Current spinal research and recent advances in diagnostic and advanced imaging techniques have created awareness of the prevalence and clinical significance of formerly under appreciated or undiagnosed spinal and sacroiliac disorders in horses. Detailed spinal examination, manual therapy techniques and specific rehabilitation programs provide an increased possibility for effective management of neck, back and sacroiliac problems in horses. Taking up these developments, FES was established in 2005 in the Netherlands with the ambition to provide equine veterinarians and physiotherapists with a high-quality, clinically-oriented, evidence-based post-graduate education in all aspects of the diagnosis and management of neuromusculoskeletal issues of the equine spine and pelvis.

“Back problems are rarely isolated, focal problems”

The definitive diagnosis and effective management of equine back problems is often difficult and challenging. The FES program therefore emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach in both diagnosis and treatment of spinal-related disorders in horses, and supports the integration of veterinary principles and practices with various forms of manual therapy techniques, along with critical assessment of rider and saddle influences on spinal function.

The ambition to create a high-quality program is expressed in the participating invited lecturers and instructors, most of them considered experts in their respective fields of study.
The majority of lecturers in the FES course are world-renown veterinarians from universities and large private equine practices in Europe and North America, with diagnostic capabilities and treatment modalities borrowed from both the veterinary and human medicine, physiotherapy, chiropractic, acupuncture, osteopathy and other forms of manual therapy.

Both the clinical spinal evaluation, and the trained treatment techniques in the FES programs are chiropractically based. Next to chiropractic, several other forms of manual therapy are presented, demonstrated or trained to offer candidates a basic knowledge on their diagnostic and therapeutic methods.
All presented diagnostic and therapeutic approaches are critically evaluated on their perceived usefulness for horses with neuromusculoskeletal causes of poor performance or spinal-related disorders.