By Debra M. Hill, Lazy D Bar H Freeze Branding

You hear stories all the time of horses being stolen and hope that it never happens to you. But what if it did? Are you prepared? According to J. Amelita Donald in her “Horse Theft Prevention Handbook”, an estimated 40,000 horses are stolen annually in the U.S. Identification of your horse is an extremely important, if not life saving, factor in preventing horse theft in addition to recovery in the unlikely event your horse does become lost or stolen. Most stolen horses have no form of identification.

FACT: There is a high demand for horsemeat in Europe and Japan, where it is considered a delicacy. According to the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, in 1980 the U.S. slaughtered over 180,000 horses for export overseas. In ‘90, over 315,000 horses slaughtered with an additional 80,000 live horses shipped to Canadian slaughter houses.

Now that you’ve read the above you can see how horse thieves are lining their pockets by stealing horses and selling them for slaughter. Profit is the motive! A horse always brings market value; therefore, a 1,000 lb. horse can bring $800 at auction or at the slaughter house.

Freeze Branding: Quick, painless, permanent identification!

Freeze Branding is the process of using a super cold branding iron chilled in Liquid Nitrogen, which kills the color pigment producing cells when applied to the animal’s hide. The final result is that white, or colorless hair, grows at the brand site. Freeze branding is effective on horses, cattle, and dogs. On light colored animals, the brand is held on the hide a few seconds longer to destroy the hair growth follicle. The result is that no hair grows at all (also known as a “bald” brand).

Brands are used to identify horses and cattle in farm management, in addition to theft deterrents. Freeze branding is quick, painless, permanent, and affordable. Freeze brands are legible, permanent, difficult to alter, and serve as Proof of Ownership! Branding is a crucial part of horse theft prevention AND recovery for several reasons:

When a thief sees a brand on a horse, he is less likely to proceed with the robbery. A brand makes a stolen horse more recognizable; therefore, thieves don’t want to take something they know can be easily tracked. Freeze brands are visible from a distance all year long. Inspectors at the equine slaughter houses are required to inspect and keep records on all horses. This includes: general description of the horse, marks, brands, sex and color. A horse with a freeze brand is quickly and easily seen thereby significantly increasing the odds of the horse being returned to its owner.

Even if you feel that there is only a remote possibility that your horse could be stolen, there are other things to consider. Mother Nature! Mother Nature can dish out some terrifying weather and natural disasters. In Florida, after Hurricane Andrew struck, there were over 100 horses that were found displaced and wandering around, miles and miles away from their home. Most of these animals were never reunited with their owners due to lack of permanent identification. This could happen to you! Are you prepared? Freeze Brands are permanent identification and a return address for lost or stolen livestock!

Take current photos of your horse(s) from all sides. Photograph them with and without winter hair coats, when they are clean AND when they are dirty. Take close-up shots of scars, brands, whorls and any other marks which are distinct to your horse. Keep all your ownership papers in one place. These should include Bill of Sale, Breed Registration Certificate, and Brand Inspection Certificate.

Make a list of names, addresses and telephone numbers of livestock auctions in your state and surrounding states. Create a “Missing Horse” flyer NOW for immediate use in the event your horse does become lost or stolen. List the telephone number of your local law enforcement agency on the flyer. The first 24 hrs. are critical!

In addition to branding your horse, membership in a law enforcement based association is highly recommended. The Texas Cattle Raiser’s Horse Identification Program (HIP) consists of dozens of trained, certified Peace Officers that work to recover missing and stolen horses. Their extensive central database records and maintains information on individual horses. They can get immediate help all across the U.S., Canada and Mexico and can “get the word out” to slaughter plants, auction houses, or wherever else needed. This enables the horse owner to make ONE CALL for help. For more information on the HIP program, visit www.texascattleraisers.com.