Abstract

In the past few years marked changes in the field of farriery have been noted. In addition to the classical farrier, many new occupations concerned with hoof care have emerged, such as hoof trimmer, hoof technician, hoof orthopedist and hoof naturopath. Furthermore, a tremendous number of hoof protection systems have been developed, with an ever-increasing application to horses. However, regulations regarding alternative shoeing methods are insufficient and it is not clear, who governs the quality of the work of the individuals involved. Thus, a neutral authority composed of farriers and veterinarians should be formed to develop guidelines for the education of individuals involved with hoof care and for the distribution of various farriery products.