The third annual Symposium of the Equine Spine Initiative recently took place in Lexington, Kentucky 26-28 June 2025. Spy Coast Farm Equine Education Center once again provided an excellent venue for 3 days of meetings, talks and practical demonstrations.
Veterinarians from across the US as well as from Europe and Australia convened to learn, discuss and advance their knowledge. This year the thoracolumbar region was brought into focus, with a wide ranging and cutting edge schedule put together by Dr John Janicek and the ESI committee.
The annual business meeting took place on 26 June, with a live stream for remote members. Amongst other topics, improving communication and the dissemination of educational material was discussed, in alignment with the mission statement of the group. The afternoon saw engaging discussion of topics including surgical management of ‘kissing spines’. In the practical session Solange Schrijer, chiropractic practitioner and educator from the Netherlands, demonstrated palpation techniques for thoracolumbar examination.
The full delegation convened on 27 June to consider anatomy, pathology, imaging and pain management, amongst other topics! Drs Kevin Haussler and Melinda Story shared their detailed knowledge of the complex anatomy of this region in health and disease, before Drs. Lori Bidwell and Natasha Werpy discussed pharmacology and imaging respectively. Dr Bob Hunt shared his depth of experience with managing rib fractures and Dr Jan-Hein Swagemakers from Germany presented a thought-provoking case of CT guided foraminotomy for treatment of lumbar radiculopathy. Discussion of insurance and pre-purchase considerations made for particularly interactive topics. A standout practical session was run by Dr Russell McKechnie-Guire from the UK. Dr Guire is a biomechanist and animated speaker who specialises on data led analysis of the interaction between horse, tack and rider. The use of pressure sensors and recording equipment clearly demonstrated the impact of subtle rider asymmetries on the ability of a horse to work under saddle. Our thanks go to the brave young riders who put themselves forward for analysis in front of the group. It came clear that all riders should practice pilates for the good of their horse! Finally, Dr Hayley Mesch gave us a whistle stop tour of rehabilitation options for the thoracolumbar region, clearly demonstrating what can be achieved with minimal equipment on the yard.
Once again as valuable as the presentations, this meeting provided the opportunity for those of us separated by geography or specialism to meet face to face. It’s hard to express the value of this opportunity to share experiences and ideas and to benefit from each other’s knowledge in different disciplines, driven by a common goal of improving our ability to prevent, diagnose and treat conditions of the spine.
We extend a special thank you to our sponsors for this symposium:
Boehringer Ingelheim, Equine Diagnostic Solutions, Hilltop Bio, Platinum Performance, PulseVet, Qalibra, Sound, Surefoot, and Wedgewood.