Microchip or freezebrand?

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Bluecat45J

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Have been thinking about security of my horses alot ( keep having bad dreams of " the Travellers" taking them. My old horse is freezebranded but not sure what to do about the other two, one is a companion pony the other my eventer, and sometimes used for showing.
What are the pro's and cons of both of these.

Please help. thanks
 
If you can run to it, do both.
The freezemark will make your horse "stand out" to a potential thief as easily identified, and the microchip will then confirm beyond doubt that they are one and the same horse.
 
Agree with Joeanne.

I think just microchiping is pointless. Have done both with 2 greys as I was concerned about the quality of the brand.

If you have to choose 1, I would stick to the freezebrand.

My horses have not appreciated the microchip needle, and I would only have a "vet nervous" horse chipped if it was already sedated.
 
another vote for freezebrand if you only can afford to do one. i think this is a really good deterrant, a thief would not know if your horse was microchipped but can see the freezebrand... :D
 
Surely they are microchipped already? Pretty much all horses are now adays as they need one for a passport.

Microchip is no deterant to theives as they can't see it, so freezebrand definitnly.
 
Kallibear said:
Microchip is no deterant to theives as they can't see it....
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Maybe not, but scanners are only about £50 so they can easily get one and read it. At one point the promise made by authorities was that all pets would be chipped and all police cars would carry a scanner, but that has never and will never happen. It's pathetic, animal owners make the effort and the authorities do not. They should be carrying scanners and be aware that horses in transit with a cut on the neck are almost certainly stolen, as are ones without paperwork.

At least a freezemark can't be cut out, so if both can't be done I'd vote mark first.
 
Freezmark ot both, microchips are not much of a deterrent really. At least with the freezemark theives know the horse can be identifed easily !
 
Don't mean to put a downer on this, but I have an 'associate' in the *ahem* travelling community (a case of know your enemy) who told me they have ways of dealing with freezemarks on stolen horses.

All their own horses are microchipped. What does that tell you..:rolleyes:
 
Can you tell us how they deal with freezemarks? My horse is freezemarked and microchipped and the other is just microchipped as she is very nervous about needles, clipping etc, also does anyone have the freezemark that displays that the horse is microchipped?
 
Kallibear said:
Surely they are microchipped already? Pretty much all horses are now adays as they need one for a passport.

Microchip is no deterant to theives as they can't see it, so freezebrand definitnly.
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Actually, it has only been within the last two years that foals require microchipping so no, not all horses are microchipped at all.
 
LittleBlackMule said:
Don't mean to put a downer on this, but I have an 'associate' in the *ahem* travelling community (a case of know your enemy) who told me they have ways of dealing with freezemarks on stolen horses.

All their own horses are microchipped. What does that tell you..:rolleyes:
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Really? Of course you can dye a white mark which may last for up to a season, by which time the horse is moved on, there is no other way of tampering with a freezemark without causing scarring and hideous pain and Freezemark claim a 100% recovery record with Farmkey not far behind.

So, on balance I don't believe anybody would deliberately steal or retain a freezemarked horse, it is too easy to identify.

Microchips are a total waste of time and I really, really resent having to inflict that on my filly - expense for me, pain for her and pointless. She will be freezemarked as soon as she is old enough, as all my horses have been.
 
Mine are microchipped. Had a bad experience with freeze branding many years ago.

Out if interest, those of you who think that microchipping is too painful for your horses, do you not have your dogs/ cats microchipped? Its the same size needle, and pups are often done at 10 weeks old!
 
the watcher said:
Really? Of course you can dye a white mark which may last for up to a season, by which time the horse is moved on, there is no other way of tampering with a freezemark without causing scarring and hideous pain and Freezemark claim a 100% recovery record with Farmkey not far behind.

So, on balance I don't believe anybody would deliberately steal or retain a freezemarked horse, it is too easy to identify.

Microchips are a total waste of time and I really, really resent having to inflict that on my filly - expense for me, pain for her and pointless. She will be freezemarked as soon as she is old enough, as all my horses have been.
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Sorry, but you are mistaken if you think freezemarking is painless either during branding or after whilst healing. I would expect that you could quite easily "tamper" with a freezemark either temporarily by dieing the hair or permanently with another freezemark ie. would assume it could be easy to turn a 6 into an 8 or a 0 into an 8, 1 into an E etc etc.
 
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