritionists and served on the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Nutrient Requirements of Horses. Throughout his academic career, he maintained involvement in the racing industry by breaking and galloping racing Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds for over 25 years and has been a licensed trainer since 1997.

Anna Nielsen, BsCA, MSc Ex. Science, MSc Equine Science, CEPAS

Anna grew up in Sweden and Germany and has been involved with horses since she was a teenager. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication Arts, MSc in Exercise Science from Georgia Southern University and an MSc in Equine Science from the University of Edinburgh. Anna is a certified Egoscue© Postural Alignment Specialist and specializes in working with riders

Ann Ramsey, BS, CERA, APF-I

Instructor
Ann received her B.S. in Animal Science from Calpoly in San Luis Obispo, Ca. She is an APF -I Therapeutic Farrier who completed an apprenticeship with Linda Cowles, Vice President of the American Hoof Association. Ann completed Animal Rehab Institute's CERA Certification and founded Ann Ramsey Equine Rehabilitation where she has been using her farrier talents along with her rehabilitation education to help many horses. She is a frequent lecturer on Epona's online site and has a number of wonderful webinars available here at ARI.