Why not have your horse freezemarked?

[applecart14]

In light of all the interest in 'mane plaits', etc I would be interested to find out why people do not wish to have their horses freezemarked.

Would you like to do my poll?

 

[dwi]

I've only had Lil five weeks and she's not freeze marked yet. I didn't get Daisy freezemarked for the first two years I had her as I didn't reckon there was much chance of anyone catching or loading her without a huge amount of bother. On a large livery yard I reckon you'd take what you could and scarper, not spend an hour chasing the awkward one round the muddy field.

 

[sarah0786]

You need another option 'I haven't got round to it yet', we're having about 5 or 6 done on our yard but I don't think either of us could organise a p*** up in a brewery the way we are going about it. I'm tempted to just book mine in and let them keep trying to get around booking all horses in.

 

[kbsaff]

Possibly a cr4p excuse, but I wasn't sure whether the Freeze Mark would detract from him in the show ring. He is microchipped though in my defence and if anyone did pinch him, I'm sure they'd soon bring the thug back!!!

**Runs for cover as most sensible pepole tell me that my horse's safety is more important than his showing credentials***

 

[Faro]

No option in your poll for me, as all 5 of mine are freezemarked. The 2 girls both came with freezemarks, the boys I had them all done at the same time when they were youngsters (and even paid the extra to have them personalised!).

 

[milliepops]

Not really the target audience for your poll, as mine is freezemarked (she was already done when I got her).

But to me, it's one of those annoying things that you would kick yourself over if you didn't have it done and the horse was stolen. I don't particularly *like* my mare's freezemark, but I hope it would do its job if there were thieves about.

 

[xena_wales]

No option for me either, but having had my previous horse go ballistic when marked, then I would only have them done while sedated, and I haven't really got around to trying to arrange for the vet and freezemarkers to be here at the same time.

 

[Darkly_Dreaming_Dex]

Possibly a cr4p excuse, but I wasn't sure whether the Freeze Mark would detract from him in the show ring. He is microchipped though in my defence and if anyone did pinch him, I'm sure they'd soon bring the thug back!!!

**Runs for cover as most sensible pepole tell me that my horse's safety is more important than his showing credentials***

My older cob was at HOYS and his freezemark is under his saddle. For showing, i HATE that Dex's previous owner had him marked on the shoulder (he is dark bay and its hideous- ESPECIALLY as one of his 'D's is back to front...)

 

[MontyandZoom]

I haven't voted. Zoom isn't freeze marked.....but she is argentinean and has three ugly brands on her bottom so i don't think she needs it. They are very distinctive, plus she has one eye so is easy to spot.

 

[Hippona]

Possibly a cr4p excuse, but I wasn't sure whether the Freeze Mark would detract from him in the show ring. He is microchipped though in my defence and if anyone did pinch him, I'm sure they'd soon bring the thug back!!!

**Runs for cover as most sensible pepole tell me that my horse's safety is more important than his showing credentials***

Know what you mean- I pondered this one...but I had him done left side just under the saddle area. It won't show in ridden classes and in in-hand classes its away from the judge. Anyway.....daughter would be heartbroken if he was nicked, me too.......so I went for it.

 

[Aoibhin]

i have voted as unsutible and before anyone jumps on me as soon as my boy is confident enough he will be done as will girlie but at the moment i am not willing to undo all the hard work i have put into getting his trust in humans (and me) so he is marked, the chances of anyone he doesnt know well getting within a mile of him let alone catching him to steal is very slim.

 

[Archie07]

Possibly a cr4p excuse, but I wasn't sure whether the Freeze Mark would detract from him in the show ring. He is microchipped though in my defence and if anyone did pinch him, I'm sure they'd soon bring the thug back!!!

**Runs for cover as most sensible pepole tell me that my horse's safety is more important than his showing credentials***

A horse that is freezemarked should in no way be marked down in the show ring and any judge who does this should have a complaint made against them IMO.

 

[quirky]

I have owned 3 horses in my time and I have only had this one freeze marked.

The first, it never really occurred to me (we are talking 23 years ago), the second would have caused such a kerfuffle trying to be loaded that he would have woken the dead .

The reason I had my current horse done was that I moved to a yard where nobody lived on site and I felt she was vulnerable. Mine was the only one (of 14) to be marked, so I hoped if the unthinkable happened, they'd take the others before mine

 

[Archiesmummy]

Again, your poll doesn't really apply to me. Archie has been freezemarked ... twice ... and he is so thick skinned it just doesn't seem to take. Other than gouge his flesh out with a knife I think he is going to remain unmarked I think freezemarks are deterrents.

 

[potty_4_piebalds]

my old boy isnt freezemarked or micro-chipped because one look at him and they wouldnt want him dipped back teeth falling out grumpy wont load and can be hard to catch (any takers free to good home lol). my mini shetland is freezemarked and micro-chipped her previous owners had it done. but i do wish they hadnt had the freezemark done i think they are ugly. i did have my old cob and my dog chipped. also the worst thing i think anyone could do is pick one of the markings on a coloured and stick a freezemark in the middle of it!!! i really hate that and i wouldnt buy a horse that had that done to it!!

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

mine is chipped. also, he wouldnt load for a stranger, on to a strange lorry, in the dark (he will only load for me blindfolded,and wont go anywhere with my mum,dad or OH even WITH the blindfold, so i reckon he's safe!)

 

[Vixxy]

I would consider if I lived back in the UK. In Norway every horse has to be passported and to compete if your horse is not chipped and not vaccinated you cannot take your horse off the trailer or lorry at the showground (which I think is a good thing).

In Norway there is virtually no horse theft, my tack room has over 10k worth of stuff in it and it does not even have a lock and the tack room is visible from the road. We live in a different world here though, we leave the car open with keys in and go on holiday and leave the house unlocked lol. Grandmother is over the road and keeps an eye. My husband admitted when I first moved over we would have to search all the drawers in the house as he had not used the house keys once in 15 yrs lol!

 

[DebbieCG]

In light of all the interest in 'mane plaits', etc I would be interested to find out why people do not wish to have their horses freezemarked.

Would you like to do my poll?

Just to add a different question/dimension regarding freezemarking, what would you feel if the Goverment made it compulsory for all equines to be freezemarked and took more legal control over the whole process, thus hopefully preventing horsetheft even more? It is now compulsory for all equines to be microchipped if applying for a first passport, so why not make it compulsory for freezemarking as well?

Hopefully the two companies that cover freezemarking would keep in business by carrying on the process, under Government juristriction and maintain this best theft deterrent, but it would add more to the legalisation of it.

Do you work for any of the marking companies applecart14? - You seem to know alot.

 

[RuthnMeg]

As Meg is a serious vet hater, if I had to have her done, she would kill the 'marker person', so then we would get the vet out to sedate her, but it wouldn't happen as the vet too will be running for the hills - if he escaped!! lol
So, unsuitable for a freeze mark for us. And, she also has a scar on the front of her hock, its quite distinctive - does that count??

 

[superpony]

Both my horses are very sensitive.. and don't even like the measuring stick nevermind freeze marking!!!!

My pony has also had a previous reaction to sedation which nearly killed him so thats not an option either...

And my TB hates anyone new, very doubt someone with a freeze marking iron would get anywhere near him!

But they are both microchipped.

 

[Ebenezer_Scrooge]

Mine is coloured and has his freezemark on his left hip on his coloured spot and it is very visible. I don't see it as a disfigurement instead it is to ensure that I have done all I can if ever the worst happens *touch wood*. Mine is the only one on my yard marked but it gives me peace of mind.

 

[mymare]

Mine is freezemarked but you can't see it in the winter when she's hairy

 

[The_snoopster]

I had all mine done however only one has come out right, my coloured mare as been done on the side of her tail no white hairs just a raised marks and with her being in foal will now have to wait untill later in the year after she foals.

The shettie,s marks were left on foe 3 mins and was very sore and scabby after but nothing has come through at all, but he does have a deformed small eye so hope this might be enough for people to recognise.

The N/F,s mark came out perfect he was the one I was not going to have done as he has had a hot brand with his breeders initials so already has identification, but I decided to get him done anyway.

 

[MrsMozart]

my old boy isnt freezemarked or micro-chipped because one look at him and they wouldnt want him dipped back teeth falling out grumpy wont load and can be hard to catch (any takers free to good home lol). my mini shetland is freezemarked and micro-chipped her previous owners had it done. but i do wish they hadnt had the freezemark done i think they are ugly. i did have my old cob and my dog chipped. also the worst thing i think anyone could do is pick one of the markings on a coloured and stick a freezemark in the middle of it!!! i really hate that and i wouldnt buy a horse that had that done to it!!

Better an 'ugly' mark and a safe horse.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

My last horse was done when I had him and it was really ugly coz they'd put it on his shoulder; they could easily have done under the saddle coz he was a bay so why they put it there, I don't know.

Mine's a piebald at the mo and heaven knows where they'd mark him as he's white under the saddle and on the shoulder and even on his bum he's mostly white so they'd have to do it on the part of his backside that would look really odd! Tho' having said that it would probably be better to get him done and have him look odd then risk having him pinched coz he's a chunky boy and would be useful for meat (awful thought).

There are two firms doing the freezemarking arent there? There's Farmkey and someone else I think - sorry am having a meno moment and can't remember the name. Does anyone have thoughts on which is best?

 

[Hullabaloo]

My old loan horse had his freezemark on his neck under his mane which I thought was a bit odd. Mine is done under the saddle.
Its fine to say you would recognise your own horse, but if they are stolen you are relying on someone else to spot them and to my mind a freezemark is the best way to do that. I don't think its ugly - in fact I don't really notice it anymore.

Mind you when he is naughty I do wish I hadn't had it done as it means if I dump him in a field somewhere he's likely to be sent back to me

 

[Janah]

I had mine freezemarked on the shoulder. I didn't see the point in having the mark under the saddle as it can't be seen when ridden. He was very good when it was done, I just shoved a bucket of feed at him when the irons went on. He is usually very suspicious of vets, dentists etc but freezmarking was a doddle.

I do believe for showing freezemarking is ignored, and if it isn't it should be.

Jane

 

[MagicMelon]

Id rather have them microchipped I guess. I had one of my ponies freezemarked many years ago and it was horrendous. Perhaps it was the person who did it at fault but pony went nuts during it (as if it hurt like hell - I dont know if it does?) and the end result was ****! I can still only vaguelly see shapes (cant tell what they actually say). Total waste of time. I also thing they look very unsightly and are pretty outdated. I dont agree with branding either though - my current horse is supposed to be branded in two places (neck and thigh) however I cant see it, all I can see on his neck is a vague "RIP" when I clip him which is a bit spooky!!!