To help combat the prevalent and devastating condition of laminitis, the Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ) has made a collection of research papers available online to both veterinarians and horse owners. The initiative has been made possible thanks to sponsorship from the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) Trust.

EVJ Editor Celia Marr, BVMS, MVM, PhD, Dipl. EIM, ECEIM, MRCVS. equine clinician, RCVS and European specialist in equine medicine, explained, "In view of the growing public interest in high quality science, there is increasing demand for easy, open access to journal articles via the internet, particularly on topics such as laminitis. In recent years, there has been an explosion of knowledge and new thinking about this devastating condition. We have also recognised that some of the old-fashioned remedies, such as standing in cold water, have sound science behind them. I hope that horse owners who are unfortunate enough to have come across laminitis will find this new online resource valuable."

The EVJ laminitis virtual issue, comprising 15 original research articles on topics including the role of insulin, the effects of cryotherapy, and the regulation of epidermal stem cells in affected horses, is available online. In addition the issue contains several articles from international experts commissioned by the EVJ, on important aspects of laminitis including causes, treatment, prevention, and future research projects.

Contributors to this special issue include world-leading equine veterinary and research experts on the subject of laminitis James Belknap, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVS; Ray Geor, BVSc, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM; Samuel Black, PhD; and James A. Orsini, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, from the United States, as well as Andrew van Eps, BVSc, PhD, MACVSc, Dipl. ACVIM, and Nicola Menzies-Gow, MA, VetMB, Dipl. ECEIM, Cert EM (internal medicine), PhD, MRCVS from Australia and the U.K., respectively