RC: To Brand or not to brand (long)

["Dot Wiggins" <dotwgns@ruralnetwork.net>]

I grew up where most horses ( and other stock too) were branded.  Everyone
took pride in a neat, good looking brand that was easy to read.  Prefered
location of brand for horses was always left shoulder, reason being no one
could say   "I didn't see a brand"  when caught riding someone else's horse.

Registration papers will show you own this horse, when they are both in your
posession.   A chip can identify a horse if someone knows to look for the
chip,
and has the gear to check.  Many sale yards don't.

If your horse is stolen, or strays,  with no visible identification,  the
chances of recovery are not good.    If that horse is wearing a recorded
brand and is reported missing there is a pretty good chance you may find
him.    If you find your horse in a sale yard full of horses, how do you
prove it is yours?   Many horses look alike,  without ID it is hard to get
it back.

Most Western States do have a pretty good system of co-operative brand
records, not perfect, and some inspectors are not as alert as others but it
works
most of the time.    I have read many times over the years that a branded
horse
reported stolen has never been slaughtered at a licensed plant.

Dyane's  stray may be a stolen horse abandoned by the thief.  Someone may be
trying hard to find it.  If it was branded, even from another state, an
owner might be located.

One of the few horses I owned that didn't get branded was sold, reg. papers
transfered.   Six months later he and several others were stolen.   These
folks were lucky enough to recover part of them, months later, other horse
also unbranded was never found,  believed went to killers.

There was a horse thief working an area several years ago.   Would slip into
pasture at night and catch a horse or two.   A day or two later any branded
horse would show up in another pasture, where another horse would be gone.
Thief was too smart to try hauling a branded horse around.  Took some months
but did get caught.

An old expression is a nice brand will bring him home.