Does freeze marking hurt the horse?

Question

I want to be safe and Im thinking about geting my horse freeze marked, does it hurt the horse in anyway? And how does it work?

Answer 1

Freeze branding has become popular  because it is safe, economical and easy to do. The brand is legible, permanent and can be read from a distance. Branded horses are less likely to be targets of thieves, if stolen marked horses can be more easily traced by law enforcement officers. Brands can discourage fraudulent practices with registration papers. Some breeders freeze brand to distinguish horses they have bred. Freeze branding is relatively painless for the horse, especially compared to hot iron branding. Hot iron branding can result in a blotched, unreadable brand.

The state of South Dakota is a brand state; brands are legal proof of ownership. A brand cannot be chosen and used at random; we must apply to the state Brand Board for a brand. It is illegal to brand a horse with an unregistered brand. Law regarding brands differ state to state. In South Dakota freeze branding became a legal horse brand in SD in 2002 so we decided to brand our horses. We are very pleased with the results and would recommend the practice of freeze branding to other horse owners.

Check for applicable laws in your state.

But... It does hurt the horse.

Answer 2

It stings them. Not as severe as heat branding though. But there are more humane ways that's for sure.  

Answer 3

Freeze branding does not hurt the horse. They do dip the branding irons in liquid nitrogen to get them very, very cold and then apply the iron to the horse. The liquid nitrogen is so cold that the any nerves hit by the iron are destroyed before they can transmit any signal of pain to the brain. It basically makes a scar on the skin and that is why the hair grows back white.

I watched a horse get freeze branded and she did not even flinch.

If you are thinking of having permanant ID for your horse, you can also think about microchipping.

Answer 4

Liquid nitrogen is used to freeze brand horses, it is also used for humans to remove warts and planter warts.  

Does it hurt?

Well, people don't get freezing when they have liquid nitrogen used on them.  Most kids will wiggle and complain when the product is used on them, but they don't go crazy.  Most adults hold totally still and don't say anything, but they don't enjoy the process either.  

My understanding of freeze branding is - most people have it done with the horse under standing sedation, similiar to the type of sedation they'd have when their teeth are worked on.  You do not want the horse to move or wiggle when the brand is applied or you will get blurred or faint letters.  The freeze brand must be kept on long enough to cause damage to the hair cells, that way they'll grow in a white color.  So the sedation has two benefits, first it would greatly reduce your horse's perception of the pain (or should we call it discomfort since its obviously not EXTREMELY paintful if people can tolerate it) and secondly, the sedation helps them forget the process so they won't be jumpy or spooky.

I wouldn't hesitate to have it used if you want positive identification for you horse.  Just make sure you have an experienced person do it, that you use a proper brand that can be traced back to you, and that you have sedation given to the horse by a vet.

Answer 5

it hurts, but its like having a mole/wart frozen off. all of our horses are freeze branded. they dont even move. and for the idiots on here who say the hair wont grow back, check your facts before you post and look stupid.  

Answer 6

The extreme cold of the nitrogen chilled branding iron is not immediately apparent to the horse.  The effect is frostbite.  It is safer and much less traumatic to the horse than fire branding.

NO MICROCHIPS !   http://www.NoNAIS.org

Answer 7

yes it does hurt them. heres how it works. they use this stuff called nitrogen. if its freezing cold like they use it, it can burn. thats how cold it is. it goes onto the horses skin, and leaves a scar. hair doesnt grow back their, either.