Microchip or freezemark?

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GypsyGirl

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So I was just wondering really, I have been talking to
my friend about our horses and both of them are microchipped but I was just wondering how many people have there horses freezebranded aswell or just one or the other?

We are considering to have them freezemarked aswell as it is
more noticable.

So what is everyones thoughts? Do u think that freezebranding will be better if people do try to steal etc?

What are your opinions? What do u have one or the other or both?

:)
 
One of mine is freezemarked, the other microchipped and the other nothing (yet) :) but personally out of choice I would microchip with the microchip brand mark too :D

Also depends if the horse has distinctive markings or not as to freezebrand or not. Example - if horse was one solid colour with no markings!

I think freezemarks can be altered too easily, and they can change form due to long hair etc in winter amongst other things. I couldn't physically make out my tb's freezemark not long ago..
 
Sparks has both - Freezemark as a visual deterrent and a microchip as back up.

What you have to remember is that average person doesn't have access to a scanner and even horses going through sales rings and ports aren't routinely scanned. :(
 
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Freezemark every time as it is a visible deterrent. We do have to keep a couple of our horses clipped on their freezemark area in winter but not all of them.
 
If a horse is stolen & it has freezemark ABC1 people can remember that & if they see it can report it confidently. If it has a microchip mark they have to be really, really confident before they get someone out with a scanner to check. If the person with the horse is a bit iffy or a good friend they don't want to see upset (may have been bought in good faith) are they goIng to bother? If they are a bit short of time or not really sure (& if it's say a plain bay how can they be?) will they bother?
I know of a horse whose back story sounded a bit iffy - first thing I did was look to see if it was freezmarked. It wasn't so I couldn't really check any further - plain chestnut with no markings. Turned out it WAS iffy but for other reasons!
Also if I go to buy a horse with a freezemark I check that it's not stolen - protects me & makers life harder for villains.
 
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I would vote for freezemark as a visual deterant, although my freezemarks gone a bit dodgy this year and half of it doesn't show up?? Will have to get farmkey back out if it doesn't improve when she looses winter coat :(.
 
An external brand cold or hot is the best as any enforcement officer can see it. The only prosecution that I have been involved with was brought about by the Hannoverian Brand and number, cross checked with DNA. The person was selling a 19 year old as a 11 year old. Many horses have microchips but they have not been recorded , the Netherlands have the sense to have all their chips starting with 528 the country UELN code. Many people who now have had their horses microchipped will tell you that chipping is more stressful than hot branding. The chipping by people who are not vets but a professional approved is very skilled and swift as they do nothing else and if 50 people chip 15000 horse they have great manual dexterity. In Germany,Hanover did not charge for chipping when branding.
 
Brilliant, I will sort something out. Well see maisie is a
dark bay but she has a very unusual marking on her head, instead of a White star or something like that people say that her White
mark is in a shape of a horses head. People always comment on how unique it is.

:) thanks everyone
 
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