Bachelor Thesis - Christina Kuenen - Hufpfleger

The lack of regulations in education and certification of alternative hoof treatment practitioners made farriers
and veterinarians afraid of the threat of horses suffering. Farrier associations see the risk of lacking equine
welfare. According to responsible duties the number of welfare relevant notifications is low. Nevertheless
public animal health officers report about a considerable problem through unqualified alternative hoof
treatment (BVG, 2007b). Also a farrier association (EDHV) assumes that there is a high number of unknown
cases of animals suffering because of unprofessional hoof care (BVG, 2007). In the UK the Strasser method
was subject of equine welfare warnings of several organizations (Heymering, 2002). Already two alternative
hoof treatment practitioners were found guilty of causing suffering to equines (ILPH, 2006). Because of this
risk new regulation has been developed in Germany (BRD, 2006a).
The education of farriers is regulated through the farriery law 'Hufbeschlaggesetz' and the regulation
'Hufbeschlagverordnung' in Germany. These acts were reworked and introduced in 2006. Next to changes in
farrier education and certification, the most important difference was the definition of farriery within the law.
It was the first time that a definition of farriery has been content of this law.
The new definition of hoof shoeing was: 'Farriery' are all things carried out on hooves for the purpose of
protection, keeping the hoof healthy, correct or treat them.
In contrast the definition of claw shoeing was the following: Claw shoeing are all things carried out for the
purpose of putting on, repair or putting of shoes of claws of animals used for working (BRD, 2006 a).
This revised version of the farriery law was developed mainly on purpose to raise the quality standards in
hoof treatment and therefore the welfare of horses. If it would have been introduced like that, all alternative
hoof treatment practitioners would have been jobless.
Due to a successful constitutional claim of the alternatives the definition of farriery was announced as vain
(BVG, 2006).
Within the comments of equine experts related to the decision of the court, the opinions about hoof
treatment, regulations and equine welfare are scattered widely. Four years later the situation is still the same.
No further regulation has been developed. No quality standard for alternative practitioners exist.
The aim of this study is to give an advice on how to improve quality in alternative hoof treatment in
Germany.
The questions involved are:
How can a certain level of quality of alternative hoof treatment practitioners be guaranteed in Germany?
1.) What is the current state of the hoof treatment sector worldwide?
2.) Is there a need for improvement within the field of hoof treatment in Germany?
3.) How is the potential for improvement within the German hoof treatment sector?
4.) Is there a significant difference in opinion about need and potential for improvement between traditional
and alternative equine experts?
5.) Is there a significant difference in opinion about need and potential for improvement between the
traditional and alternative practitioners?
6.) How can the system be improved to guarantee a certain level of knowledge and quality within the
alternative hoof treatment sector in Germany?
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