Artificial Markings for Identification

Freeze branding: A painless process involving the use of branding irons that have been cooled in liquid nitrogen.

The cold destroys the pigment cells in the skin and the hair grows back white. The numbers and letters of the brand are then registered as a permanent record.

Hot-iron branding: This is especially common with warmblood breeds such as the Hanoverian and Oldenburgh, as well as British native pony breeds.

Some brands signify a particular breed, while others are the owner's personal mark. They are generally placed on the shoulder or thigh and are permanent.

Hoof branding: The owner's postcode is hot-iron branded onto the hoof wall. This is a painless process, but needs to be redone every six months as the brand grows out with the growth of the hoof wall.

Microchip: A microchip is injected into the skin of the neck by a vet; this commonly used on dogs and cats as well as horses. The details of the horse that has been 'chipped' are registered with a computerized system, and the chip can be read using a scanner.