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[RC] Branding - Diane TrefethenHot branding of livestock has been around for at least 4000 years. In the Old West, it was commonly used for both horses and cattle. You needed a way to identify your stock so when roundup time came, other ranchers' animals could be cut loose. The method had to be sure and portable and cheap and hot branding satisfied all three needs. Today we have freeze branding which though less painful is not as sure as hot branding, requires equipment not easily ported into the back country, and is comparatively expensive. As I understand it, Rushcreek rounds up their horses for branding and then turns them back out on the range so these negative attributes of freeze branding, especially since a horse may never be seen again due to predators, weather or just plain bad luck, makes it a less practical method to use. BTW, I have seen horses with dangerous behavioural problems that have resulted from babying and overly soft/permissive training techniques but never a horse with a hot brand induced psychosis :) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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