GOT survey open until July 26, 2026: Your opinion counts – vote for changes to the GOT

Rising veterinary costs have been a concern for many horse owners in Germany since the revision of the Fee Schedule for Veterinarians (GOT) in 2022. Now, as a horse owner, you are invited to share your experiences directly in a nationwide online survey.

As part of the evaluation of the current GOT, a direct survey of animal owners was launched by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Homeland (BMLEH), among other things at the request of Pferdesport Deutschland. The aim is to better understand the actual impact of the current fee schedule – including from the perspective of horse owners who are particularly affected by the increased costs. By taking part in the survey, you can therefore contribute your own experiences directly.

Go directly to the survey: https://afc-public-services.limesurvey.net/665446?lang=de

Attention: However, the survey is only open until July 26, 2026

Horse owner perspective needed: The people responsible for the evaluation emphasize: Broad participation is crucial to obtain a realistic picture. That is why horse keepers, owners and breeders are expressly encouraged to take part in the survey. The survey is available until 26/07; please allow around ten minutes to complete it.

Participation is anonymous and voluntary. The results will be evaluated exclusively in aggregated form and will feed into the scientific assessment of the GOT. This offers horse owners an important opportunity to draw attention to their own challenges and help shape the future development of the fee schedule. Veterinarians have already been able to complete a survey for the evaluation of the GOT.

The more horse owners take part, the clearer it becomes how the current veterinary costs are affecting them in concrete terms. This can be an important basis for possible adjustments in the future. After all, the GOT affects all horse owners directly.

Fair veterinary costs as the goal: “Sustainable for the veterinarian and affordable for the animal owner – that is our declared goal,” states Dr. Klaus Miesner, Board Member for Breeding. Since the evaluation of the GOT was initiated by the responsible Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Homeland, Pferdesport Deutschland has strongly advocated that, in addition to the veterinary profession, animal owners should also be directly surveyed about the effects of the 2022 GOT revision. The impact of the GOT revision on the equine sector is immense. “We see the fact that the survey, which was not originally planned, is taking place as an initial success on the path toward shaping fair veterinary costs,” says Dr. Klaus Miesner. In addition, a meeting with Federal Minister of Agriculture Alois Rainer is scheduled for July. “There we will also raise the general question of the necessity of the GOT. Germany is the only country in Europe in which the costs for veterinary services are regulated in a binding manner. In neighboring EU countries, it is regulated by the free market – and that works well for everyone involved,” adds Dr. Klaus Miesner. Pferdesport Deutschland/sag