them a standard by which to objectively evaluate their own breeding stock. Branding is a physical means of identifying horses that meet these standards. Branding is sometimes performed at inspections, and
frequently breeders have foals branded at home. The foal stands near its dam and the heated branding iron is held to the foal’s hindquarter for a few seconds. Scar tissue develops so that the distinctive brand is hairless and visible. Brands identify a horse as a specific breed, and can deter theft and fraud. Some people also see a brand as a mark of prestige, because it demonstrates that the horse meets the standards set forth by a breed registry. Trayce Doubek-Dierks and her husband Eric Dierks of
Renovatio Farm in Tryon, North Carolina recently imported three Warmbloods from three different countries: Germany, Belgium and Holland. The horses are registered with the Oldenburg, KWPN (Dutch) and Zangersheide verbands, and all three are branded and microchipped. “I believe that branding matters,”
says Trayce. “The brand tells a story of what the breeder puts into their prod- uct. A lot of time, I believe, is invested into the inspections and for sure the European verbands are extremely strict in their criteria.”
Brands = Safety? Branding is not only a symbol of pres- tigious breeding or performance, it is also a means of identification and often— though not always—a deterrent to theft. There is an exten- sive list on the stolen horse interna- tional website,
Netposse.com, which has examples of numerous brands and includes links to various breed and other organizations for more information. Much attention was focused on the issue of horse slaughter after several illegal slaughter houses were discovered in Loxahatchee, Florida, disturbingly close to the Winter Equestrian Festival and other shows that attract top competitors from around the world. Stolen horses often meet an unfortunate end at slaughter,
“Fifty to sixty percent of the time, if a horse is in the [slaughter] pipeline, if their old owners are contacted, they will buy them back.”
horses’ previous owners who didn’t know their horse ended up in these circumstances. Conrad says that branding can help identify horses and
can deter kill buyers. “Basically any horse that is identifiable in any shape or form—even a uniquely marked paint horse— makes it easier to go back and find their previous connec- tions,” she says. “Fifty to sixty percent of the time, if a horse is in the pipeline, if their old owners are contacted, they will buy them back.” In the case of Thoroughbreds who are tattooed, Conrad
This photo of a Hanoverian was taken right after he was branded.
knows all too well the challenges of identifying horses and the comparative ease of spot- ting a brand. “Tattoos are a double edged sword,” she says. “As you’re trying to access the tattoos you have to get up close and personal. I got the ever-loving $#*! kicked out of me by a pony while I was checking a horse’s tattoo! The visi- ble brands, rather than tattoos, are great because you can identify something from far away.” She also notes, “Because Thoroughbreds are identifiable and people don’t want horses identified, they’ll go straight to slaughter—not even through the auctions.” “For the most part I think brand- ing is a good thing,” she continues. “You have to have a specific scanner to read microchips because they are proprietary. Nobody’s going to see a chip, but they might see a brand. When a horse is down and out and
needs help, you can’t take it to a place with a scanner, and the slaughter houses aren’t always going to check for micro- chips. I like branding for that reason.” She also notes that if a horse looks well bred, perhaps a
thanks to the high price per pound of horse meat. Slaughter- houses are not the only place horses end up: the grisly butch- ering in his own pasture of Phedras de Blondel, a 12-year-old top show jumper imported from France by trainer Debbie Stephens, recently made international headlines. Allie Conrad, executive director of the CANTER Mid Atlan-
tic horse rescue and Thoroughbred adoption program and professional photographer, regularly visits the notorious New Holland auction in Pennsylvania, where kill buyers frequently pick up horses to sell for slaughter. Conrad has purchased horses to prevent their slaughter, and helped track down the
24 January/February 2016
Warmblood or a New Zealand-bred sport horse, which are generally branded, that horse will tend to get extra atten- tion at auction from buyers other than slaughter houses. “Anything that separates them from grade horses helps,” she says. At auctions, Conrad says that freeze brands on the neck
are generally identified as Standardbred or Mustang. “While it might not help the horse at auction, it might help some- one find a person who cares about the horse.” She adds, “Freeze branding is fast and from what I understand and from my own experience, it is relatively painless. In the effort of making it easier to identify horses, having specific
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100