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Post by rj on Feb 8, 2010 14:14:48 GMT 1
OK, here goes: Why freezemark? Because it is the best deterrent to theft. Because if your horse is stolen, it can be permanently & uniquely identified. Which company? Farmkey & Freezemark are the best known companies and their marks are recognisable by most horse people. They keep a register of the the marks & will circulate if stolen. Where to mark? Shoulder or rump is best. If under the saddle area, it is easier to keep a stolen horse hidden for longer. Does it hurt? No. It is probably uncomfortable, but most horses don't react to it, some find it alarming, very few find it unbearable. If you feel your horse is a sensitive soul, arrange for sedation. Grey white horses will have the irons kept on longer to kill the hair to leave a bald mark. Do's & Don'ts - Get your horse prepared beforehand. - The area will need clipping so make sure your horse is OK with that first. - Make sure your horse is well mannered to handle. No-one is going to want to deal with a bargy horse. - Get them used to pressure against the area to be marked. Start with the back of a brush or similar, which is about the size - of a letter/number iron. Press it against area firmly and encourage horse to lean into it, stand still etc. - Then move onto a cold object (bag of frozen peas wrapped in a tea-towel which you can refreeze & use again til horse is 'cool' with it!). - Use advance & retreat if any problems. Clicker would be good. Or a bucket of food. - Don't expect the operative to be IH or NH minded. They're in it for money, so just want to do the job quickly & safely, whatever it takes. They are not going to accept assurances that your horse doesn't bite or kick. They've heard that one before! - Neither will they be happy if you ask them for half an hour to get to know your horse and to take things too slowly. They have a schedule to keep to. - Ask beforehand whether they will use a twitch & decide if you'd rather sedate. - Make sure your horse is clean & dry and you have an enclosed area with sufficient light. - Have a helper if possible.
Horsewatch groups promote freezemarking so as a HW co-ordinator I'd like to ask people to record their experiences in the following format - or close to - so's I can keep a spreadsheet and see if there are any major problems. If you felt there were serious concerns do report them immediately, directly to the company concerned first. Also record your own hints/tips/comments for others. Questionnaire (copy, paste & complete): Which company: Location (ie town): Date marked: Yes/No & marks out of 10 for the following. Give details if 'No': Were the arrangements made promptly & efficiently? Were you provided with enough information regarding the process? Was your horse handled politely, respectfully, and competently? Was the operative polite and respectful to you. Any other comments. Would you be prepared for the company to contact you and discuss?
If there is anything you would rather say in confidence, please PM me. Bear in mind that if you don't say anything, the company won't know what you think of their operatives and the way they work. Thanks!
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Post by Karon on Feb 8, 2010 14:24:14 GMT 1
Thanks, my replies are below:
Which company: Freezemark Location (ie town): Shrewsbury Date marked: May 2009
Yes/No & marks out of 10 for the following. Give details if 'No':
Were the arrangements made promptly & efficiently? Yes, although had the date changed once Were you provided with enough information regarding the process? Yes Was your horse handled politely, respectfully, and competently? Yes Was the operative polite and respectful to you. Yes Any other comments. Would you be prepared for the company to contact you and discuss? Yes
I was very happy with Freezemark and would use them again when I need a horse freeze marking.
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Post by Zuzan on Feb 8, 2010 15:00:36 GMT 1
........... - Don't expect the operative to be IH or NH minded. They're in it for money, so just want to do the job quickly & safely, whatever it takes. They are not going to accept assurances that your horse doesn't bite or kick. They've heard that one before!........ And ......... - Ask beforehand whether they will use a twitch & decide if you'd rather sedate. put me right off the whole idea
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Post by Karon on Feb 8, 2010 15:11:17 GMT 1
Nooo, don't be put off! I've had two excellent operatives and one who was trying to get the job done too quickly yet the latter was a person who had said to me in the past that she's into NH/IH methods! The latest one was very good with the horses, I don't know whether or not she has an IH type of background but whether she has or not, I'd have no hesitation I having her back again.
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Post by rj on Feb 8, 2010 15:32:11 GMT 1
'put me right off the whole idea '
OK, fair point, so let me just ask; how do you feel about having your horse stolen? You think it's worth the risk, I guess. Your choice, absloutely.
Horse has unpleasant 20 mins (only perhaps, mind, just 'worst case scenario')- vs - no horse (only perhaps, mind, just 'worst case scenario'). I know which I'd prefer, but each to their own, absolutely. Do remember too, that horse thieves aren't IH/NH minded either, unless you're very lucky.
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Post by Zuzan on Feb 8, 2010 15:43:05 GMT 1
'put me right off the whole idea ' OK, fair point, so let me just ask; how do you feel about having your horse stolen? ... Yes I totally agree.. but it was my immediate reaction (and suspect others maybe similar) the horse theif is a maybe and in a high risk area much more likely than in far flung difficult to access Highlands... If I was in a high risk / more accessible area I wouldn't be so iffy about freezemarking..
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Gingersmum
Advanced Poster
Life is sweet
Posts: 281
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Post by Gingersmum on Feb 8, 2010 17:07:29 GMT 1
Would like to add - I had 2 ponies freemarked, 1 of which is quite nervous. They didn't need any twitches or sedation, they were quite happy throughout the whole process (I didn't do any 'prep' ) I would definately freemark again.
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Post by arabheaven on Feb 8, 2010 18:09:23 GMT 1
Which company: Farmkey Location (ie town): Near Salisbury, Wilts Date marked: ummm May 2007 Were the arrangements made promptly & efficiently? 9/10 arranged with farmkey, then operator called me back to confirm date and time. Lady called when 10 mins away. Were you provided with enough information regarding the process? 8/10 - yes I did my research as was worried about it hurting them so knew the whole process. Arranged to have personalised marks. Was your horse handled politely, respectfully, and competently? 9/10 - yes, zac got a bit fidgetty on the 4th one so she just gave him some nuts and got it done as quick as possible. I had only had ori a month so she was still a bit wild child but the lady was happy to let me settle her first and was very competent. Was the operative polite and respectful to you. - very much so 9/10 we had lovely chat about our horses Would you be prepared for the company to contact you and discuss? yup, I am very happy with the whole thing and feel more secure knowing I can circulate their freezemark details rather than just 14.2hh chestnut PBA!
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Post by Lorraine L on Feb 8, 2010 18:53:31 GMT 1
Which company: Farmkey
Location (ie town): Shoreham-By-Sea, West Sussex
Date marked: 1993 i think ?
Yes/No & marks out of 10 for the following. Give details if 'No':
Were the arrangements made promptly & efficiently? Yes
Were you provided with enough information regarding the process? Yes
Was your horse handled politely, respectfully, and competently? Yes, completely
Was the operative polite and respectful to you. Yes
Any other comments. It did help that the guy was super looking !!! Seriously, he was a relative of the Bunn family from Hickstead if i remember rightly and the fact that he had a fab understanding of horses and handling, made the whole process very easy. Luke jumped a little but Sunny ( who was very young at the time ) didn't even move.
I seem to remember that one of my sisters horses did not show her mark very much. The chap came back and did hers again with no trouble at all.
Would you be prepared for the company to contact you and discuss? Yes
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Post by penny70 on Feb 8, 2010 18:58:42 GMT 1
Which company: Farmkey Location (ie town): Oxford Date marked: Dec 2009
Yes/No & marks out of 10 for the following. Give details if 'No': Were the arrangements made promptly & efficiently? Y 10/10 Were you provided with enough information regarding the process? Y 10/10 Was your horse handled politely, respectfully, and competently?Y 8/10 Was the operative polite and respectful to you. Y 8/10 Any other comments. Mouse wasn't very happy with it - obv uncomfortable but as a grey he needed irons held on longer and had he been a different colour I think he wouldn't have minded so much. She was efficient, didn't baulk at M kicking out at her and doing a couple of bucks, and was polite to me. I would have another of mine done by the same company if I had another that needed doing! Would you be prepared for the company to contact you and discuss? Y
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Post by june on Feb 8, 2010 19:54:48 GMT 1
I've had more than 20 horses freezemarked so I'll answer in general Which company: All by Farmkey Location (ie town): Beds/Herts Date marked: From 1997 through to the most recent in 2008 Yes/No & marks out of 10 for the following. Give details if 'No': Were the arrangements made promptly & efficiently? All except for the most recent ones where they took ages to fix a date, then changed it several times and then tried to change the time on the day before they were due when I'd specficially arranged polo so some of the horses playing could be done afterwards and had the vet booked to sedate one. After complaining and saying that wasn't possible so they'd have to rearrange for another day, they managed to go back to the original time, probably because they were doing 6 horses here! Were you provided with enough information regarding the process? Didn't ask for any Was your horse handled politely, respectfully, and competently? Yes, in all cases. The operative was business like with the horses so firm but fair. Was the operative polite and respectful to you. Yes Any other comments. Out of the 20+ horses I've had done I've had one sedated simply because I didn't think she'd cope with the clippers. One of the youngsters was twitched for the last of the 4 letters. She's a coloured and quite pretty so it seemed preferable to twitch her and get it over with rather than risk leaving it and chance her being stolen. All the recent marks I've had done on the shoulder. Earlier ones I've had done under the saddle simply because no one had made the point that they were easier to hide and it hadn't occured to me that the shoulder mark was a better deterrent. The horses do seem to react slightly better to the marks under the saddle. With the shoulder marks they seemed to feel the need to move more but the operative was happy for them to walk in a circle while she held the iron in place. It would be useful if the marking companies pushed the mark on the shoulder more simply because it is a better deterrent but I guess if it really is slightly easier to mark them under the saddle then they prefer that option! Would you be prepared for the company to contact you and discuss? Yes
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Post by touchstone on Feb 8, 2010 20:36:10 GMT 1
Which company: Farmkey Location (ie town): Darlington Date marked: 1997 & 2001(?) Yes/No & marks out of 10 for the following. Give details if 'No': Were the arrangements made promptly & efficiently? Yes Were you provided with enough information regarding the process? Yes Was your horse handled politely, respectfully, and competently? Yes Was the operative polite and respectful to you. Yes Any other comments. Handled difficult mare very well and successfully marked all three horses first time round. Would you be prepared for the company to contact you and discuss? Yes
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Post by kafee on Feb 8, 2010 21:00:49 GMT 1
Farmkey did my little cremello mare and my iron grey. The cremello had to have a bald mark, of course, being cremello. She was OK with the first iron, but after that, despite being the sweetest, politest pony you could wish to meet, she was striking out with her front feet, and doing her best to get away from it.
The grey had to be remarked on the shoulder when he went white, but he wasn't bothered by it at all.
The bay was done by a smaller company, and they had to come back and do it again as it wasn't very good. The pony wasn't bothered by it. The operative put the poor mark down to it being done in the winter, when the weather was cold. The mark still isn't very good, but it's there, and they're all are micro-chipped as well.
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chloe
Grand Prix Poster
Kai's Mum
Posts: 2,609
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Post by chloe on Feb 8, 2010 21:03:37 GMT 1
Questionnaire (copy, paste & complete): Which company: Farmkey x2 Location (ie town): Bristol and Gloucester Date marked: One done in 2006 and one in 2008 Yes/No & marks out of 10 for the following. Give details if 'No': Were the arrangements made promptly & efficiently? Yes 10/10 Were you provided with enough information regarding the process? Yes 10/10 Was your horse handled politely, respectfully, and competently? Yes 10/10 Was the operative polite and respectful to you. Yes 10/10 Any other comments. The second horse I had done was a nervous young gelding who decided rearing was the order of the day. The operator stayed calm, moved with him and he chilled out quickly. She was excellent. The same operator did both my horses. Would you be prepared for the company to contact you and discuss?
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Post by Susan on Feb 8, 2010 22:15:19 GMT 1
Which company: Freezemark Location (ie town):Beds Date marked:2001 Yes/No & marks out of 10 for the following. Give details if 'No':
Were the arrangements made promptly & efficiently? Yes
Were you provided with enough information regarding the process? I think they gave some basic but back then not enough. Now I know a lot..hey RJ! Was your horse handled politely, respectfully, and competently?It was the ladies first freezemarking on her own and on a young grey which had to be held on longer of course, and she was lovely. I remember how so kind and understanding she was. Was the operative polite and respectful to you.YES! Any other comments. I really think the freezemark companies need to talk more of why we recommend freezemarking and about using the shoulder or rump not the back and why! we should think more about why we have it done not what is easier for the operator. Would you be prepared for the company to contact you and discuss? Yes of course.
Please also them to talk of the importance of talking of possible some discomfort but as said 20 mins discomfort for safety and security.
Zuzan horses dont only get stolen they get lost , break out, stray, lose riders and get lost. I have been involved with 3 last year alone! and none were marked.. remember police will not understand identification marks.. or our idea of colours..but brown horse with 1234 on shoulder is like reg plate ..easy! even for none horses folks.
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