Horse breeding from planning through foal care

Prevention and treatment for problems of the equine foot

Proper feeding practices for foals, adult horses, and older horses

Discussions about the welfare of our equine friends

Horse-heath-problem risk factors, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment

How to care for the basic health needs of horses

All aspects of caring for performance horses

Design and maintain a healthy horse operation

Prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of leg lameness

News and issues for equine health professionals

Cover Story

The Many Faces of Equine Metabolic Syndrome

Unveiling what EMD and ID really look like.

Also in this Issue

Post-Foaling Red Flags
HERDA 20 Years Later
Strangles: An Old Disease in a Modern World
Before She Foals: Managing Broodmares
Beneath the Hoof Wall: Soft Tissues Injuries of the Equine Foot

Latest Q&A

4 Ways to Boost Soil Health on Horse Farms

April 22, 2024

Q&As

Equine Behavior

Our animal behavior experts field your questions about why your horse does XYZ.

Horse Nutrition

Equine nutritionists respond to queries about forage, grain, supplements, and other related topics.

Performance Horse Health

Veterinarians and researchers tackle questions about equine athletes.

Featured Podcasts

Navigating Skin Problems in Horses

Can PPID or EMS Affect My Horse’s Joints?

Podcasts

Ask 'TheHorse' Live

The Horse’s experts answer your questions during a monthly live audio event.

Equine Innovators

Join us as we interview leading equine researchers from the University of Kentucky.

Fact Sheet: Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID)

Fact Sheet: Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM) in Horses

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Forms

Checklists and identification forms for horse owners

Willem Back, DVM, PhD

Willem Back, DVM, PhD, is currently staff surgeon at the Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht, The Netherlands. He has recieved numerous awards and honors, and in 2008 he was invited as visiting Professor in Equine Orthopaedics for Ghent University. As staff surgeon he has special interest in fracture repair and hoof orthopaedics, and his research topics are mainly focussed on lower limb biomechanics of sporthorses and clinical genetics of orthopaedic diseases, in which he supervises and supports PhD students. Dr. Back is a past president of the Netherlands Equine Veterinary Association (NEVA) and founding president of the Federation of European Equine Veterinary Associations (FEEVA). He and his wife have three children, and he enjoys jazz, classic car restoration, and many sports in his free time.

Articles by: Willem Back, DVM, PhD

Gait To Gate

Willem Back, DVM, PhD October 18, 2001

The scene at a horse sale is familiar. The smell of coffee fills the air as early morning enthusiasts walk through the barns. A first-time-off-the-farm filly whinnies as her dam is trotted down the aisle for a group watching her stride. A man”P>The scene at a horse sale is familiar. The smell of coffee fills the air as early morning enthusiasts walk throug