E.I.P.P. Europ. Inst. f. Pferdephys.

I can only recommend that everyone have their horse treated there. You saved my pony's life; I can't even put into words how happy I am. Without you, my pony would have been euthanized on September 24, 2020. I googled, called, described the situation, sent pictures, and thank God you gave us a chance. Thank you so much for giving us what I hope will be a long time together 😊

Absolutely not recommended! Convinced by the good reviews, we made an appointment for a hoof analysis, and Mr. Gehrmann explained everything quite convincingly. He said our horse had laminitis because the bars were pressing into the inside of the hoof, causing inflammation. He said it needed to be treated on-site. So we took our horse to the therapy center. At that point, she was walking tenderly. The horses at the therapy center live in a large herd in a kind of open stable. Everything was shown and explained to us. The first thing that struck me as odd was that the horses aren't dewormed regularly (only once a year) and otherwise receive herbs for worms. He also said that horses with laminitis shouldn't be vaccinated because it puts too much strain on their metabolism (but apparently, grazing isn't, as it later turned out). As we were leaving, I mentioned that my horse with laminitis hadn't yet been turned out to pasture. This was accepted with a nod of agreement. So I thought it was clear that a gradual introduction to pasture would take place before turnout. (If turnout even occurs at all, as this can be quite critical for horses with laminitis.) When I visited my horse after four weeks, I found her completely lame in a pasture. When I asked how she had been introduced to pasture, I was told: not at all. When I inquired why, I was told that everyone else who does this has no clue and that they had never had any bad experiences there. However, my horse's gait contradicted this completely. She walked as if she were in the midst of a severe laminitis attack and must have been in incredible pain, which, according to Mr. Gehrmann, she simply had to endure. This pain could also be due to the type of hoof trimming, which is similar to Strasser's. Furthermore, the horses there are also put in a horse walker to promote blood circulation in the hooves. I don't know if my horse had to walk there with her pain, but even if she was only experiencing minor pain, I find it more than questionable to force horses in pain to walk. ... I left with a bad feeling, but I wanted to give the therapy another chance. After getting several second opinions, I decided I wanted to pick up my horse immediately to spare him this suffering. Several farriers confirmed that my horse didn't have a severe case of laminitis, which could be treated effectively at home. They all distanced themselves from Mr. Gehrmann's hoof trimming methods, as he believes everyone else is doing it wrong. At the time of pickup, there was still an outstanding bill for the x-rays. This bill wasn't issued by the treating veterinarian, but by Mr. Gehrmann. The whole thing seemed very strange to me, which is why I had asked for the original invoice several weeks before pickup. However, I never received a reply. Mr. Gehrmann wrote to me via WhatsApp that no one would be available that weekend to give me my horse's passport (which is understandable). However, I was then told that the passport would only be sent once the outstanding bill was paid. This behavior is anything but legal! Upon arrival, I was asked to sign a document stating that the passport would only be sent after payment. I was also required to have x-rays taken within one week and send them to Mr. Gehrmann. Since it is my horse, I decide whether, when, and which x-rays are taken. I owe Mr. Gehrmann these in no way! In my opinion, my horse received no help during those two months; its condition only worsened. I could not, in good conscience, let my horse suffer for months in severe pain.

I attended the two-day intensive hoof care seminar offered by the E.I.P.P. Institute. It took place in Gackenbach at the Parelli Center Lindenhof, which also offers excellent accommodation. Although there was a lot of information presented, the entire seminar was very engaging, and the time flew by. The more I delved into the subject matter, the more fascinating it became, and I wanted to learn even more. The highlight was the E.I.P.P. hoof trimming, meaning I was able to try it out on a hoof myself. However, I should mention that this seminar does not qualify you to trim your own horse's hooves. For that, you absolutely need formal training. The weekend was marked by a profound sense of disillusionment with the apparent discrepancy between equine science, with its undeniable findings, and conventional veterinary therapies for certain conditions such as laminitis or navicular syndrome. For me, one thing is certain: my pony will never be shod. The hoof is a marvel of nature, capable of astonishing biomechanical processes and healing, even in our domesticated horses, when skillfully supported through trimming. This became clear to me through the numerous case studies we discussed during the seminar. Even seemingly hopeless cases can be helped. And what is also clear is that it takes time. The horse needs a lot of time. I can wholeheartedly recommend this seminar to every horse owner. It broadens one's horizons immensely and allows one to reflect on one's own actions without admonishing, judging, or proselytizing.

I booked a course, but it was cancelled by the organizer. Since then, I've been chasing after my money, which I doubt will be refunded voluntarily. Absolutely unacceptable, zero stars!