[kalsi4654]

All Icelandics have to be microchipped to be registered, so all our foals are done at weaning. We've been doing them for more than 20 years and have never had any problems with chips moving or failing, but I wouldn't use it as a theft deterrent as it's not visible to a potential thief, and certainly abattoirs and markets don't routinely scan horses (and of course for a private sale it's not expected anyway).

Purely as an deterrent I would choose freeze branding - it's highly visible, relatively cheap, and not too painful for the horse, and it doesn't grow out like hoof branding. Also nowhere near as painful and stressful as hot branding.

Mic

[beany]

Have just heard via grape vine a horse has gone missing in the Galashiels area I am trying to get more info as patchy at momemt, but the pykies took 3 from Lanark this time last year just before Appleby. Oh had to laugh did you see the WARNING given to horse traders at Appleby this year by trading standards about passports. Telling them to make sure they have their passports to hand LOL or what! I work with trading standards and they have to have their stab vests on and they don't hang about.

[Daisy]

Oh heck that's a bit too close for comfort, I'd appreciate any more info if you get it beany 

[daniellestocks]

Oh had to laugh did you see the WARNING given to horse traders at Appleby this year by trading standards about passports. Telling them to make sure they have their passports to hand LOL or what! I work with trading standards and they have to have their stab vests on and they don't hang about.

What does happen if they dont have them, or the horse doesnt have one, what do the TS do? can they seize the horse or is it a fine etc   
I no i wouldnt like to try doing there job against travellers   
Danielle

[beany]

Trading standards dont bother especially if they have any sense. I dont know any more about the missing horse in Galashiels a friend in the area phoned me. If you are in Scotland try the new horrse watch run by a lady called Fiona from Perth. Google strathclyde horsewatch.

[Hardfeather]

A friend of mine was telling me that it's possible to have a micro-chipped horse freeze-branded with a horseshoe mark which signifies that they have been chipped. Does anyone know anything about this?

[lazybee]

Is been quite strange reading this thread about travelers and horse theft. In France I have a farmer friend who breeds Poutou donkeys and a few horses. My wife recently asked him what he had done with his coloured pony, his answer was "I sold it to the gypsies" she joked that he was lucky they didn't just take it anyway. His response was "what do mean?" she had to explain that in the UK some traveler types have a habit of taking horses. He was genuinely shocked. He is over 70 and has been breeding for many many years, so can't be described as naive.   

All horses here are chipped and passported. There is one data base and the system works well.

[beany]

A friend of mine was telling me that it's possible to have a micro-chipped horse freeze-branded with a horseshoe mark which signifies that they have been chipped. Does anyone know anything about this?

Hi AengusOg. Farmkey do the micro mark, which is a horse shoe shaped brand which can only be put on a horse which is already micro chipped. They do check first to make sure as they must be chipped prior to marking as it means "I'm micro chipped please scan me." It is the only visible mark for horses with a micro chip as otherwise they are invisible. Hope this helps.

[Hardfeather]

It does help, beany, thanks.

[skidley]

I haven't heard of a microchip migrating in horses, as it is inserted into a ligament rather than subcutaneously like in dogs and cats, hence the reason only a vet can insert them.

My 2 coloureds and 3 donkeys are all microchipped and we have warning signs on the gates to say that they are chipped. We have been pretty lucky so far, the pikeys have been down the yard twice and taken pretty much every thing else including my wheelbarrow, exercise cart and a half opened bagged of pony nuts! But not the animals.

May have to consider the mircomark as an additional detterent.

[beany]

The chips are supposed to be inserted into the ligament but a lot of vets dont bother and put them into the crest instead and then they really can go walkies. I found one for a woman under the horses belly, also have seen ones where the vet has been a little over-entusiastic and punched the chip right through onto the neck on the off side. Any one who has their horses chipped should get their vet to check the chip everytime they have the jabs done, so they can check on the exact location in case they do start to wander.

[lachlanandmarcus]

Both my horses are freezemarked and the mare is also branded (Haflinger inspection thing) AND microchipped. She says she feels like a supermarket special offer!

 

[beany]

A quick note for horse owners in the abergavenney area a welsh cob mare has been stolen 2-3 weeks ago from just outside crickhowel. I was working on a yard down there on wednesday and the lady there told me as it was her friends mare that was taken. There has aslo been a theft from Hay on wye area as well, so be on your guard.

[shetlandpaul]

they are banning branding in scotland is this just hot branding or both.
you can't sell or move a horse or poney without a passport. i think its a big fine.

[beany]

They're banning hot branding not freeze marking. Several of the big equine charities allow freeze marking, it's completely different to hot branding. Passports have been a legal requirement for the last 6 years.