« Shoeing : A necessary evil ? »
Dr. Med. Vet. Hiltrud Srasser
«There has become imprinted in the consciousness of horse owners, veterinarians and farriers an image which has nothing in common with the natural, original shape of the horses hoof.»
For 20 years now, med. vet. Dr. Strasser has been pointing out the pronounced deformity of the hoof shape considered "normal" by veterinarians and farriers, but which in reality is one of the main causes for the many common hoof and lameness problems among domestic horses.
«It is imperative that the horse owner become aware of and learn to recognize the shape of a healthy hoof, not only to understand the cause of lameness and how to remove it, but to prevent lameness in the first place.»
Over the last two centuries, many scientists have published works about the effects of shoeing, submitting to the scientific community irrefutable proof of damage done to the living hoof by a shackle of iron. So did Hiltrud Srasser.
In 1993, she opened the institute of Hoof Health and ESHOP (European School for Hoof Orthopedics) in Tübingen, Germany - a center for study and learning, and a holistic hoof clinic where equine patients from around Europe are routinely healed and restored to a fully active life.
