Hybrid Congress – save the date
5th to 7th of June 2026
Congress language: english
participation: in person or online
Intro (video)Accreditation by the Society of Swiss Veterianarians (GST):
Friday: 7 hours
Saturday: 7 hours
Sunday: 4 hours


Horses Inside Out:
Eveningshow with Gillian Higgins (GB)
Gillian Higgins will present a unique live performance: on two horses, which were painted by her in a meticulous accuracy on one side with the muscles and the other side with the skeleton, she shows the biomechanics in the movement on the lunge and under the saddle, as well as over the jump incl. rider. She will comment and explain everything.
The show is conducted in English with simultaneously translation in German and can be visited on site or online.
Registration Show (120.- CHF)
Unique opportunity (for non-specialists):
evening show and workshop combo package.
Registration Show and Workshop
Workshop for Riders,Owners, Grooms etc.
Unique opportunity:
Gillian Higgins will be leading a workshop on Sunday, June 7th, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on:
Pilates and Polework – A practical workshop for Horse Owners, riders, trainers, and grooms, building on the evening show, not available for individual booking.
Join Gillian Higgins for an enjoyable, hands-on workshop exploring Pilates-inspired stable-based exercises, in-hand movements and polework that you can easily practise with your own horse. You’ll gain confidence in a range of simple, effective techniques designed to improve your horse’s core stability, mobility, flexibility and overall comfort. These exercises not only enhance performance but also support longevity and promote long-term physical wellbeing, helping your equine partner feel and move at their best.
The workshop will be held in English with simultaneous translation in German.
Price: CHF 290 for the evening show and workshop combo package.
Registration Show and Workshop
Prices congress (in CHF)
SVTPT-Members
all 3 days
.
765
2 days
Congress
675
1 days
congress
360
Saturday
Evening Show
110
EARLY BIRD
ACTION UnTIL 31.01.26
3 days
Congress
Congress
720
EARLY BIRD
ACTION UNTIL 31.01.26
2 days Congress
630
Price congress (in CHF)
Non-members
all 3 DAYS
.
850
2 DAYS
CONGRESS
750
1 DAY
CONGRESS
400
SATURDAY
EVENING SHOW
120
EARLY BIRD
ACTION UNTIL 31.01.26
3 DAYS
Congress
800
EARLY BIRD
ACTION UNTIL 31.01.26
2 Days Congress
700
Speakers
Commited speaker
Dr. Barbara Bockstahler DECVSMR, DACVSMR, FTA, CCRP (AT)
studied veterinary medicine in Vienna, where she initially worked freelance in the small animal practice after completing her studies (1996 – 2002). Since 1999 she has been head of the Service for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna.
more Details…
Med.vet. Marco Bryner (CH)
studied veterinary medicine at the Vetsuisse Faculty in Zurich. He graduated from veterinary officer school and completed the ECVS specialist training program at the Department of Equine Surgery at the
University of Zurich. Since 2019, he has been a member of the Swiss Equestrian Veterinary Commission and team manager and veterinarian for single and pair drivers. He now also holds the position of disciplinary veterinarian.
more Details…
Dr. Maja Guldborg (DK)
Dr. Maja Guldborg, graduated in veterinary medicine from the Royal Danish Veterinary and Agricultural University in 1996. She is an absolute specialist in functional neurology.
more Details…
Sophie Hargreaves (NZ)
Sophie is an Advanced Equipilates™ biomechanics registered trainer and hosts regular clinics both off horse and on horse.
more Details…
Gillian Higgins (GB)
BSc, BHS Senior Coach, Dip (RM) MSM, ITEC (equine), MCAM, MIAS, MRAMP
Gillian is one of the leading equine anatomy and biomechanics educators in the world.
more Details…
Dr. Heli Hyytiäinen (FI)
Heli is the founder of the Department of Physiotherapy at Helsinki University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, head of the FaunaFysio research group, lecturer at the Master of Science in Veterinary Physiotherapy at the University of Liverpool.
more Details…
Dr. med.vet.
Leena Inkilä
(FI)
Leena is passionate about developing tools and practices to help reduce injuries and improve welfare in canine athletes.
more Details…
Prof. Dr. David Levine (USA)
He is a professor and the Walter M. Cline Chair of Excellence in Physical Therapy at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga, and an adjunct professor at the University of Tennessee’s College of Veterinary Medicine. He has been working and conducting research in animal physical rehabilitation since 1993.
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Dr. Russell MacKechnie-Guire (GB)
Russell’s current area of research is horse-saddle-rider interaction, spinal kinematics in horses when ridden over ground, and..
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Dr. Jenny Moe, PT, MS, DPT, CCRT, APT(NV) USA
Dr. Moe now focuses on a mobile manual therapy practice and Doggon’ Wheels in the San Francisco area.
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Marco A. Mouwen
Dipl. PT FH vet.Physio with federal Diploma (CH)
Human and anmial physiotherapist. He achieved his federal diploma for higher education in in anmial physiotherapy 2010
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Pawsthesis (DE)
Pawsthesis is a manufacturer of orthopedic aids for animals with the help of 3D printing..
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Florence Pittet, MSc vet.phys. (CH)
Florence is a human and animal physiotherapist. She achieved her postgraduate Diploma & Master in Veterinaryphysiotherapy at the Unversity of Liverpool
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Dr. Nicole Rombach
MSc, PhD (NL)
She earned her PhD from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University. Her doctoral research was investigation into equine neck pain from the perspectives of pathology, neuromotor control and equine behaviour associated with spinal dysfunction.
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Dr. Carrie Schlachter, VMD, DACVSMR (USA)
She is a board-certified specialist in Veterinary Sports Medicine and
Rehabilitation (Diplomate of the ACVSMR) with over two decades of experience in the
diagnosis, treatment, and recovery of equine athletes.
more Details…
Dr Lindsay St. George (GB)
She is a Research Fellow at the University of Central Lancashire, where she completed her PhD in 2017. She is research active in equine and human biomechanics, with a special interest in using surface electromyography to investigate how equine muscles facilitate movement.
more Details…
Dr. Jaana Tainio (FI)
She is a Finnish veterinarian with over 20 years of experience in equine medicine and surgery. Founder and owner of an animal hospital – Nikulan eläinsairaala at Kaustinen area in Finland.
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Dr. med. vet Rico Vannini, Dipl. ECVS (CH)
He received his doctorate from the University of Zurich in 1984 and specialized in small animal surgery for three years at Ohio State University in the USA. He worked for nine years as a senior physician and lecturer at the University of Zurich’s small animal surgery clinic
more Details…
Dr. Vicki Walker
(GB)
holds a DPhil focused on the use of common exercise modalities in the training and rehabilitation of horses, following an MSc in Equine Science from the University of Edinburgh. She began her research career at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket, where she investigated the effects of training and rehabilitation practices in sport horses.
more Details…
About the organization
SVTPT
The SVTPT is the official professional organization of animal physiotherapists and is recognized by the Swiss Physiotherapy Association physioswiss and the Society of Swiss Veterinarians GST. It offers the federally subsidized preparatory course for the higher professional examination HFP to become an animal physiotherapist with a federal diploma, the additional training for animal physiotherapy. The recognition of the HFP by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation, SBFI took place in December 2008 and thus the profession Animal Physiotherapist with Federal Diploma is a regulated, officially recognized profession.
The association aims to promote the professional education and training of its members and to ensure the quality of animal physiotherapy as well as to represent the professional and economic interests of its members to the outside world. In order to retain the title, the therapists are obliged to attend regular further training courses. As specialists, animal physiotherapists make an important contribution to the health of the animal and to interdisciplinary cooperation in animal health.
Abstracts
Dear Speakers
We very much look forward to organising three very interesting days with the theme „animal physiotherapy“. In order to enable us to present a versatile, interesting and attractive program, we are reliant on your factual contributions. Please create a true to the practice animal physiotherapy workshop or hold a factual presentation about a related topic. You can also hold an introductory about a scientific project known to you, or create a poster. Grab the chance to provide the visitors with a view to your practice, your projects and your scientific work that involves the theme „animal physiotherapy“. This is your chance to actively participate in the second international convention for animal physiotherapy in Switzerland.
Audience
This hybrid congress is aimed at qualified and interested persons in the field of animal physiotherapy:
– Animal
physiotherapists
– Veterinarians
– Related
occupations (branches of the veterinary medicine, osteopathy,
saddlers,
blacksmith etc.)
Modes of
presentation
– The
following modes of presentation are possible:
–
Presentation (30 minutes speech + 15 minutes A & Q) in person or online
Kindly
make a suggestion to your preferred mode of presentation.
Submission
of abstracts
An
abstract in the following category can be submitted with regards to the theme:
–
Scientific project
–
Project related to the practice
–
Submission until the 30th August 2023
Layout abstract

Posters (2024)
Overview of the posters with additional details for your information:
- Communication
- Hippotherapy
- Myelopathy
- Warm up-cool down
- Crucial Ligament
- Collar – Harness
- Capsular pattern
- Saltinhalation
- Boxrest
- Underwatertredmill
- Diagonales Dog
- Diagonales Horse
Contact us

Schweizerischer Verband für Tierphysiotherapie SVTPT
Postfach
CH-8192 Steinmaur















Social program and sightseeing
Intro (Short video location)Gala-Dinner Friday (Menu -> will follow)