Arabian horse enthusiasts looking to learn more about breeding are invited to attend this year’s Arabian Horse Breeders Conference May 6-8 at Michigan State University (MSU) in East Lansing. This year’s conference marks the second year the university has hosted the event, which will take place at the MSU Horse Teaching and Research Center. It will be presented in partnership with the Arabian Horse Owners Foundation.

The conference includes interactive live demonstrations and classroom presentations. Topics include the genetics and heritability of conformation traits, updates on genetic disorders specific to the Arabian horse, form-to-function of the performance horse, and a session on using learning theory to enhance fair horse training.

Presenters include MSU faculty members John Shelle, MS, PhD; Dennis Banks, MS, PhD; and Camie Heleski, MS, PhD, among others.

In addition to being offered insight into breeding decisions, participants can attend the 2011 annual Spartan Spectacular Arabian horse sale hosted by MSU students at the MSU Horse Teaching and Research Center on May 8. MSU animal science students and students in the Institute of Agricultural Technology Horse Management Certificate Program train MSU-bred Arabian horses to longe, wear saddles and other riding equipment, and yield to the rider’s aids and commands. Horses trained and sold through this course are usually between the ages of 2 and 14 with most being marketed at 3 years of age