Freezemarking

[Patches]

My horse is a wimp about having things done to her, she's worse on her legs.

She's booked in to be freezemarked this Saturday. As she's blue and white she's having her mark on her shoulder and it needs to be a bald mark.

Irons are left on for about 45 seconds for each character in the mark. I'm getting a bit anxious as to how she'll react and I can picture her having only half of the first letter and nothing else!

I know it's supposedly pain free marking. Just wondered if anyone with a wimpy horse managed ok with the marking process? They've told me to just offer her a trug of feed but feed is no bribe for Patches when she has something in her mind that she's not going to put up with. She hates have any cream on, equichaps putting on etc etc. I manage to get it done and I know she won't hurt me....but the Farmkey technician will struggle to keep contact with the iron if she doesn't stand stock still.

 

[Maesfen]

If it's pain free why not try blinkers so she can't see behind her and don't faff thinking she will misbehave - that's a surefire way to ensure they do!

 

[Patches]

You have a new user name Pat! I missed that!

I am confident around her and I'm not totally convinced she will act up, but knowing Patches, it is a possibility. I doubt she'll stand stock still, that's a fact.

She's just so suspicious. Don't have any blinkers. I guess what I need to do is stand the other side of her grooming her profusely as she loves a good old curry comb, whilst Duncan stands feeing her polos etc! Worth a try!

 

[UKa]

Hi, I wouldn’t worry too much as the technicians are well used to horses moving about. I had mine done and she is so sensitive to touch anywhere and she was done on her back but all went totally fine; the technician will allow the horse to move forward rather than stand still and they go along the side of the horse if it marches around its stable for the duration of how long the iron needs to be put on; I am sure yours will be fine!

 

[Theresa_F]

All mine have been good apart from Chancer who wriggled on the third and threw his toys out on the final one though we did manage to do it despite him flying around in the stable with me hanging onto him and the operator hanging onto the iron.

In view of the fact that he has been so good with everything before or since, it is strange especially as Miss Delia, one of the TBs I had who was the biggest wimp didn't react.

Can you get something to dope her with- as she can react so strongly to something she doesn't like, plus she is a big girl, I wouldn't take a chance - obviously with her food is not going to work. Mr C munched a loaf of bread when he was done and didn't move an inch.

One final thought, I insisted that they did two of my TBs out of the stable as they hated feeling confined when having things done to them. In view of the clippers, and you finding her better in an open space this may also worth be considering as well as a nice tube of something to relax her.

Hope she is ok and you don't get squashed.

 

[Patches]

Hi Theresa, nice to hear from you.

I think she'd be better outside of the stable myself too but I guess it's up to the technician. I have a tube of sedalin but in all honesty it doesn't touch her. Vet gave it to me to help sedate her for shoeing while her knee was tender post operatively (she was rearing when picking her foot up). Didn't work!

As they are coming on Saturday at noon, it's a bit awkward to ask the vet to come out to sedate her. I think I'm just going to have to see how she behaves. We could always twitch her as Duncan will be around too. (I hate doing this...but it does work).

 

[Theresa_F]

Try her first and then yes resort to the twitch - at the end of the day it is your safety that counts. Do you have a cattle crush

We did try putting a rope round Chancer's nose to try for better control - I refused to have a twitch on him as he was only 15 months but the little bugger still realised he could throw us off - he is such a strong boy.

If worst comes to the worst, call out vet and get her sedated and microchipped at the same time as the freezemark is done then you have all security covered.

If you explain to the operator how she is, they normally agree to try things your way first. They are used to dealing with less than co-operative beasties.

You never know, she may surprise you in a nice way.

 

[eekmon]

When I had my 'whimp' done he was ok, she let him walk round the stable with the iron on and doing that he seemed to be fine! I don't think they will let it be done outside though? The worst horse out of our lot was a big 16.2 cob whom the lady said would be fine as he would of had thick skin, wrong! He went ballistic

She did get it done in the end though! Maybe as Theresa said, some acp could be given before hand? I remember your clipping post, are you going to clip the area first as this has to be done before hand.?

 

[Patches]

Yes she may just do that!

I took the trimmers over the field today when it was time to bring them in. Haven't done any clipper training for 10 days. Switched them on, she moved around me a bit but I touched them on her and she just stood there! Bib clip re-done!

I can't believe how good she is over the clippers, so anything is possible!

A tasty Cairo lick may have to be made.....will certainly keep her occupied!

 

[parsley]

I had Bomber and the pony done in August.

Bomber made a big fuss about it - rearing and cow kicking. The pony took no interest at all. Bomber's mark went scabby really quickly whereas the pony's was slow in coming.

Bomber was very anxious about anything alien touching his back for quite a while - no brushing over with hand, lead rope, weigh tape etc. He was OK with things he knew weren't branding irons in disguise such as brushes saddle etc. The pony didn't care at all!

So I think it depends on the horse.

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Hope it goes O.K. My wimp (15.3hh cob) is being done Friday (fingers crossed). I'm already loosing sleep!!! Fortunately she has a black patch in on her saddle area, so am having it done there. I'm going to have a large bucket of carrots and sugar/cereal intollerance mix with me as these are her favourites. She is a complete wimp about everything. so I not looking forward to it (wish me luck).

 

[Patches]

Yeah, I've already spoken to them and I'm going to clip a big patch on her shoulder Saturday morning ready for them.

Problem with Patches is she's not very good in the stable. That's "her" space so she reacts twice as bad to anything in there. Guess it's from her time in the equine hospital where anyone entering the stable usually came bearing gifts....of the needle variety! lol

Hopefully she'll be fine, but I really don't hold out much hope. She's such a wimp, really she is.

 

[Patches]

Rearing and cow kicking! Oops!

I have a feeling this is what Patches will be doing. Eek!

 

[the watcher]

I had a thin skinned TB done yesterday, he is a real wimp..but apart from getting a bit twitchy towards the end of each letter being done he was fine, actually never stopped eating during the whole process...I use Freezemark though as they only put three digits on (Farmkey do 4)

this is about the fifth or sixth horse I have had marked over the years..had the most trouble with a 13.3 pony.so you can never tell