# Freeze Brands?



## hillarymorganstovall (Mar 27, 2010)

All these recent horse-nappings have me wanting to brand my horses... I want to have them freeze branded, but I don't know anything about registry, choosing one or how to read them....

Do you have to choose your own, or do they like assign you one at the registry place? Its probably is stupid, but I would rather have a cute one. Not the kind with all the backwards letters and circles... :lol: 

Also, does the brand have to be registered to me, or could I just use it as an identifying feature? And how does it work with white or grey horses? 

I just don't know anything about them or anything, and was just curious!!


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

First, is your horse a registered breed?

If it is, then contact your registry about freeze branding and ask if they have a preferred methodology.

It used to be very big in the Arabian world, but not so much nowadays. My now deceased gelding was freeze branded, and it consisted of an upright 'A' (for purebred) with his registration number in Arabic numerals. Half Arabians had a sideways 'A' and their registration number in Arabic numerals.

Freeze branding is generally their registration number with some sort of other designation, usually for breed.

The hair grows back a different color than the coat, but even if it doesn't, when you get them wet the freeze brand will show up. This is useful information for grey horses, since their brands don't always grow back a different color.


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## hillarymorganstovall (Mar 27, 2010)

My horse is not a registered... I'm mostly only looking into it as an identifying mark if she is stolen or gets out...


That's cool about the water thing....


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Well, all isn't lost if the horse isn't registered.

You can contact any number of freeze branding places and they can give you an idea of the types of brands they have. The easiest is a simple alpha-numeric one, although you can also use symbols.

The brand will need to be registered with your state's livestock agency, in order for them to have a record of it should something happen to your horse.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

Here in the west we have an agency in each state that deals with brands I don't know if you have one in Missisippi. You can pick your own but it can't be the same brand in the same place as anyone else in the state. It usually has to be alpha/numeric (you can't put a hello kitty brand on your horse). Any place that makes freeze brands can make anything you want. Your horse doesn't have to be registered but your brand will have to be. When you go to choosing a brand you want one that is open and simple. It is being applied to a live animal that has a tendency to move at the worst possible time. Also if it gets too cold (or too hot with a hot iron) the brand will blotch and not look right. A's are usually made without the line through the middle so that it looks like this ^. Stay away from B's P's R's G's Q's. It is hard to make them clear and look good and still be small.


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## hillarymorganstovall (Mar 27, 2010)

Alright... Thanks for yalls help


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## wyominggrandma (Nov 4, 2009)

We had horses freeze branded years ago using the registered brand of an outfitter friend. Just had them write a paper that the horses were ours. Never had a problem with brand inspections or anything, even though the brand was not ours. One was a Paint mare, the brand was on her white parts and showed up just fine.

Two of our current horses are freeze branded, the one that isn't is the Paint we rescued and he got such a horrific cut last summer, he will always carry that scar. Since we took before and after photos of it, I figure if there was ever a question, we would have proof.
I was wondering though, how many folks have their horses microchipped? I would think that would be a good way of identifying your horse if stolen, after all nobody could alter a chip. Wonder if that would work?


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

Chips migrate and they are hard to find in a dog much less an animal as large as a horse. Brands can't be removed but a chip can be if it can be found.


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## wyominggrandma (Nov 4, 2009)

Well, in all the years I have put chips in dogs, I have never had one migrate,even years later the chip is within 1/2 inch of the original insert point. I think alot of it depends on how it is put into the skin/muscle over the withers.
I know folks who have chipped their horses, and they are happy with them
It was just a thought.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Wyoming, it's my understanding that unless someone has the proper scanning equipment, a microchip is useless.

I don't know for certain, but I'd bet most auctions and slaughter houses don't have the scanners.

People won't automatically scan for a chip, but a brand is visible and easily identified.

I think for dogs, microchips are very useful. Until we get a better system set up for horses I don't see any reason to chip mine.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

I just got a new dog and if it works out I might just freeze brand her! I'll have to talk to the vet about that.


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## hillarymorganstovall (Mar 27, 2010)

I will probably definitely have her chipped in case she just escapes and wonders off...

That's happened before, its a funny story.... Neighbors found her and just tied her to their telephone pole and when we came along, the little kids were upset and crying cause they wanted to keep her... later, they got the kids a horse!!! it's sweet!!

But I want something obvious that people can see from far off in case she is stolen... That way if someone is claiming they just bought her or something, or the auctions see it, they can call or whatever and I'll get her back.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

Call your state department of agriculture and they can tell you what the requirements are.


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## sherie (Feb 10, 2009)

Is freeze branding painful for the horse?


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

It can be slightly uncomfortable for them because of the cold but it is not painful.


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## sherie (Feb 10, 2009)

Great,thanks. Also thanks for the advise on which letters wont work so good
I am definately going to check in to it. Do you know how the letters S or J work out?


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

They work well because they are very open.


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## farley (May 23, 2010)

hey hey kevinshorses farley here, you seem to have alot of knowledge on freeze branding, i purchased a mustang three years ago his papers where lost during his previous owners divorce well that the story anyway, the thing is tho i have the paper work on my other mustangsand and know their past very well and i am very interested in his past, i would like to know his exact age and what state and county hes from. should i contact BLM or is their a spacific site??? i still cant read brands very well either. do you have any sugestions???


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

I got my last ASH freeze branded as he wasn't registered when I bought him, but we registered him. It's a requirement here that all registered horses are branded. It was easy - They gave him somesedative, shaved his shoulder with a razor blade, and went ahead and did it. It was bizarre, it looked like when you push a seal into wax, and then as it cooled it inverted and the letters stodd out, and then as it healed it scabbed over and then finally the scabs dropped off and it was fine. His was very clear.

My boy now has horrible brands - They just look like a mangled blob. They are meant to say LP on one side and 2/3 on the other. However, I have seen others from the same stud and the LP worked fine, so I think it was just his case.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

farley said:


> hey hey kevinshorses farley here, you seem to have alot of knowledge on freeze branding, i purchased a mustang three years ago his papers where lost during his previous owners divorce well that the story anyway, the thing is tho i have the paper work on my other mustangsand and know their past very well and i am very interested in his past, i would like to know his exact age and what state and county hes from. should i contact BLM or is their a spacific site??? i still cant read brands very well either. do you have any sugestions???


The brands the BLM use are symbols and not really letters or numbers. I'm sure a google search will yield some results about what they mean then you can contact the BLM and get duplicate papers on him.


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## farley (May 23, 2010)

yea i kno what the first three symbols are but the rest i would need to shave and study them agianst a symbol chart to really get the jist. anyway thank you much appreciated


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