How Do You Read A Freeze Brand On A Standardbred?

Both types of brands are read from the top line starting on the left hand side, working across the line before moving onto the left hand side of the second line. Australian freeze brands use the “alpha angle” symbols – with two lines of four symbols each.

How do you read a STB brand?

The first line includes the S denoting the horse as a Standardbred, followed by the code for the state in which the horse was born and then the last two digits of its year of birth. The second line denotes its 4 digit registration number.

Will a freeze brand show up on a white horse?

On light-colored horses, like whites and greys, the chilled iron can be applied for an extended period of time to create a “bald” brand, in which both the pigment and growth follicles are destroyed, and no hair will be produced.

What do the numbers on a horses shoulder mean?

Identification Number
The identifying number signifies the order in which horses born in the same foaling season were branded with the same stock brand. If a number of horses are being branded with the same Stock Brand and Foaling Season Number “3”, the horses would be branded 1 over 3, 2 over 3, 3 over 3, etc.

What happens when you freeze brand a white horse?

A fairly new and less painful method, freeze branding uses irons chilled in liquid nitrogen. The hair that grows back where the brand was applied has no pigment, resulting in a white brand. Therefore, when freeze branding a gray or white horse, the brand must be kept on longer to give the appearance of a hot brand.

How do you read a horse’s freeze brand?

Both types of brands are read from the top line starting on the left hand side, working across the line before moving onto the left hand side of the second line. Australian freeze brands use the “alpha angle” symbols – with two lines of four symbols each.

How do you read a Standardbred tattoo?

For standardbreds, the first character in the tattoo is used for the earlier years, while for the later years, it will be the second character. For standardbreds foaled in 1981 and before, the last (fifth) character indicates the year of foaling, starting with Z for 1981 and going backward in the alphabet.

How long does it take for a freeze brand to show up on a horse?

Results. An indented pattern of the branding iron will be evident a few seconds after removing the iron (Photograph 7). The brand pattern will thaw and the brand site will swell up within five to ten minutes. The brand pattern swelling should leave within a week.

What happens if you hold a freeze brand on too long?

If the iron is pressed to the skin for a shorter period of time and/or with less pressure that required, some hairs grow in colored and some hairs grow in white, so the brand has a streaked appearance. If the iron is held on a longer period of time, the cold destroys the GF’s as well, so that no hair grows at all.

What does it mean if a horse is freeze marked?

Freeze marking
This involves a cold branding iron being held on the skin for 7-10 seconds in dark horses to make a white mark, or 12-15 in lighter horses to destroy the hair growth follicles and make a bald mark.

How do you read a brand?

Brands are read from left to right, from the top down or from the outside to the inside. If a letter or symbol is made backwards from its normal position, it’s read as a reverse. A letter partially over on its face or back is said to be tumbling. If a letter lies horizontally on its face or back, it is called lazy.

What is the rarest marking for a horse?

While it’s relatively common in dogs and cows, brindle is by far the rarest coat color in horses. Brindle stripes can show up on any base color in the form of light or dark hairs. Because this pattern is a result of two embryos fusing, the hairs making up the stripes can be a different texture to other body hairs.

How do I identify a brand on a horse?

If you think a horse came from a different area you can contact the brand inspection board for the state that you are interested in. The brand department is usually under the jurisdiction of the state’s department of agriculture. These professionals have the records to check to find out who owns the brand in question.

How long do you leave a freeze brand on?

Although 45 seconds appears to be the best time for freeze branding, this time is very dependent upon the clipper heads used. Cattle clipped with surgical clippers will require less time for branding whereas cattle clipped with regular show clippers will need 45 seconds or even more and then may not give good results.

Can you remove a freeze brand from a horse?

Horse brands are registered with state or local livestock brand registries so that a ranch’s specific brand is on file and easy to trace. What is this? This makes it a snap for them to determine to which ranch a branded horse belongs. Brands cannot be removed because they permanently alter the horse’s hair or skin.

How long do you hold a freeze brand on a dog?

Clean clipped ribs and hips will need 25 – 35 seconds. Thin ears will need about 35 seconds, and thick ears will need around 45 seconds of branding time.

How big should a freeze brand be on a horse?

No matter what the brand is made of, it should be from ¼ to ½ inch thick on the face and from 1 ½ to 2 inches from the face to the back of the iron. Brands can be from 2 to 4 inches in height (shorter brands can be used for younger horses because they tend to grow in size as the horse gets older).

How do you read a BLM freeze brand?

The large U shaped mark is the BLM code. The next two marks (one on top of the other) is the estimated year of the horses birth. The next six marks is the registration code. The registration code is made up of two digits identifying the region taken and the next four are the “tag number.”

How much dry ice and alcohol do I need for freeze branding?

When using dry ice and alcohol, make a mixture that allows the irons to be submerged but is not watery; a 50:50 mixture often works well. One gallon of alcohol and 20 pounds of dry ice will brand approximately 20 head of cattle in most situations.

How do you find a Standardbred horse tattoo?

To identify your Standardbred, the USTA offers a free basic information search: Free Horse ID Search If you need additional help, simply call the USTA offices. Please have as much information available as you can, including freeze brand, microchip number or lip tattoo, color, sex, white markings, etc.

Do Standardbreds have lip tattoos?

Lip tattooing is found on Thoroughbreds, Standardbreds, Appaloosas, Arabians and Quarter Horses, because these breeds also race.