SPRING 2024
Dr. Nathalie Reisbig
Reisbig earns top RESEARCH PRIZE Christina Weese
By Cat Zens
Dr. Nathalie Reisbig’s research work on an often-overlooked part of the equine anatomy earned the Western College of Veterinary Medicine veterinarian a top prize of $10,000 at the Calgary International Equine Symposium in September 2023. The annual event, which is hosted by the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, showcases equine sports medicine research from around the world and provides cash awards for the best research presentations.
Reisbig’s award-winning platform presentation covered her research team’s recent work on the equine temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which is often ignored as a potential pain source. All mammals – including humans — have these two joints that connect the lower jaw to the skull. In horses, these joints can experience additional stress when pressure is applied to the bit through rein tension. Reisbig and her research colleagues investigated the effect of acute TMJ
inflammation on rein tension and horse movement when horses were long-reined on a treadmill. Their study showed that under rigorous conditions, TMJ inflammation in a horse can be a source of rein contact avoidance. Their findings were published in Frontiers of Veterinary Science in June 2023. “My presentation [at Calgary] very much focused on the rider’s side of it and ‘their feeling’ side of it — backed up by our objective data,” says Reisbig. Story continued on page 3.