The Equine Spine Initiative (ESI) is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to increasing awareness, elevating clinical standards, and expanding diagnostic and therapeutic options for horses suffering from axial skeleton-related pain and dysfunction.
By uniting leading veterinary specialists, researchers, and clinicians, ESI bridges the gap between scientific research and everyday equine clinical practice.
The mission of the Equine Spine Initiative (ESI) is to advance the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of equine spinal disorders through multidisciplinary collaboration, education, research, and innovation.
ESI brings together veterinarians, researchers, imaging specialists, surgeons, rehabilitation professionals, and other experts to foster the exchange of knowledge, promote evidence-based approaches to spinal health, and translate emerging science into meaningful improvements in the care, performance, and welfare of the horse.
ESI is guided by a distinguished board of board-certified veterinary specialists in sports medicine and rehabilitation (DACVSMR), radiology (DACVR), and surgery (DACVS). You can meet them on our Team page.
Interested in joining the community? Apply today for membership.
ESI hosts annual multi-day symposia bringing together equine surgeons, sports medicine specialists, radiologists, and practitioner-researchers to share clinical techniques, diagnostic breakthroughs, and treatment protocols.
Through a rigorous scientific review process, ESI develops authoritative position statements to guide veterinarians on critical diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, such as interspinous space impingement and diagnostic analgesia.
Members gain access to an extensive educational repository, including:
The Equine Spine Initiative is committed to:
Encourage, facilitate, and support collaborative research that expands scientific knowledge of equine cervical and thoracolumbar disease, including its causes, diagnosis, clinical significance, treatment, and outcomes.
Create a forum where specialists across veterinary disciplines and complementary areas of expertise can exchange ideas, discuss challenging cases, identify knowledge gaps, and develop collaborative solutions.
Promote the development, evaluation, and responsible application of advanced diagnostic techniques, therapeutic approaches, surgical procedures, rehabilitation strategies, and emerging technologies related to equine spinal disease.
Provide high-quality educational opportunities through the ESI Annual Symposium, Critical Conversations webinars, recorded lectures and demonstrations, case discussions, and other continuing education initiatives.
Work toward greater consistency in terminology, diagnostic approaches, clinical assessment, treatment protocols, outcome measurement, and reporting to strengthen both clinical practice and future research.
Support collaborative publications, research initiatives, case series, consensus efforts, and responsible data sharing that contribute meaningful evidence to the veterinary literature.
Build and sustain an international network of clinicians, researchers, institutions, and industry partners committed to advancing the field of equine spine medicine.
Ensure that ESI’s educational, scientific, and collaborative efforts ultimately contribute to better clinical decision-making, improved patient outcomes, and the long-term health, soundness, performance, and welfare of horses.