How do you feel about hot/fire branding?

Well, I did feel bad about burning the little one's bottom
blush.gif
but it was very brief and I think the pros outweigh the cons
smile.gif

Now... how do you feel about pink?
tongue.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Now... how do you feel about pink?

[/ QUOTE ]

Now, don't even start me on that one!!!!
mad.gif


I shall be deleting you off Facebook if you carry on at this rate.......
grin.gif
grin.gif
grin.gif
 
Not entirely relevent but when I worked on a cattle station in Oz all the cattle and horses were fire branded.

The weaner cattle were in a crate that tipped on it's side and then castrated (if applicable), fire branded (2 brands at same time - station brand and year) and de-horned at the same time. It was over so quick I don't think they quite knew what was happening and once they were released they trotted off back to their mothers in the other yards and didn't seen non-plussed about it as they had their mums.

The horses were branded on their thighs with the station brand. Everything was branded out there, I guess because they are semi-feral when younger and "turned out" in 40,000 acre paddocks! The station I was on had over 1 million acres and bordered other properties so it was important to know what stock belonged to whom.

The branded of the youngsters (6mths +) was done at the same time as vaccinating and was over pretty quickly and then that was them weaned! None of them kicked out while being branded, there was no infections (despite the flies!) and everything was so quick I don't think they knew what had happened.

It was a bit of a shock when I first went over. Not just the fire branding but there was a lot of things that opened my eyes and now that I think back on it they all reacted better than the one (and only) horse I've seen freezemarked who was bobbing about all over the place.

There was one station that used freezebranding. The station was "Lonesome Dove station" so they used freezebranding simply because their brand was the outline of a dove and it looked "flash" having a white dove. Which I have to admit it did! On white horses/cattle they hot branded. I didn't see them freezebranding so can't comment on the difference.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I would personally say freezemarking is far more cruel that branding. Brands are applied to a young horse (generally), it only take a few moments to take and the horse is usually only starting to react as the brands come off. They are applied to an area that has plenty of covering and little need for lots of nerves (like the outside of out thighs!)

Freezemarking on the other hand is often done to older horses the irons have to be on for a longer period, it is often applied to the neck (where a horse would be attacked by another horse) or the back where the saddle has to go. think about it, where would you rather have pain applied...your spine, your neck or the outside of you thigh (which probably has a little fat even on the thinnest person)

I would prefer a brand over a microchip any day, it's visible, it should refer back to the stud/yard the horse orginated and can therefore be traced! Also it means at shows people know what sort of horse you are riding or at least they know it's a fancy one
wink.gif
laugh.gif
[/quote

Eh? Fishpie imo.
ooo.gif
 
"How do you think the brand looks awful? Do you think it was done badly or do you just think brands are ugly?
Personally, I think freezemarks are just as ugly if not more so "
Yes, I think it looks ugly. Henry's FM is much neater. I suppose it's worse for exmoors, as they are done with two brands on the shoulder and one on the rear. It's certainly not a few second ordeal for them. They just look like barbed wire scars, to me. In the winter, they're not visible at all, from what I gather from others.


"I've seen both VERY clear brands and very fuzzy ones"
I have a limited sample of n=1.
wink.gif
I've seen warmblood branding, which seems to show up better, but it's more symbolic, whereas exmoor branding is herd number, symbol, plus number of pony.

"But presumably someone who knew what he was looking for would be able to see what it was?"
Yes, they would and I can, too, but only up close. The main branding argument from the thread I referred to, was a visible marker for feral ponies. All exmoors are bay to dark bay. If it's hard to make out on a summer coat, then I'm pretty sure I'll have zero chance in winter, as would an expert. I'm not going to clip two circles on one side - it'd look like an odd case of ring-worm and in any case, you couldn't do that with feral ponies!!

"Have you got a photo?"
Not got many, yet (i've had her a week). Certainly the ones I've got are either of her other side or with fly rug on!! She's very pwetty, though, branding or not!
 
My New Forest gelding has a hot brand - it only consists of a symbol and letter, done when he was a foal to identify him out on the forest. I've also just had him freezemarked as the hot brand isn't all that visable. He's two years old and he stood stock still the entire time, there was nothing barbaric about the entire process IMO - and I can be a bunny hugger!
shocked.gif
shocked.gif
grin.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]


Eh? Fishpie imo.
ooo.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

LOL
grin.gif
you are too funny!
I thought it would be less offensive than saying..........."codswallop".
grin.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]


Eh? Fishpie imo.
ooo.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

LOL
grin.gif
you are too funny!
I thought it would be less offensive than saying..........."codswallop".
grin.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

And I thought 'you are too funny' was less offensive than 'fish face'
laugh.gif
 
I don't think the process is barbaric, having been hot branded (by a kitchen accident) myself (I have a lovely number 7 on my arm but thankfully only visable when I have a tan!). However, I don't always think it is necessary - to prevent theft is one thing, to show whose someone's daddy was isn't necessary, as microchips would fulfill that need. I think with most horses, freezemarking is probably a better option in terms of visibility, and I don't think it hurts most of the darker coloures horses, but with pale horses (greys especially) the time the freezebrand has to be held for the hairs to die (to give a bald brand rather than a pigmentation brand) is long, and it does really hurt them IME.
 
I hate hot and cold. We had one of my ponies freeze marked years ago and it was awful, there was no way he didnt feel it - very calm pony flipped out! Would never do it again. Ive had horses who have been hot branded as foals but again, dont agree with it - it must hurt like hell and it shows in the odd video on youtube of the kicks the branders get...
 
QR

Whether it hurts or not I'd always have mine done. I'd rather them be uncomfortable for a few minutes (I'd gladly let them be uncomfortable for a few days to be honest) and still be in my field than not marked and stolen never to be seen again
 
[ QUOTE ]
However, freezebrands don't scar the skin, only damage the hair follicles. Presumably hot brands leave a raised scar on the skin(??) that's got to HURT!

[/ QUOTE ]
On grey/light horses the freezemark is held on much longer than usual to create a bald mark. Hot brands do NOT leave a raised scar (I'd be horrified if they did!) in fact there is no blood at all and the skin isn't broken. I had a poke of LC's brand today and it didn't hurt him at all although it DID hurt him yesterday it was only for a second.

[ QUOTE ]
eta - re identification - each breeder having a different mark? Suppose if you have quantities of semi-wild horses running free then it would be a benefit. European brands tend to just be for breed mainly, don't they? (thinking Oldenburg, hannoverian etc.....)

[/ QUOTE ]
I think it's more about finding your horse if it gets stolen, which happens rather a lot out here. Did you know Argentina is the largest exporter of horse meat in the world?
 
Hot brands hurt for a few seconds RIGHT NOW...Freezebrands hurt for a few minutes in a short while when it thaws out!

It's easier to stuff up a freeze brand than fire, holding it still for 2 seconds is easier than 15 -30 seconds for a freeze brand..and movement creates a shadowed brand.

We choose to brand for a number of reasons, although we chip, it's not a visible ID in the case of a lost or stolen horse, you don't need a scanner to read it (which only gives a number you have to track down) and can identify the breeder easily in many cases... A visible brand can be an important part of a studs marketing plan too.. We choose hot over freeze for a number of reasons too... quicker, more conveinient, more suitable on greys and pinto's white bits... and a more "subtle" brand than a bright white brand on a dark background...it's still quite visible, but not distracting from the picture...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top