Taking the Mystery Out of Tattoos and Freeze Brands By Laura Burnside ___________________________
K
eith Hamilton has worked with the USTA (United States Trotting Association) for 40 years. He is the person who does the freeze branding (tattooing) of all Standardbreds born in the CNY area. He also does all the major Standardbred racing events in the northeast to verify the identification of horses in sales,etc. He was kind enough to answer the following questions about Standardbred Identification.
Q. At what age are most Standardbreds tattooed? Is an animal ever too old to be branded/tattooed? A. Older horses can be freeze branded, they are never too old. Lip tattooing is acceptable by rule but in excess of 99% of registered Standardbreds foaled after 1997 will be freeze branded.
Q. If someone were to acquire a horse with a brand or tattoo but is unfamiliar with StandardQ. How long have you been involved with Stan- breds how do they go about tracing the backdardbred identification? ground of the horse? A. I have been working with the USTA for 40 years. A. If they can read the tattoo or freeze brand they can call the USTA at 877-800-8782 to get the hisQ. Older Standardbreds carry a lip tattoo while tory of the horse. The information can also be younger horses have a freeze brand, what year accessed online at http://pathway.ustrotting.com/ did the USTA begin using freeze brand? search/. A. If the brand/tattoo is hard to read are there any tricks to determine what the symbols origQ. How old are most Standardbreds when they inally were? receive their freeze brand? Q. Clipping the hair short over the brand site will A. The majority of freeze brands are placed on sometimes help to make out the symbols. foals 2 weeks of age to 6 months of age. ************* Q. Is DNA testing used in concert with the How does the actual branding process work? The branding? branding iron is submerged in liquid nitrogen for several minute until it reaches the temperature of A. At the time of freeze branding, the ID tech will minus -320째F. The iron is then touched to the skin collect a DNA sample (mane hair with root folli- for up to a minute. Over the course of a few weeks cle) and send it to our contracted lab for parentage the branded area will turn white as new hair grows verification. in. A. Freeze branding began with foals of 1997.