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September 22, 2025
NORTHEAST WISCONSIN – Wisconsin native Katie Weber said she has turned her passion for horses into a thriving career.
“I’ve been interested in horses since I was a kid, when I went off to horse camp for the first time,” she said.
Though Weber now leads Forward Equine, LLC as its owner and head veterinarian, she initially joined the business as an associate in 2021.
When the previous owner decided to sell the business last year, she said she stepped up and purchased it.
Though the sudden shift into ownership was a bit of a challenge, Weber said it was an “amazing opportunity.”
On-the-go equine care
Weber said Forward Equine specializes in equine performance, rehabilitation and sports medicine – helping horses reach their peak health and athletic potential.
Though primarily servicing Sheboygan, Washington and Ozaukee counties, she said the business also serves clients in the Fox Valley area and occasionally in Northeastern Illinois, too.
Weber said Forward Equine is a fully ambulatory practice, meaning the team travels to clients with a fully stocked van.
“I love watching horses return to the trail or the show ring after we’ve helped them through an injury or soundness issue and seeing the joy of getting the horse and client back to what they love to do,” she said.
Typically, Weber said she sees/treats between two and 10 horses a day.
According to forwardequinevet.com, Forward Equine offers a range of services, including:
- Lameness exams – to pinpoint the source of horses’ discomfort and focus on diagnosing the underlying issue. Once identified, Weber said the Forward Equine team can create a tailored treatment plan to address it.
- Diagnostic testing – which includes digital radiography and digital ultrasounds. With digital radiology, Weber said the team can view a horse’s X-ray images immediately. She said the team also has a portable endoscope so they can check a horse for gastric ulcers right from its stall.
- Joint health – care focused on treatments into joints and synovial structures to reduce inflammation and promote healing. Based on the details of each individual case, Weber said the Forward Equine team recommends which treatment option is the best fit.
- Veterinary spinal manipulative therapy (VSMT) – helps maintain comfort and performance in equine athletes. Just like humans, Weber said animals can experience significant health benefits from spinal manipulative therapy.
- Rehabilitation therapy – tailored to each horse’s specific condition and goals. The foundation of any effective rehabilitation program, Weber said, begins with a thorough exam, where the Forward Equine team carefully assesses a horse’s strengths, weaknesses, areas of pain, reduced flexibility and any other underlying issues.
- Podiatry consults – using digital radiography, the Forward Equine team can evaluate a horse’s feet and work with its farrier to optimize foot comfort and hoof angles.
Weber said they help all kinds of horses with performance issues – from retired backyard horses to athletes.
Strong foundation
Weber said Forward Equine has offered this specialty service for the past eight years.
Per the website, the Forward Equine team consists of Weber (the only veterinarian) and four support staff – including two part-time, seasonal staff members, one full-time veterinary assistant and a full-time veterinary nurse.
“Our team dynamic is really incredible,” she said.
Building on her lifelong love of horses, per Forward Equine’s website, Weber earned her bachelor’s degree in animal science from Iowa State University, where she graduated cum laude as a member of the University Honors Program.
She continued her education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, completing her degree with a focus on equine care.
During her veterinary training, Weber gained extensive experience through externships at equine practices across the country, exploring diverse approaches to veterinary medicine.
She said she further honed her skills during an internship at Rhinebeck Equine – a referral hospital and ambulatory practice in upstate New York – where she collaborated with specialists in surgery, internal medicine, ophthalmology and reproduction.
Following her internship, Weber said she worked as an associate veterinarian at an ambulatory practice near Philadelphia, managing both emergency and routine cases.
In 2020, she returned to Wisconsin, later joining Forward Equine, where she said her passion for veterinary medicine and her love of the Green Bay Packers perfectly align.
Now, as the owner and veterinarian at Forward Equine, Weber said she incorporates her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and certifications in veterinary spinal manipulative therapy and equine rehabilitation into her practice, offering comprehensive, individualized care.
“I love that every day in this career is different,” she said. “I get to experience different seasons of weather, stages of people’s lives and follow clients through their show careers and beyond.”
As Weber and her team look ahead to the second year under her ownership, she said their goals are to settle into the areas they’re focusing on and work on preventative care.
Weber said the toughest part about her specialty sports medicine and rehabilitation business is that so many people are looking for primary care veterinarians.
“I love that we’re specific… but I wish I could do it all,” she said. “Equine vets in Wisconsin are decreasing.”
Weber said the number of veterinary students graduating is also decreasing.
Per the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), this has been a growing issue around the country for the past several years.
According to AAEP data, the primary reasons for this are burnout and high debt – with many veterinarians beginning their career with more than $200,000 in student loan debt.
