Anastasia
Well-Known Member
I know that some people do not believe in branding, but for us who have it done, it is one of the quickest and less stressful means of horse identification. I have witnessed a huge amount of brandings over the year and I have yet to see one horse have a bad reaction to it, or the brand itself require anything further done to it afterwards.
We had hot branding last year and microchipping. Each of my foals were far more stressed with a vet standing at the side of them trying to get a needle in their neck than opposed to having someone come up quickly to give them a brand, and within 1-2 seconds were away again.
I touched each of the brands afterwards and the foals gave no reaction.......when I touched the necks of those that had got the microchip, each foal was tender and pulled away from me. One foal had three attempts to get it into its neck and was getting very stressed out and rearing to get away from the vet, and we were worried about him injuring himself!!
I think that if a foal was to have a bad experience of the microchipping that it could have a bigger reaction later on with getting normal injections into the neck for vaccinations.
Anyway for those who wish to do something about this you need to act BEFORE THE 28TH OF FEBRUARY!!
[ QUOTE ]
T: 0131-244 6462 F: 0131-244 6616
E: ian.strachan@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
To all on the attached list
23rd December 2009
Dear Sir or Madam
HOT BRANDING OF EQUINE ANIMALS
As you may be aware section 20 of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 makes it an offence to carry out a procedure on a protected animal which involves interference with the sensitive tissues or bone structure of an animal. The Prohibited Procedures on Protected Animals (Exemptions) (Scotland) Regulations 2007 exempt certain procedures from this general prohibition and one of these exempted procedures is the hot branding of equine animals for identification purposes. However, hot branding of equine animals is only permitted in Scotland where a specific authorisation has been issued by Scottish Ministers.
Since these Regulations came into effect specific authorisations have only been requested for a number of Exmoor ponies.
Since July this year, it has been a requirement for all horses and ponies to be microchipped and this has considerably weakened the case to allow hot branding. In addition, the British Veterinary Association (BVA) issued a recent policy statement which stated:
Hot branding is generally carried out without analgesia and is undoubtedly a painful process. The BVA believe that the continued use of hot branding as a means of identifying certain breeds is unacceptable and should be banned on welfare grounds.
This statement goes further than the statement issued by the British Equine Veterinary Association, who wished to see hot branding of equine animals phased out.
As a consequence, we have been reviewing our policy which has allowed hot branding of certain horses and ponies under the restrictions of a specific authorisation. Richard Lochhead, the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, has indicated that he would like to remove the exemption for hot branding of equine animals, making the hot branding of any equine animal in Scotland an offence. This will mean that the Prohibited Procedures on Protected Animals (Exemptions) (Scotland) Regulations 2007 will need to be amended.
It is a requirement of section 20 (6) of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 that before any Regulation is made under section 20, Scottish Ministers must consult such persons appearing to them to represent relevant interests .as they consider appropriate.
Thus this letter is designed to inform you of the Scottish Governments intention to lay an amending Regulation in Parliament and to allow you the opportunity to make your views known to us. In the meantime, no further authorisations to hot brand any equine animal in Scotland will be issued.
If you wish to comment on our plans to remove the exemption for hot branding, thus making it an offence to hot brand any equine animal in Scotland, please send your respond by 28 February 2010 to the following email address: animal.health@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Or by post to:
Pam Kennedy
Animal Welfare Branch
Room 350
Pentland House
47 Robbs Loan
EDINBURGH
EH14 1TY
Yours faithfully
Ian W Strachan
Head of Animal Welfare Branch
Copied to:
Advocates for Animals
Animal Aid
Animal Concern
The British Equine Veterinary Association
The British Horse Society
The British Equine Veterinary Association
The British Veterinary Association
The Dartmoor Pony Society
The Donkey Sanctuary
Edinburgh and District Riding Club
Edinburgh University
The Exmoor Pony Society
Glasgow University
Horse Trust
The National Equine Welfare Council
The New Forest Pony Society
The Pony Club
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons
Scotland for Animals
The Scottish Equine Association
The Scottish SPCA
Scottish Voice for Animals
World Horse Welfare
A number of individuals.
[/ QUOTE ]
As you can see copies of this correspondence has not been sent to any of the sports horse organisations.
For those who get their foals branded I URGE you all to write a letter to the above person. If this gets introduced into Scotland it will only be a matter of time before the rest of the UK is affected!!
Sportshorse Studbooks affected by this are the BHHS, Oldenburgs and British Warmbloods that I know of, that still do branding.
We had hot branding last year and microchipping. Each of my foals were far more stressed with a vet standing at the side of them trying to get a needle in their neck than opposed to having someone come up quickly to give them a brand, and within 1-2 seconds were away again.
I touched each of the brands afterwards and the foals gave no reaction.......when I touched the necks of those that had got the microchip, each foal was tender and pulled away from me. One foal had three attempts to get it into its neck and was getting very stressed out and rearing to get away from the vet, and we were worried about him injuring himself!!
I think that if a foal was to have a bad experience of the microchipping that it could have a bigger reaction later on with getting normal injections into the neck for vaccinations.
Anyway for those who wish to do something about this you need to act BEFORE THE 28TH OF FEBRUARY!!
[ QUOTE ]
T: 0131-244 6462 F: 0131-244 6616
E: ian.strachan@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
To all on the attached list
23rd December 2009
Dear Sir or Madam
HOT BRANDING OF EQUINE ANIMALS
As you may be aware section 20 of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 makes it an offence to carry out a procedure on a protected animal which involves interference with the sensitive tissues or bone structure of an animal. The Prohibited Procedures on Protected Animals (Exemptions) (Scotland) Regulations 2007 exempt certain procedures from this general prohibition and one of these exempted procedures is the hot branding of equine animals for identification purposes. However, hot branding of equine animals is only permitted in Scotland where a specific authorisation has been issued by Scottish Ministers.
Since these Regulations came into effect specific authorisations have only been requested for a number of Exmoor ponies.
Since July this year, it has been a requirement for all horses and ponies to be microchipped and this has considerably weakened the case to allow hot branding. In addition, the British Veterinary Association (BVA) issued a recent policy statement which stated:
Hot branding is generally carried out without analgesia and is undoubtedly a painful process. The BVA believe that the continued use of hot branding as a means of identifying certain breeds is unacceptable and should be banned on welfare grounds.
This statement goes further than the statement issued by the British Equine Veterinary Association, who wished to see hot branding of equine animals phased out.
As a consequence, we have been reviewing our policy which has allowed hot branding of certain horses and ponies under the restrictions of a specific authorisation. Richard Lochhead, the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, has indicated that he would like to remove the exemption for hot branding of equine animals, making the hot branding of any equine animal in Scotland an offence. This will mean that the Prohibited Procedures on Protected Animals (Exemptions) (Scotland) Regulations 2007 will need to be amended.
It is a requirement of section 20 (6) of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 that before any Regulation is made under section 20, Scottish Ministers must consult such persons appearing to them to represent relevant interests .as they consider appropriate.
Thus this letter is designed to inform you of the Scottish Governments intention to lay an amending Regulation in Parliament and to allow you the opportunity to make your views known to us. In the meantime, no further authorisations to hot brand any equine animal in Scotland will be issued.
If you wish to comment on our plans to remove the exemption for hot branding, thus making it an offence to hot brand any equine animal in Scotland, please send your respond by 28 February 2010 to the following email address: animal.health@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Or by post to:
Pam Kennedy
Animal Welfare Branch
Room 350
Pentland House
47 Robbs Loan
EDINBURGH
EH14 1TY
Yours faithfully
Ian W Strachan
Head of Animal Welfare Branch
Copied to:
Advocates for Animals
Animal Aid
Animal Concern
The British Equine Veterinary Association
The British Horse Society
The British Equine Veterinary Association
The British Veterinary Association
The Dartmoor Pony Society
The Donkey Sanctuary
Edinburgh and District Riding Club
Edinburgh University
The Exmoor Pony Society
Glasgow University
Horse Trust
The National Equine Welfare Council
The New Forest Pony Society
The Pony Club
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons
Scotland for Animals
The Scottish Equine Association
The Scottish SPCA
Scottish Voice for Animals
World Horse Welfare
A number of individuals.
[/ QUOTE ]
As you can see copies of this correspondence has not been sent to any of the sports horse organisations.
For those who get their foals branded I URGE you all to write a letter to the above person. If this gets introduced into Scotland it will only be a matter of time before the rest of the UK is affected!!
Sportshorse Studbooks affected by this are the BHHS, Oldenburgs and British Warmbloods that I know of, that still do branding.