Dear Friends,

The 2011 International Equine Conference on Laminitis and Diseases of the Foot was our best yet! The Laminitis Conference has become - across the globe - the single forum that most effectively unites world experts. Where once there was no world forum, now there is something for scientists to build on. In addition to being the place for scientists to gather, the Conference has become a valuable resource for the practicing clinician too. Several of the many innovations inspired at this Conference are now reverberating across the globe and include: improved ways for cooling the foot; preventing laminitis with better materials, and techniques for farriers, to effectively support the diseased foot; and safer, more useful pain medications for the comfort of the horse suffering from laminitis.

As an outreach of this Conference, the first home care nursing program of its kind, Equi-Assist, was launched providing care for the horse at home. A new enhancement of the Conference was a program for individual owners and healthcare workers to share a more united point of view. Another popular feature of the Conference was the "Future Forward" poster session highlighting clinical work, innovative field studies, and practical horse management.

We continue to be proud, but humble, that this Conference has been recognized by independent surveys for becoming the model of effective continuing education. We are grateful for the steadfast support and encouragement of Marianne and John K. Castle's vision.

As professionals and committed supporters, we in the 21st century are actually in a position to affect the health and comfort of horses in ways not possible before. This remains the main reason for this Conference. We will continue to add more information to this website, so I urge you to check back frequently for updates on the Conference and all its activities. We thank you again for being part of this very important cause.

James A. Orsini, DVM, DACVS
Director