Freeze marking

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Audacity

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I was just wondering if freeze marking is still popular as a form of identification now more horses are microchipped? I know that insurance companies use it for loss of use but just wondered if horse owners themselves use it now?
 
I have mine freeze marked.
Can't see a reason why you wouldn't do it.

I had it done when I bought her as a youngster as she was kept on a yard that wasn't lived at. I had never before been at a yard only (no house) so wanted that visual deterrent.
 
By choice I will never freezemark I don't see the point and the common places that you would have it are covered by rugs or tack anyway.

I microchip as its required for passport and in my view (not having an problems) far less painful/distressing.
 
Freezemarked and chipped as I like the visual deterrent of a mark. My boy’s is on the shoulder so at least couldn’t be hidden by tack; only downside is that he’s grey so it does need clipping. The relative odds of him going walkies round where we are aren’t exactly high (and it’s not enjoyable for the horse but mine found it bearable), but I’m Murphy’s Law personified so it keeps my mind at rest.

Of course it’s not an infallible method! Not a lot is, short of Mission Impossible security that most of us don’t have available. Fact is that it is a deterrent and in the worst case scenario can’t be ‘removed’ (argh) in the way a chip can as mentioned, or ‘lost’ in the body as has occasionally been known to happen. Plus there are that many people who buy without checking for a chip – at least a mark is a prompt, if not a guarantee. Used Farmkey and have had a good experience.

Suppose it does mean I’ll never be able to leave him outside Findus, tho...
 
Absolutely, it is visible to anybody who has vision. I also talk from experience on how effective it is.

Trying to drum up locals to get any Freezemark company to come my way.
 
Micro-chipping is a total waste of time as there are at least 7 different systems each of which requires a different scanner to find it and retrieve the number. Many microchips fail or migrate.

Freezemarking is always there and can be read by anyone. Best place is somewhere on the horses body where it is not covered when being ridden.
 
Definitely still very popular, ours are freezemarked as it's the only visual deterrent - if freezemarked on the shoulder then it cannot be hidden by the saddle when being ridden so easier to identify on photos etc. The FM can also be painted onto the outside of rugs etc which may make potential thieves think twice.
Microchipping is great too but I personally don't think it's as effective as freezemarking - a bay TB with a freezemark is a lot easier to identify than a bay TB with a hidden microchip! You do also hear a lot of horror stories about chips being cut out of the horses neck etc, and agree with OrangePepper that they're not always that reliable - my horse was microchipped in Ireland but neither of the vets scanners could pick it up, so it's either stopped working, has moved (by a lot - we did a thorough search!) or just could not be recognised by either reader.
 
Over here the majority of brands/freezemarks are on the shoulders. Very few have brands on their hindquarters and those are normally breed brands (Hanovarian, Trakhener, etc), no horse that I have seen has a brand where the saddle sits.

Left shoulder is the stud brand, right is the drop number and year of birth.

Here is the stud brand of my friends horse, Bailey
skallybrand_zps17cddca6.png


Bo's stud brand
boleft_zps628422a2.png

Bo's drop number and year of birth (2nd foal born in 2003)
boright_zps2c22336a.png


The brands on the shoulder are noticeable enough to be easily used for identification by anyone (horsey and non-horsey) but they don't affect the look of the horse. As you can see here, Bo's drop number and year of birth are barely noticeable...
stuart_zpscf492f4e.png

Microchips can migrate and you need a reader to be able to identify a horse, brands are quicker and easier as a means of ID.

*FYI both my horses are branded and microchipped, but I prefer the branding as a means of ID*
 
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