Do you think the Strasser Method should be banned?

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Hmmmmm I'm against anyone who insists there is only one way to do a job - theirs - and frightens the life out anyone who might not be. If you take a look at www.johnthevet.co.uk (or is it com?) he presents arguments for and against ms strasser - and allows her to comment!

What frightens me is anyone thinking or being given the impression they can set about any horse's foot with practically no training or proper understanding of the mechanics.

KC La Pierre's lot seem to have a more sensible and less radical approach, but I'd need several hours in the company of any barefoot practitioner to really be able to make my mind up if they were talking any sense.

My farrier's take on it is no less intimidating - they have been shoeing horses (with iron/steel) for 1000 years (?!) and nobody has found a better substitute (!) so it must be OK.

I'm having problems with that, too........
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Do I think the Strasser method should be banned? Technically, if Strasser disciples are inflicting pain and suffering, then it is banned already. We have legislation to prevent people causing pain and suffering to animals (allegedly) and I'm not a fan of more legislation for the sake of it. Be careful what you wish for because it may come back and bite you on the bum.....

Puddicat - the farmer we rent our field off has likened it to a pyramid selling cult in the past - and there's probably some truth in that. It is cult like. The problem is with her books is that a lot of what she says is true, but the conclusions she comes to are very very flawed. I read them and thought 'well I agree with point A, I agree with point B, I agree with point C, but how the HECK did she arrive at point Z from A, B and C????'. But I would imagine that I lot of people, because A, B and C are true would make that leap to assume Z was also true. And there are a lot of very poor farriers out there. If you've got a poor farrier and you know something is not right with your horse's feet, and someone comes along spouting a load of credible arguments, you can see how people get sucked in.

Rather than banning Strasser, which would have the effect of banning any non-farrier trimming, which would then also affect 1000s of other very capable people who have been trimming horse's feet for years (many with their farrier's blessing), maybe we should look at why people turn to her in the first place.

There are a lot of really awful farriers out there. Where is the continuing professional development? Where are the customer service/communication skills? Where is the reassurance that your complaints will be dealt with seriously and not swept under the carpet? Where is the ongoing quality control?

I'm very lucky, I have a great farrier, who will shoe or not shoe depending on the horse's circumstances, and who is more than capable of keeping the unshod horse sound in work. Our farriers will explain what they are doing. They will offer their opinion on how the foot is progressing. They will try new things and make suggestions. They do offer a comprehensive training package for their apprentices (because they have no faith in the farriery colleges whatsoever).

But my forge took some finding. I had to search through a miriad of butchers, unregistered farriers, uninsured farriers, arrogant farriers, greedy farriers who rushed every job, unreliable farriers, and generally every other type of useless farrier first.

Even then, my farriers say that the majority of horseowners aren't interested in their horse's feet. And a lot of them shoe when they don't need to, and then leave the foot far too long between visits because 'the shoe isn't worn'. So of course feet get deformed.

What's the answer? I think it comes down to education.
 
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