Freeze Branding - following previous theft thread

Shysmum

Shysmum

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Ok, so I am going to contact Farmkey today, bite the bullet and get it done.

Lots of questions - does it affect him for showing, does it hurt :eek:; any experiences to share ?? Oh and best place to have it done - shoulder, chest ??

Thanks guys, and thankyou all for your support on previous thread - extra photo of hubs and Shy been added, lol. ;)
 
shysmum said:
Ok, so I am going to contact Farmkey today, bite the bullet and get it done.

Lots of questions - does it affect him for showing, does it hurt :eek:; any experiences to share ?? Oh and best place to have it done - shoulder, chest ??

Thanks guys, and thankyou all for your support on previous thread - extra photo of hubs and Shy been added, lol. ;)
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It will not affect him showing. On my coloured I had it done on his black area hear his left hip so it would show up better, I just clip the hair so it stands out all year round. He is very objectional to things at times so after discussion with my vet I gave him ACP. He did find it uncomfortable but a few minutes of that is nothing compared to the heartache I would have if he was stolen...:)
 
I had mine done by Farmkey, a lot of years ago now! It doesn't affect them for showing, I have my mare done on her shoulder so it is even more visible.

I am in the same area as you I believe, and Peter Allen did them, he was fine with them and got the job done perfectly without a fuss.

I would say it does hurt though, we did have to twitch one. Worth a few minutes discomfort to safeguard their future though!
 
If you have it done under the saddle, you can't ride for a while after until it has healed and is not sore. the shoulder is more visible but I think would be frowned upon at county level showing as it does catch your eye. :confused:

If you show locally or hack about, I'd have it on the shoulder then it doesn't interfere too much with riding.

You could also put signs up warning the horses are freezemarked as if the horse is rugged, a thief wouldn't know he was freezemarked until they had nicked him and taken his rug off!

I'm not sure if some people think this painful and unnecessary now there are microchips?Chips are not a visibe deterrent, I know, but branding is quite painful. It's a long time since I had a horse frezzemarked so I can't remember if they numb the area? A nd I think the cold is less painful than hot branding?
 
For max anti theft, shoulder. For appearance, under saddle.

It shouldnt affect for showing....but you dont see many show horses with them esp on shoulder. BUT I bet good make up could do a lot to cover it. Personally I would rather have a horse to show with a f/mark than an empty stable.....
 
Tonibird83 said:
If you have it done under the saddle, you can't ride for a while after until it has healed and is not sore. the shoulder is more visible but I think would be frowned upon at county level showing as it does catch your eye. :confused:

If you show locally or hack about, I'd have it on the shoulder then it doesn't interfere too much with riding.

You could also put signs up warning the horses are freezemarked as if the horse is rugged, a thief wouldn't know he was freezemarked until they had nicked him and taken his rug off!

I'm not sure if some people think this painful and unnecessary now there are microchips?Chips are not a visibe deterrent, I know, but branding is quite painful. It's a long time since I had a horse frezzemarked so I can't remember if they numb the area? A nd I think the cold is less painful than hot branding?
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They do numb the area and for theft deterrent freezemarking is essential, my horses hardly noiced it was being done as they were being fed carrots :-)))

It is cold so no hot branding.

The pain of losing the horse and potential mistreatment of it once stolen makes the freezemarking process fade waaaaayy into the insignificant realm for me at least.
 
Had my coloured boy done two weeks into having him, farmkey did it. He didn't object just stood and ate a feed. He is laid back. His is on a black patch just down and to the left of his back, under his saddle. He a slight reaction where it scabbed it up but he was only 3 so didn't effect being ridden. farmkey was brilliant they said more likely it was a reaction to the alcholol they put on first as he is pink skinned and sensitive, it was healed up and white in 2 months. His is personlised so its 8UDZ, Buds :D

I love it, wouldn't have a horse without having it freezebranded now. Everyone calls it his numberplate :p
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thanks everyone. He is going to have it on his shoulder, as he's seen out and about a lot ridden. We are only going to show locally, and tbh, with all the interest being shown in him, I would rather not show and have Shy. In the meantime he is now sporting purple feathers, lol x
 
I had my horse freezemarked yesterday by farmkey. He wasnt too happy about it to start with but it was over quickly and he soon forgave me once he got a carrot! The woman who did it was fab, despite 16 hands of fat cob jumping round the stable at one point she just got on with it. Definitely worth doing in my opinion :) oh and mine had his on his shoulder because I wanted it to be visible when im riding
 
shysmum said:
thanks everyone. He is going to have it on his shoulder, as he's seen out and about a lot ridden. We are only going to show locally, and tbh, with all the interest being shown in him, I would rather not show and have Shy. In the meantime he is now sporting purple feathers, lol x
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Good for you :-)))) it's amazing also the relief you feel once it is done. And after a couple of weeks you dont even notice it any more, it's just part of 'them'.

Purple feathers v fashionable this year I believe :-))
 
Juls - it's a lady called Alison who is coming on Sunday - she's from Shropshire, and is travelling right up to Scotland on that day :eek:.

My YO has sent a text out locally, and peeps are already joining us for "the deed". A lot of worried owners around. And yes, I am so relieved, and grateful for posters here who've given me the advice and the push I needed. xx
 
I had my big cob marked on his bum, on a coloured area because it wouldn't sting as much as on the white. It also helped that he had a personalised Freezemark - JO - only two letters so less faffing about for him. He was very good though, which means it didn't sting too much or he'd have been gone.
I had the travellers stopping to comment on him as well, and leaning over the gate asking if he was a stallion. I actually brought one guy in to see him, just to be friendly of course, but really so that he could see that not only was he a gelding, but he had a highly visible mark.
 
tbh, I know that they will always look and comment, and I always make a point of talking to them about their horses when they come by, some are stunners. It's all to be expected owning an untrimmed gypsy cob. I have spoken to all the enquirers so far, and clarified he is a gelding, but unfortunately this was not said yesterday, friend refused to say anything.

That freeze mark cannot happen quickly enough :)
 
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