Peter Forssberg

Peter Forssberg was responsible for the SLU clinic of equine medicine for many years. He has also worked as the senior veterinary surgeon for the Swedish Horse Racing Totalisator Board (ATG) and the Swedish Trotting Association. Peter Forssberg has made ground-breaking contributions to establishing and managing disease control in Swedish trotting and thoroughbred racing, including regulations and inspections, together with questions on animal welfare and doping.

Forssberg's efforts were born out of the needs that arose after the creation of ATG. As the number of competitions increased, the sport was hit by recurring outbreaks of diseases such as strangles and influenza. In terms of infection control, the challenges were great due to the extensive contact between animals during competition but also during training, breeding and trading. Initially, Forssberg assisted with the handling of these outbreaks through his position at SLU, but eventually he was invited to take on this responsibility within ATG. It did not take long for him to create an effective infection control organisation comprising a local epizootic group. Since the start of the 1990s, the organisation has been present at all 26 permanent racetracks, from Boden in the north of Sweden, to Jägersro in the south, as well as the gallop tracks in Stockholm and Jägersro.

Peter Forssberg’s innovative thinking and wisdom that inspires confidence also led him to top positions within the sport, working with these issues at both Nordic and international level. Thanks to his work with disease and anti-doping control, horse keeping has become highly significant in both Sweden and at the faculty.

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Peter Forssberg. Photo: Jonna Wagner-Forssberg