New horse arrives in the morning would you freeze mark?

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shmoo

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Soo excited!!! New horse arriving tomorrow. He's a Friesian and jet black. Our fields side on to a busy road, my husband casually said over breakfast this morning. What is someone steals him. He's read something in the paper recently about it.

Obviously I am now paranoid. So my question is. Would you have him freeze marked, where and would it affect his chances in a show ring as my daughter wants to do some, not that I know what she would do? Possibly working Hunter? TBH it's been over 20 years since I've done shows apart from one round of showjumping this summer and I'm totally out of touch.

What would you do?

:)
 
Lucky you, you must be really excited!! I know practically nothing about showing but surely for WH classes you'd be tacked up so could get him freeze marked under the saddle area? Come to think of it, I'm sure I've seen freezemarked horses and ponies out showing?...... Awaits someone of better knowledge to advise!
 
I recently had my youngster freeze marked, I wasn't going to because of his mirco chip but I got thinking that he is soooooo friendly, he would be so easy to steal. I also have a public footpath running past my field, he always goes over to meet the walkers! so i had him done on his shoulder so that it was put any one off trying to take him!

the only probably with doing it under the saddle is that you can then ride for at least 6 weeks
 
officially you cant be marked down for a freeze mark

I spectate at big shows and little shows - hours and hours sitting at the side of show rings this year, I could count the numbers of freezemarked horses I've seen on one hand. I think that speaks volumes personally

I am in two minds about it but I think on balance its worthwhile. Maybe in the saddle area where at least its covered for most of a show and only becomes apparent to the judge if you have to strip the saddle off
 
I definitely would, ours are freezemarked and it was the first thing I booked for my mare after the insurance was sorted! It's the only visual deterrent and you can also paint the freezemark onto rugs etc so that people will still know your horse has one when the actual freezemark is covered up - while a microchip is still very useful, a thief will only know your horse has one if they have a scanner to hand, and probably once the horse is already in their possession - it's a lot riskier to take a freezemarked horse.
The most obvious place to have it done is on the shoulder as this can be seen when the horse is being ridden, however a lot of show horses tend to have the FM under the saddle as it is more discrete - this is where our horses were done but looking back I think I would have it on the shoulder next time, if they were to be ridden out and about they would be much easier to spot on photos / in car parks etc. To echo the above, you should not be marked down for having a freezemark - from experience, I showed my late gelding who was clearly FM'd and he was placed every time out, both inhand & ridden.
Good luck with your new horse, I love Friesians!
 
Brilliant, thanks to you all. I will definitely get this done and I think shoulder. I really like the idea of marking up his rugs too. Great, many thanks. Bet I don't get a wink of sleep tonight. So so excited. :)
 
I would, but good luck getting someone to come out and do it! I have a "gypsy" cob and would really like him done, but couldnt get either of the companies to come and flipping do it!!
 
Mine is done on his shoulder, to be honest I don't even notice it now. It wasn't worth the risk to not do it and i wanted it on his shoulder so it can be more easily seen as he doesn't have any other obvious markings as all black.
 
Gz on your new horse :)if you are worried then freeze mark , although maybe somewhere more inconspicuous if you wish to show like under the saddle area.

Working hunter is an interesting class for a friesian! They can jump but not all in a working hunter style. Foreign breed class is more common.

Have you bought rugs yet? They can be quite hard to fit.
 
Yes I would and probably under the mane or saddle

Choose a personaly one I would.

Some say it looks ugly or spoils the horse - I say well it would spoil him a lot more if he ends up c*rved up.
Why tempt fate? its like saying *I won't be burgled so I won't use or have a house alarm*

Be wise before instead of regret after :)
 
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Good luck with your new horse and if it makes you feel more secure about him then have him freeze marked. I have a very aggressive mare who dislikes anyone coming into her field and is very protective of the other horses with her so would be very surprised if anyone could actually get near one of my horses to take them. She is a pain when you are trying to catch a horse but I am very glad she is like she is when I hear of horses being taken from their fields.
 
My friend has just had all of hers done, under the saddle area and she has a little m&m that she intends to show next season. None of mine are done but they are easily identifiable anyway due to unusual markings. Thieves have been known to dig out microchips!
 
YES YES YES.

Two of mine were stolen, and recovered in tweleve hours, due to their freezemarks, I doubt vey much we would have ever seen them again otherwise. DO IT NOW!!!

PS. Shoulder better than wither, again for security reasons.
 
As he is black you can cover a freezemark pretty much instantly with coverup or black dye. But if you want to do it do it.
 
As his Friesian I am thinking he has a long mane? You could freeze mark under the mane alot if arabs are freeze marked there as they also have long manes so its hidden.
 
Had my 2 year old freezemarked yesterday afternoon. He's a pale cream colour and I had the white mark placed under his saddle area. His skin is pink, so I didnt want the bald mark there but equally didn't want it on his shoulder. I plan to show him at county level and did dither a while about getting it done but imo it's definitely worthwhile. Benefit out weighs the possible drawbacks.

The operator who did it did suggested just having the micro-mark (small horseshoe mark to indicate the animal is microchipped) as an alternative to the 4 digit mark, but I cant see the value in that. All horses are supposed to be legally chipped these days, and the mark isn't distinguishing. At least the full mark is unique.
 
*Spyda* said:
Had my 2 year old freezemarked yesterday afternoon. He's a pale cream colour and I had the white mark placed under his saddle area. His skin is pink, so I didnt want the bald mark there but equally didn't want it on his shoulder. I plan to show him at county level and did dither a while about getting it done but imo it's definitely worthwhile. Benefit out weighs the possible drawbacks.

The operator who did it did suggested just having the micro-mark (small horseshoe mark to indicate the animal is microchipped) as an alternative to the 4 digit mark, but I cant see the value in that. All horses are supposed to be legally chipped these days, and the mark isn't distinguishing. At least the full mark is unique.
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That mark is only useful in the likes of this horse, pure black. Or any dark coated horse. I know someone who has a very coloured horse done with that freezemark and tbh you can't notice it or wouldn't recognise it as a freezemark - its very easy to look over and miss because of the irregularities of his colouring.
 
equi said:
That mark is only useful in the likes of this horse, pure black. Or any dark coated horse. I know someone who has a very coloured horse done with that freezemark and tbh you can't notice it or wouldn't recognise it as a freezemark - its very easy to look over and miss because of the irregularities of his colouring.
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Mine's palomino. I'll clip his mark to make it clearer in winter. Was going to opt for the bald mark until we clipped my boy in the mark location and saw he had sensitive pink skin which couldnt be marked that strongly. If the mark isnt visible enough, they'll come back out and re-mark him elsewhere with the micromark. Better than nothing IMO.
 
I would most definately recommend you have him Freezemarked as soon as you can.
From the safety aspect, I would also recommend having him done on the shoulder so that the mark is visible whilst being ridden. If you wish to show him, Judges should not mark you down at all.
 
alainax said:
Gz on your new horse :)if you are worried then freeze mark , although maybe somewhere more inconspicuous if you wish to show like under the saddle area.

Working hunter is an interesting class for a friesian! They can jump but not all in a working hunter style. Foreign breed class is more common.

Have you bought rugs yet? They can be quite hard to fit.
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Hi, I meant to respond to you yesterday but too much going on. No he can't jump for toffee, he is very good at looking beautiful though :) what classes are around for Friesians? I am clueless but willing to learn.

And rugs, well. He was coming with rugs but only has one standard turnout which I would say is around a 100g fill and a handful of stable rugs. I can't see any of my rugs fitting him as his neck is massive. His is a fal pro. Any advice welcome.
 
At local leve there will be foreign breed classes or I am sure there are breed shows for friesians if you wanted to do it seriously.

Foreign breed classes at small shows are never busy classes well not round here anyway, when I have done them on my Arab I am often the only one in the class:)
 
Yes I would get him freezemarked. Book it now as there's often a wait of 3-4 weeks as the operators wait until they have a few in one area before visiting it sometimes.

Mine are done on the ribcage/flank, so you can see it even if you have a big square numnah under the saddle. I don't like the idea of marking underneath the saddle. We humans already compromise that area of the horse's body by putting a saddle and human's weight onto it, without fiddling with the skin's outer layers by freezemarking as well.

The flank area has slightly more fat cover to it than the shoulder so is a bit more comfier a spot to be freezemarked too.
 
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