HORSE BRANDS AND TATOOS

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HORSE BRANDS AND TATOOS
From foukeffa.org Written by Michelle Jackson Ag
Student Texas AM
GA Ag Ed Curriculum Office To accompany the
Georgia Agriculture Education Curriculum Course
01432 Unit 6 July 2001
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OBJECTIVES

• Students will be able to list the 9 steps of hot
  iron branding.
• Students will be able to list materials for hot
  iron branding.
• Students will list the 8 steps for freeze
  branding.

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OBJECTIVES

• Students will list materials needed for freeze
  branding.
• Students will describe procedure for tattooing a
  horse.

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Types of Branding

• Hot Iron Branding
• Freeze Branding

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Hot Iron Branding
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Hot Iron Branding

• A good hot brand destroys hair follicles located
  under several layers of skin and leaves a
  permanent bald scar on the hide of the animal. 
• A simple brand design is encouraged.

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Hot Iron Branding

• The secret to successful hot branding is
  destroying hair follicles without burning through
  the hide.

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Materials Needed

• Iron
• Steel
• Stainless Steel

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Steps To Hot Iron Branding

• The iron used in hot branding should be made of
  good iron or steel and constructed as suggested
  in this web site.
• The animal must be restrained in such a manner
  that it cannot move.   For calves, use a branding
  table.

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3.Check your iron for temperature.  An iron that
is the color of grey ashes is the proper
temperature and will produce a good brand.
4.Using the iron and not exerting excessive
pressure, allow the iron to do the branding. 
Roll the iron with the shape of the animal's body
to put the same pressure at all points of iron
contact.
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5. A proper brand should be the color of saddle
brown leather when the iron is removed.  The time
required to produce this saddle brown color
should only be three to five seconds. 6. Keep
irons free of scale and burnt hair.  A wire brush
or pail of sand works well.
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7. Do not permit iron to slip or slide. 8. Do
not brand wet animals.  This will result in an
unreadable, blotched brand.  Branding wet animals
will also cause scalding, which is slow to heal.
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9. Animals with heavy winter hair coats should
be clipped before branding.  Excess hair may also
be removed by applying the iron softly and wiping
away burned hair with your glove.  Insure the
iron is free of burnt hair then continue to apply
the brand.
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FREEZE BRANDING
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ITEMS NEEDED

• A BRASS, OR OTHER TYPE METAL BRAND OF YOUR
  DESIGN.
• 99 ALCOHOL, DRY ICE (10 LBS), AND AN ICE CHEST.
• CLIPPERS, RAZOR BLADE TO SHAVE THE AREA FOR THE
  BRAND,GLOVES, AND A STOPWATCH.

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Steps To Freeze Branding

• Clip and shave the area where your horse is to be
  branded. Make sure you shave an area large enough
  for your branding iron to fit inside.
• 2. Take each horse, and lay the branding iron on
  the shaved area,prior to getting the branding
  iron cold.

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Steps To Freeze Branding

• When your vet arrives, have him tranquilize the
  first horse.
• Approximately 15 minutes before you begin
  branding, place the 10 lbs of dry ice in the ice
  chest. Pour one gallon of 99 alcohol over the
  ice.

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Steps To Freeze Branding
5. Place the head of your branding iron into
the mixture. 6. The iron should be
sufficientlycold within 15-20 minutes. 7. Push
the brand onto the shaved area, keep steady
pressure for 30 seconds .
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FREEZE BRANDING
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TATTOOS
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TATTOOS

• Tattoos must be officially applied by certain
  authorized agencies for recognition by racing
  commissions
• There is no single registry for all tattooed
  horses.
• Tattoos are very easily altered.

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TATTOOS

• Tattoos do not work satisfactorily in horses
  under two years of age because of growth dilution
  and resorption of the ink.
• Some tattoos fade as the horse ages.
• Tattoos can be removed

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THE END!!!