The Dr. Strasser method or what purports to be her method invented by her is a mixture of various methods proposed by some experts and some not so experts over the years mostly in books published in the 1800’s.  By selective reading and using parts of proposals from a few books but not of any rebuttals she has put forward theories that match theirs in one book.   Quite a lot of what she has plagarised is of use to a horse owner though most of it has been available to them in plenty of other books and is not new by any means.   By using the part of her book on trimming as a basis she has created a program of training so that any person can trim their horses feet after a few hours instruction, According to Dr Strasser you will never need to shoe your horse again and it will not get Navicular, Laminitis or most other conditions of the feet.

  The Style of trimming is a direct take off proposed by some people in the last century, and it was proved then by experience that it did not work and I can’t see why it should work now. Horses have not changed that much though we have as breeders altered some aspects of the foot especially in warm bloods and quarter horses.   I do not see that as an improvement but that is another subject.

  Trimming the foot in a balanced way to my mind is less likely to cause discomfort or injury to the foot system and capsule, therefore is less likely to cause diseases like Navicular, Laminitis or side Bone etc.  What Dr Strasser proposes takes no account of the conformation, types or used that the horse is going to do therefore defeats the object of the exercise.

  By using the Strasser method you will not need to shoe any horse ever again, and all shoeing is a myth put about by Farriers in order to get your money.  I would like to think this was true. Unfortunately riding on metalled roads, stony tracks etc. are not conducive to soundness unless the hoof capsule is protected by a shoe of some sort, and it is of a temporary nature and short duration.  This is even truer if the horse is being worked hard and for long periods of time.

  I am quite happy to advise owners not to have shoes when I think it is not required, and I am sure this applies to most good Farriers of any repute.  To suggest that shoes are not required ever, whatever you may be doing with the horse is to my mind both illogical and stupid.  To put a horse through the pain of being trimmed in this way out fashion and to make it work without shoes so that it becomes footsore is the height of irresponsibility. To be proposed by a veterinarian is even more so, and should be taken up forcefully by the animal welfare organisations in all areas (it might even give PETA something worth while to do……..!!!!!).