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Horses as luxury Goods<\/h2>\r\nEverywhere, the GOT\u2014the new fee schedule for veterinarians in Germany\u2014is being fiercely debated. There are two sides to the coin here: that of the veterinarians and that of the pet and livestock owners. Everyone agrees on one thing: yes, a visit to the vet or a treatment has become more expensive as a result, sometimes significantly so, as examples for vaccinations, castrations, or dental treatments show.<\/br><\/br>\r\nVeterinarians argue that they had not seen an adjustment to the GOT since 1999\u2014meaning around 25 years without a raise despite rising costs (equipment, salaries for veterinary assistants, cars, fuel, etc.). Animal owners complain that they will soon no longer be able to afford animals, because they, too, are naturally affected by the rising cost of living (energy, food, etc.). Whichever way you look at it, keeping horses has become more expensive, and thus the horse is increasingly becoming a luxury good. There is even a risk that some animals will no longer receive adequate treatment because the owner can no longer afford it.<\/br><\/br>\r\nI remember that well into the 1970s, keeping horses was associated with being “rich,” and I had to travel far to find an affordable riding stable. Then, in the mid-1990s, peak activity in terms of breeding\u2014and thus also in terms of horse keeping\u2014was reached. After that, the numbers went down again slightly and leveled off at a relatively high level. Although some horse owners keep their four-legged friends at home and can thus reduce costs, most non-horse people today still associate “horse owner = rich.” In particular, some Arabian breeders have contributed in the past to marketing this breed to the outside world as a luxury item for wealthy sheikhs.<\/br><\/br>\r\nI would prefer to spread optimism, but I fear we will all have to rethink our approach. It is not just veterinary costs that have risen, but also feed costs, labor costs, building maintenance, etc. Added to this are the challenges that climate change poses to us\u2014dry pastures in summer, where supplementary feeding is required because no fresh grass grows, and months of continuous mud in winter because the ground no longer freezes. There are already large boarding stables closing down because normal horse owners can no longer afford the costs, while on the other hand, no business can be sustained under current operating expenses. The labor shortage is also a major problem. An increasing alienation of people from nature and everything to do with agriculture does the rest.<\/br><\/br>\r\nThere will be a structural change. Some breeders are already emigrating\u2014France is currently “the promised land.” Whether this can remain the case in the long run remains to be seen. From a breeding perspective, however, this structural change might also be an incentive to breed for “quality over quantity”\u2014especially healthy and correct horses that need a vet less often. In that sense, such a change could also present an opportunity!<\/br><\/br>\r\n
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<\/p>\r\n<\/br>\r\n<\/br>\r\nGudrun Waiditschka<\/em>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Horses as luxury Goods Everywhere, the GOT\u2014the new fee schedule for veterinarians in Germany\u2014is being fiercely debated. There are two sides to the coin here: that of the veterinarians and that of the pet and livestock owners. Everyone agrees on one thing: yes, a visit to the vet or a treatment has become more expensive … <\/p>\n