On Wednesday, 9 April, an oral hearing on the impact of the veterinary fee scale (GOT) was held before the Environment and Agriculture Committee in the Landtag of Schleswig-Holstein. Together with the other equine breeding and sports associations of the state as well as further organisations, the Association of Breeders of the Holsteiner Horse stated its position for its members here and called for an early evaluation of the GOT.
In recent years, many animal owners have been confronted with significantly higher costs for veterinary care. This drastic increase is due to the amendment of the fee scale for veterinarians (GOT) at the end of 2022. The GOT regulates remuneration for various veterinary services. Particularly in the sector of pets and horses, many animal owners have had to get used to veterinary costs that are mostly considerably higher than the 20 to 25 percent additional costs targeted in advance. The price increase also relates, for example, to the costs for inseminations, pregnancy examinations, and similar treatments relevant to breeding and, in the medium term, to sport. In cooperation with the other Schleswig-Holstein breeding and sports associations and further organisations, the Holsteiner Verband presented the negative impacts of the GOT to date during the oral hearing. Slight declines in membership numbers and the registered broodmare population have been recorded since the amended GOT came into force, alongside the worrying drop in covering numbers and registered foals. The number of registered foals with the Holsteiner Verband alone had fallen by around 15 percent over the past two years. One of the consequences is that breeders are migrating to neighbouring foreign countries where there is no obligation to adhere to the GOT, due to lower insemination and veterinary costs. As a result, this also creates a competitive disadvantage for German stallion keepers. A significant aspect in the discussions surrounding the GOT is furthermore that of animal welfare: the rapidly rising veterinary costs present many owners with significant challenges, going so far as to force some animal owners into difficult decisions because they can no longer afford to care for their animals.
During the oral hearing, the association representatives urged the Environment and Agriculture Committee to formulate a recommendation for a timely evaluation of the GOT, to eliminate its flaws, and thus to ensure its acceptance. Together with the German Equestrian Federation (FN), the breeding associations had previously exchanged views repeatedly, launched a petition, and sought to address the respective state politics in order to achieve a timely evaluation of the GOT.
Photo: Janne Bugtrup
