March 2022 Issue

Page 54 March 2022 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN By Marcella Peyre-Ferry For many years, you could easily recognize a Standardbred by the five-digit freeze brand on its neck, but that is changing. In 2019 a new policy made micro- chipping the primary identifica- tion method for the breed. Freeze branding as additional identifica- tion is still available as an option, but it comes with an additional cost. Microchipping may at first seem like a better way of identi- fying a horse, and it is efficiently used at racetracks. Unfortunately, the microchip does not replace the freeze brand as a way of identifying a Standardbred at a distance or in the turmoil of an auction pen. Standardbred horses have a fan base that goes beyond the racetrack. There are several res- cue organizations that specialize in finding new careers and new homes for these horses. “People are interested in their ‘no drama’ personality. They are smaller than Thoroughbreds and calmer with denser bone. They are already broken to drive and generally can learn how to carry a rider pretty quickly,” said Standardbred freeze brand advocate Ellen Harvey. “There are people and organizations that are specifically looking for that breed. That brand tells you that horse was bred for athletic ability, that horse has been excessively The freeze brand on the neck of Standardbred horses allowed rescuers looking for the breed to easily identify them in a sea of brown horses at auctions and lots. A new policy instituted in 2019 that replaced freeze brands with microchips is the subject of a rule change that will be considered at the USTA meet- ing in March. Photo credit: Vicki Wright Switch to Microchipping Presents Problems for Standardbred Rescuers handled, probably broken to drive already, probably loads on a trailer, and is probably fine with trucks going past them.” For the past 25 years, those looking specifically for Standard- breds at auction have been able to spot a freeze brand, even in a crowded pen. Once they see the brand number they are able to look up that horse’s identity, finding his age, pedigree, and racing record. That still holds true for today’s horses that have ended their racing career and end up at auction where they face the possi- bility of being sold for slaughter. For horses born in 2019 or more recently, the visible identification that could save their lives is prob- ably is not there. In 2019 microchipping became a part of the US Trotting Association (USTA) registration process along with DNA testing and recording of markings. The freeze brand remains as an option, but only at an additional cost. As a result, most foals registered since then are lacking freeze brands. Sea of Brown Horses “For folks that buy or acquire horses at places like the New Holland auction--excluding the Haflingers and the paints, it’s a sea of brown horses. They’re shoulder to shoulder on the wall or turned out in a pen in the back,” Harvey said Harvey noted that even if you have a chip reader, you need to be about six inches from the horse you want to check. “What you get on your scan- ner is for 90 seconds is a 16 digit number,” she said. “These are not environments where you can control the flow of the horses.” Harvey is not opposed to microchipping but sees the freeze brand as an important back- up. She and three others have co-sponsored a rule change that will be considered at the USTA meeting in March. Her hope is to get freeze branding restored as a part of the registration process. In addition to helping Sad- dlebred rescues, the freeze brand is helpful in identifying horses at the farm. Since there are so many similar horses the brand is a help to make sure the right horse is getting attention. When discussion of the switch to microchipping came up in 2017, Harvey expected there would at least be a period when freeze branding and microchip- ping overlapped to see how the system worked in practice. Harvey points out that the USTA has done a good job of promoting the abilities of the Standardbred beyond the race- track. After encouraging horse- men to consider Standardbreds, the move away from freeze branding could be seen as an obstacle to finding these horses new careers. (Continued on page 71)