Dr. Hiltrud Strasser (born 1943,

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...

, Germany) is a German

veterinarian A veterinarian (vet), also known as a veterinary surgeon or veterinary physician, is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, vet ...

, who has worked for many years on the

anatomy Anatomy () is the branch of biology concerned with the study of the structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old science, having it ...

physiology Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical ...

pathology Pathology is the study of the causes and effects of disease or injury. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in ...

, and rehabilitation of

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million yea ...

s' feet. She has published papers and books on this topic since the 1980s. Her primary interest is foot balance and trimming, especially in relation to barefoot trimming and remedial trimming of foot conditions such as

laminitis Laminitis is a disease that affects the feet of ungulates and is found mostly in horses and cattle. Clinical signs include foot tenderness progressing to inability to walk, increased digital pulses, and increased temperature in the hooves. Seve ...

and

navicular syndrome Navicular syndrome, often called navicular disease, is a syndrome of lameness problems in horses. It most commonly describes an inflammation or degeneration of the navicular bone and its surrounding tissues, usually on the front feet. It can lead t ...

. As well as publishing papers and books she also runs courses for horse owners,

farrier A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of horses' hooves and the placing of shoes on their hooves, if necessary. A farrier combines some blacksmith's skills (fabricating, adapting, and adj ...

s, and veterinarians in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

and elsewhere. Her courses also concern the holistic care and rehabilitation of horses. Strasser's theory is based on the naturalization of a horse's management (''no stalls, herd life and constant free movement''), on de-shoeing of shod horses and on a trim devoted to restoring normal shape and function of their hooves. She has also co-authored a recent book with Robert Cook, covering bitting injuries and other problems associated with horses' bits. Critics of Dr. Strasser's method of hoof care allege that her methodology may result in lameness, pain, and discomfort. She herself outlines circumstances where her extreme trim could result in the death of the horse under some circumstances. For this reason, many mainstream practitioners hesitate to recommend the more extreme aspects of Strasser's methods.The Strasser Method Trim Considered by Henry Heymering, CJF, RMF [07/02;F;207f2]
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Bibliography

*''A Lifetime of Soundness: The Keys to Optimal Horse Health, Lameness Rehabilitation, and the High-Performance Barefoot Horse.'', Strasser, H. and Kells, S., Third Edition (Revised). Self-published, Sabine Kells, Qualicum Beach, BC, Canada, 1998 *''Shoeing: A Necessary Evil?'', Strasser, H., Ed. & Trans. Sabine Kells, Self–published, Sabine Kells, Qualicum Beach, BC, Canada, 2000 *''The Hoofcare Specialist’s Handbook: Hoof Orthopedics and Holistic Lameness Rehabilitation'', Strasser, H and Kells, S, Self-Published, Sabine Kells, Qualicum Beach, BC Canada, 2001 *''Who's Afraid of Founder - Laminitis Demystified: Causes, Prevention and Holistic Rehabilitation'', Hiltrud Strasser, 2002 *''Metal in the Mouth: The Abusive Effects of Bitted Bridles'', W. Robert Cook & Hiltrud Strasser, 2002 * Welz, Yvonne (ed.). ''Barefoot Stories: Featuring the Strasser Method of Barefoot Horse Care'', 2003.

References

External links

Official website of H. Strasser (German)

Official website of H. Strasser (English)

The Naked Hoof

Official website of H. Strasser (Nordic language/english)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Strasser, Hiltrud 1943 births Living people German veterinarians