An AAEP vet explains this permanent identification for your horse.

After the area has been shaved and cleaned and the freeze-branding iron placed into liquid nitrogen, the iron is pressed firmly onto the horse for about 10 seconds.

A horse owner posed the following question to the American Association of Equine Practitioners, an AQHA alliance partner.

Question:

I am interested in freeze branding my horses. What is involved in the process? Can I do this myself, or do I need help?

Answer:

Freeze branding is a method of permanently identifying your horse. It is aesthetically appealing and is less painful than hot-iron branding. Horses generally tolerate it with minimal restraint. We recommend you contact someone who frequently does this procedure to ensure good results. Inexperience can lead to an inadequate amount of white hair in an indistinct pattern or an unsightly hairless scar.

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The most important piece of equipment is a quality branding iron. It is recommended that the iron be made of brass, as the steel iron used in hot branding does not hold the cold temperature adequately. Contact a metal fabricating company to have the brand made in your design. There are commercial manufacturers that will do this.

Freeze branding is usually done in one of three places: The hip, the shoulder or the crest of the neck. The area is clipped with a #40 blade, cleaned and degreased with alcohol. The iron is submerged in liquid nitrogen to reach the temperature of minus -320º F; usually this takes about five minutes in the nitrogen. The iron is placed on the skin for approximately 45 to 60 seconds, depending on hair color (chestnuts generally require less time). Initially, the frozen skin is indented, then thaws to leave a welt. The welt lasts 15 to 30 minutes. Over the next few weeks, the branded skin will dry and scurf up. White hair will replace the original color as the new coat grows in. A good brand is bright white and crisp against the coat background.

Some states have branding laws, and it is advisable to check with your state’s branding board to make sure you are not using someone else’s registered brand.

– Eric Peterson, DVM

Learn more about the most threatening illnesses and diseases that horses face. AQHA’s Common Horse Health Issues report features top industry experts explaining causes, treatments and much more.

What’s Right for My Horse?

Should your horse be permanently identified? Our friends at Thehorse.com offer compelling reasons to consider the different methods, including branding, tattoos and microchips. Check out the story.

Some helpful tips from AAEP for keeping your expectant mare healthy.

Keep your pregnant mare healthy.

According to our friends at the American Association of Equine Practitioners, the average length of pregnancy in the mare is 338 to 343 days. However, normal gestation can range from 320 to 380 days.

You needn’t become overly concerned if your mare is past due. Prolonged gestation is not generally associated with problems or extra large foals unless the mare is grazing endophyte-infected fescue grass.

If your mare’s pregnancy extends much past 340 days or you’re concerned, ask your veterinarian to examine her to determine if the mare is still pregnant and confirm that all is well.

Suspected Abortion

Mares do occasionally abort. If you notice a vaginal discharge or dripping milk during pregnancy, contact your veterinarian.

If you find the remains of a placenta or fetus, save it for your veterinarian to examine. It may be possible to ascertain the cause of abortion and treat the mare accordingly. Mares can and do abort without ill effects.

However, it’s always a good idea to have her checked by your veterinarian, because some complications of abortion, such as a retained placenta, can be life-threatening to your horse.

Learn more about horse health with AQHA’s acclaimed “Your Horse’s Health” DVD series.

Impending Birth

There are obvious as well as subtle signs of impending birth. The time frame during which they occur varies from mare to mare.

The most obvious and reliable are:

• Filling of the udder (two to four weeks pre-foaling)

• Distension of the teats (four to six days pre-foaling)

• Waxing of the teats (one to four days pre-foaling)

• Obvious dripping of milk

• An increase in milk calcium 1 to 3 days pre-foaling (detected by using a stall-side test kit)

More subtle signs include:

• Softening and flattening of the muscles in the croup

• Relaxation of the vulva

• Visible changes in the position of the foal

Preparing for Birth

Your 11-month waiting game will be over before you know it. To prepare, brush up on your foaling knowledge with the companion AAEP educational brochure, The Foaling Mare and Newborn. Your veterinarian will be happy to supply it and will also be able to answer any further questions you may have about caring for your expectant mare.

For the full AAEP brochure, “Expectant Mare,” click here.

Learn from the experts about horse health complications and treatments. Arm yourself with knowledge so you can give your horses the best chance at healthy lives. AQHA members get a discount on the “Your Horse’s Health” DVD series!

With just a little help from us, our horses do fine in winter weather.

Holly Clanahan

As was mentioned previously, I’m not a big fan of cold weather. And sorry, fair warning … it’ll probably be mentioned again. Really not a fan. But my horses, however, don’t seem to mind the chill.

I was talking recently to a friend in Wyoming, where she said the temperature was -8. It made me cold just hearing it - and it made our weather, in the teens and 20s, sound perfectly balmy. But her horses are getting along fine, too.

A few years ago, I did a story in America’s Horse magazine on winter horse care. Cherry Hill, a horsewoman and author in Colorado, offered some great tips - many of which I have put to use with my own horses. Here are a few:

• To help horses maintain body heat, feed more hay, not grain. The digestion of hay is what warms them.

• Older horses may need more help. I have a 30-something mare who is hard to keep weight on, and she got a fabulous new pink blanket this year. It’s cute, and, more importantly, it keeps her from having to expend precious calories staying warm.

• Water is of critical importance. Not everyone has heated automatic waterers (oh, I wish!), but Cherry had a great idea: Simply draw fresh water for the horses daily. They’ll drink more if it’s freshly drawn, rather than if they have to drink from an icy tank.

A few icicles in the whiskers aren't bothering Zen, my 2-year-old Quarter Horse mare.

• Know your horses’ normal routine. If they typically drink after they’re done with their hay, draw the water then. That way, you know it won’t freeze before they’re ready for it.

• And finally, some tips I’ve learned from a friend in Minnesota on dressing for the subfreezing weather: Mittens are warmer than gloves because they keep your fingers together. They’re fine for feeding, where you don’t necessarily need fine motor skills. You can also wear a pair of thin gloves underneath, so if you do have to remove the mittens to unlatch a gate, for instance, you’ll still have some protection.

• Don’t forget the head protection. Most of your body heat escapes from your head, so forget about hat hair (you can always stick a ball cap on later), and just wear that stocking cap while you feed.

Happy riding, and stay warm!

Holly Clanahan
Editor, America’s Horse magazine

Don’t miss the fun, educational and heart-warming stories in the print version of America’s Horse! It goes to all members of the American Quarter Horse Association, and it’ll also keep you in the loop on Association news. We want you to belong!

The Foundation funds research to find cures for this devastating horse disease.

Brianna Hogg and Brownie

This summer, the American Quarter Horse Foundation received a typewritten letter and $15 gift to equine research from 12-year-old Brianna Hogg of Burleson, Texas.

Here is her letter, an inspiration to all of us who love our horses and want to help the American Quarter Horse Foundation improve the lives of all horses.

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Cold therapy is still the best treatment for numerous horse ailments.

Professional's Choice Six-Pocket Ice Boots

By AQHA Corporate Partner Professional’s Choice

In a recent study conducted by DVM Magazine’s contributing veterinarian, Kenneth Marcella, various methods of cold therapy for horses were evaluated for effectiveness, from high-tech units costing up to $5,000 to simple buckets of cold water.

Of all the methods, it was concluded that old-fashioned ice was the most effective for cooling horses’ legs, as it sufficiently reduced temperature while others did not. The Professional’s Choice Ice Boot was found to be the most efficient way to administer ice to a horse’s legs. Read the rest of this entry »

Reasons to wrap your horse’s legs, and ways to do it right.

To prevent tendon damage, wrap a horse’s leg from the inside around the front of the leg. This means wrapping clockwise on right legs and counterclockwise on left legs.

A leg wrap has the correct amount of tension if you can get two fingers under it below the pastern and one finger under the wrap at the top.

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Test your knowledge of your horse’s teeth.

Horses have a unique dental structure. According to the American Association of Equine Practitioners, horses’ teeth are divided into two major sections: the incisors, which are the teeth seen in the front of the horse’s mouth, and the cheek teeth, made up of the premolars and molars.

The molars and premolars are lined up tightly against each other, creating the appearance of one chewing surface. This alignment of teeth is called the dental arcade.

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Routine wellness exams can prevent equine emergencies.

Buy this photo!

The American Association of Equine Practitioners and Fort Dodge Animal Health partnered to create America’s Healthy Horse, a joint educational initiative designed to raise public awareness about the importance of seasonal wellness exams and professionally managed preventive care for every horse.

Certain kinds of colic, lameness, some foaling conditions and nearly all common equine diseases are examples of potential emergencies that could be prevented through twice a year wellness exams, routine vaccinations and year-round parasite control. Biannual wellness exams can reduce frightening and costly emergency calls - and help your horse live a longer, healthier life.

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