Horse Identification - Branding

[Michelle Clarke]

Lately on another horse Board, there was a talk regarding Horse Identification, including Microchipping and branding. I was wondering what everyone does to keep their horses safe and how you would identify them if they were lost or stolen. Lots of folks lost their horses in the California fires and had a hard time even recognizing them in the holding facilities because of injuries and condition...

I have never belived in the Microchipping, as I have been told by countless vets that many are not even readable just out of the box, much less years later. They can break inside of an animal, they can travel if not injected properly and they can cause permenant pain in a horses neck to where they develop training issues (not to mention lumps or reactions).

Auction houses do not check for microchips, the slaughter houses did not and if your horse is stolen and resold, who would check for that on a new horse?

A lot of folks are also very against branding, even freezebranding....the BLM horses come with those id's, but if they are under a mane, how is a policeman to identify the horse from a distance?

As many know, we do freezebrand - a big one right on the rumpus. It is easy to see (even from a distance) and is hard to alter.

I do not keep mares, foals or stallions close to the street and easy to see. My young ones are handled very little and basically only myself and another gal can easily finagle them into a halter. I don't let bunches of folks around them, so they can be weary of new people - which is okay with me while they are young. I can't think of one broodmare that some stranger can walk up to in the pasture and halter......and I would like to see some anxious person hurridly put one on Charro!!

We just bought a Pyrenese/Anatolian shepard (who is 45 lbs. at just turning 4 months old) to patrol....mainly I bought him because we do have big cats and I am up and down from the barn at nights during foaling season. We also get lots stray dogs and now we are getting wild hogs - which are not to pleasant to encounter in the dark!

I can also handle a rifle pretty good - even our golf cart has a gun rack!

[DianneC]

I don't brand as its not the "custom" in the Northwest but I don't have trouble with people who do brand their breeding stock. Our 12 acre pasture is on both sides of a fairly busy rural road. The family who owns the pasture lives on one side and the grandma lives on the other. Both have dogs and we padlock the gates. The hot wire is very hot and that discourages casual visitors. We work with the foals a lot and the whole herd is very friendly. But a stanger with a trailer would have a hard time of it as Tia takes the herd off as soon as she sees a trailer.
The main trouble we have had is drunk drivers who take out the fence at three AM, so we have two fences in the most likely spots for trouble with a set back 20 to 30 feet or more. I don't have much sympathy for drunks taking out my fence so its good I don't live there with a rifle.

[lindaf]

Two of my horses came to me with microchips already in place. The other 2 have no identification yet. Hip brands seem to be the most easily indentifiable. Do auction and slaughter houses actually check the brands? Would they check lip tattoos? If the auction and slaughter houses are lax, is there any expectation for them to cooperate with any other identification system?

[fantasykiger]

I do not brand my horses, I am a small set up here. A few horses have brands already as they came with them. Our Arab had a brand but like you said it was way up under the mane, you would not know it was there unless you looked and it was hard to read unless the hair was clipped. The BLM Mustang that is branded I have is obvious as it is not covered by her mane and my daughters 1/2 Kiger has the Fournier brand on her hip. I really do not mind brands so much, as long as they are not on the face and yes I have seen them on the face. Shoulder or hip seems to be the best. With a grey horse they are not so clear, as they age. I do however keep my horses in a large back pasture majority of the time. My horses are very friendly, yes, if someone really wanted to take them I imagine a few would just follow them home. Not the BLM mare of course she is just to old and to smart. She would be the only horse I had left if theives came around, with serious intent on getting my horses. It is is a horrible thought and I do my best to prevent such. I do have dogs and neighbors that keep an eye out for me. Most people have no idea just how many horses I own as you can not see my horses from the road as well. I have no signs out front claiming there are champions here or fabulous horses, just a farm and caution horses sign. So most folks just pass on by. I had a guy from my neighborhood actually come to look at a colt I had for sale, he found me online, he had no idea I raised horses. So I think I am pretty well hidden.

[nrly]

we have hauling cards with pictures of our horse's on them, but I don't feel that is enough, I might look into the microchip, and keep current pictures of my horse's. Like I did when my kids were growing up so if something happened the pictures were current,
nola
Rockn' M Kiger Ranch

[lindaf]

When the vet comes out to do the Coggins each year he takes digital photos. They go into the computer and actually print out on the Coggins report that he gives you.

[lwood92]

I have seen those kind of Coggins. Our vet doesn't do those yet, but I think she might soon. They seem like a really good idea. I would think they would be harder to falsify.

[sonrisa98]

I have found out recently from a friend of mine with Llamas that the microchipping has actually caused cancer in the injection site. I feared that would show up some day in animals and I have never been for microchipping anything. I'd like to get our own brand someday to mark our horses. The blm mare has her own brand but the last 2 marks on it aren't readable. We take lots of pics of our horses from all angles and keep track of any scarring on them.

[kigerfan]

Firefly doesn't have any brands or identification marks other than natural ones and I'm hesitant to change that, I don't think she really needs it. I've never liked the idea of microchips. It just doesn't sound healthy to inject somthing like that. My dog has a tatoo in his ear but he came to me like that. He's not microchipped. My cats are indoor cats and are also not identified.

[lindaf]

I, too, have read the cancer hypothesis. I hope it proves to be incorrect long term. One of my horses came to me microchipped. The other 3 have no identification other than the Coggins report. I have had all of my dogs (greyhounds and Afghans) microchipped.

At the stable where I board, the horses are off the street, but visible. I worry a lot about random brutality and theft. I don't believe that auctions pay any attention to IDs and that bothers me a lot.

I haven't discussed the microchip ccerns with my vet yet, but I need to. I've read that you should ask the vet to test the microchip whenever you are in for a checkup. I know in dogs, the chips can slip and end up in a place other than where they started. Don't know about horses.

Linda

[Michelle Clarke]

Linda, yes, the chips in horses can break, move and cause hosts of issues. The gal that bought Diva had her chipped agianst my recommendation, and she is a piss to flex on that side of her neck. I have done some bodywork to help the area heal, but she still remembers that huge needle and the soreness.

This may be of interest:

www.invisio.nl/antichip/welcome.htm

They sure don't check chips at the auction houses, they don't even do a good job of brand inspection OR Coggins. Bought a ranch horse a few months ago and the coggins was doctored with pen (made the 3's look like 8's) and when I showed the auctioneer he told me the brand inspector was out and should have caught it, but oh well.

Just like anything else, there are positives and negatives!

[nrly]

wow did not know it can cause cancer, well i won't risk my horse's health. I will freeze band them as soon as I get my brand made and approved. And i will get hauling cards with their pictures. Flashy has one, and on their registration papers Stormy has a picture of her and guess what I to am in that picture. and i am in pictures of Riddle and when it is time to get the papers in my name I will send a picture of him with either myself or my hubby in it.
nola

[nrly]

thank you for that site I just read it and will not chip any animal I own. it is worse and allot more cruel the branding any day.
nola

[JoanMRK]

I just got around to reading this post! Very good discussion going on here.

I would like to do a freeze brand but just never have... can't settle on a design. I too would put it on the rump as it is easily seen.

I don't believe in microchipping as I believe it is dangerous and have some other "weird" issues with it; I'm a conspiracy theorist. ;D

I live right on the main road into town and get a lot of traffic. We use a large pasture directly across the street too... all our gates are padlocked and we do have neighbors that look directly on our pastures and would notice anything weird. We have GREAT neighbors!

Michelle, I have just bought an Anatolian / Pyrenees this past November and she is HUGE! She's already larger than my boxer mix and border collie mix and she's only five months. We got her for our sheep because of our horrible coyote problem but she does a great job of patrolling at night already. I'm very very happy with her... couldn't ask for better, and even at a young age! How is your guy doing?




I'd love to see pics of yours if you get a chance!

[DianneC]

What a cute face! Her markings make her look like she's smiling.