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Elite Veteran
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Location: East Tennessee, USA, Planet Earth | FYI:I just heard that Wisconsin is checking all horses for current Coggins. And for current Health Certificates for all out of state horses. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1885
Location: NY | I heard the same with other state and even in state new york has and is checking at some truck stops |
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Expert
Posts: 1989
Location: South Central OK | They do this all the time down here. But we check every horse regardless of origin. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 455
Location: Texas | I've never been checked there, but I've heard South Dakota can be sticklers, too. They will put your horse in "jail" until a vet and brand inspector can come out. Normally this would happen on a Saturday, and the vet would not be available until Monday morning. No worries for me on the Coggins or health certificate, but what about the brand inspector? Sounds like a law that should have been taken off the books about 3/4 of a century ago. |
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Expert
Posts: 1205
Location: Arkansas | Brand inspection is actually a good theft deterrent. Our animals are freeze branded with our registered brand, altho our state does not have brand inspection, per se, the brands are noted on their papers, coggins, and health certificates...when we travel to the western states where they do have it, our veterinarian calls their state (s) and gets a entry number to put on the health certificate.........we make an appointment at that time for the brand inspection to be done in person by the appropriate party when we get to the state in question. Fairly simple, really, and does serve notice to those traveling with your branded stolen horse that they are very likely to get caught!
Edited by flyinghfarm 2007-05-17 11:17 AM
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 455
Location: Texas | Interesting. What is supposed to be done with horses that are not branded?
Also, is horse theft very prevalent anywhere anymore? |
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Expert
Posts: 1205
Location: Arkansas | I would suppose with the extreme low price of killer horses, for want of a better phrase, that the theft of the backyard horse has dropped. There is still a good deal of theft among better stock. I was at one event that lasted a week and several horses went missing, some were located and some not. Not sure what you mean about the unbranded stock.. |
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.jpg) Expert
Posts: 2828
Location: Southern New Mexico | Not sure what you mean about the unbranded stock.. What good is a brand inspector if the horse isn't branded? |
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Expert
Posts: 2828
Location: Southern New Mexico | I don't know about horses, but one of the local ranchers here had 68 head of cattle stolen last year. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 455
Location: Texas | Originally written by Terri on 2007-05-17 12:17 PM
Not sure what you mean about the unbranded stock.. What good is a brand inspector if the horse isn't branded?
My question, too. If the brand inspector comes by and tells me to prove that these unbranded horses are mine, what am I to do?
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Expert
Posts: 1205
Location: Arkansas | I haul a good deal over the years, and have been checked twice by LE looking for a stolen horse, in one case I had an empty 6 horse trailer, and once I had a gelding of mine on the 2 horse gooseneck trailer.........he was registered, microchipped, I had the bill of sale where he was purchased, his papers were in my name, as was the coggins test. The microchip number was on the coggins tst and registration papers. I carry a handheld scanner, as well. Other than being a sorrel gelding he did not match the stolen horse's description much either, but the paperwork I had satisfied the state police. For unregistered stock, a bill of sale as well as a paper trail of vet papers, coggins and whatever else would help. Whether it is a brand inspector or other form of LE, it is an interesting question.......how does one prove the livestock they are hauling are theirs? All the equine animals we have now are registered, microchipped and branded. It can be intimidating proving the animal is legally yours in those situations...but those circumstances are really really rare. A check on www.netposse.com is an eyeopener about stolen stock. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 792
Location: East Tennessee, USA, Planet Earth | Originally written by Terri on 2007-05-17 12:17 PM Not sure what you mean about the unbranded stock.. What good is a brand inspector if the horse isn't branded?  |
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Expert
Posts: 1723
Location: michigan | Here I spend bucks on Coggins and health papers yet no one in three states bothered to check them. |
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Regular
Posts: 70
Location: Northern, CA | Traveling in California, Nevada, Oregon, and Utah a lot. Our horses do not carry a brand, but they all do have a brand certificate! It is a photograph of the horse with a complete description of color and all markings showing me as the owner! It is an official document, issued by the state (Nevada). We always carry their brand certificates, proof of Coggins test, and health certificates. When I pull into the Ag stops, I have a folder with all the pertinent documents that I hand to the inspector. Documents always get looked at, sometimes the horses get looked at and matched up to the brand certificates. If it is a new horse, I will carry the bill of sale until the brand certificate arrives. Also, if we haul in to a new trainer, I always give them a copy of the health certificates. Some barns require it, others don't. |
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Expert
Posts: 2828
Location: Southern New Mexico | I only have, or had, a bill of sale on two of mine, two were given to me and two were born here. I don't see how a bill of sale or coggins papers (unless picture is ON the paper) can really help much on a solid or "typiclal" bay or sorrel horse. On my old mares coggins papers it has her listed as a sorrel with a white spot on her withers. That probally describes 4 zillion horses. Even on my appys papers, all it says is bay mare with blaze and white blanket. How many are those are there (I've got 2 that fit that description) and how is a cop with no equine experience supposed to know what it is describing? |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 326
Location: Gallatin, TN | We don't brand our horses. Is that going to be the next forced expense upon horse owners? And what if you bought a horse that was already branded? It makes me not want to travel at all. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 792
Location: East Tennessee, USA, Planet Earth | Since many of you have question in regards to what the USDA requires for horse transport. Here is an excellent link to everything you ever wanted to know about what you legally need to do to haul a horse. U.S. State and Territory Animal Import Regulationshttp://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/sregs/BTW...yes, the USDA does have jurisdiction over horse (livestock) transport in all states and territories.Happy Trails!  |
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Expert
Posts: 2828
Location: Southern New Mexico | I used that site when I moved, but I think that most of the paper work is just a waste. The coggins test just means that the horse wasn't infected 1 day to 12 months ago, the health papers were a joke since the vet didn't even look at the horses and New Mexico requires "travel papers" which sound a lot like the brand inspection. I'm supposed to carry them anytime I leave my property, even when I go riding in the desert. It's all a way for someone else to take my money. |
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Expert
Posts: 1989
Location: South Central OK | Take your money? Around my parts when they impound a large animal it's about $100/day impound fees. They run all the vet checks/tests and you pay out the nose! I impounded a calf for the county a few years back. Once they found the owner and I'd had the vet out the bill was around $2K. I kept him and never got a dime, but I got a free calf! The owner paid the vet bills but couldn't pay the impound fee. The city sued for the vet charges and gave me the calf to settle the impound fees. We later sold him as we only keep polled cattle. I just hated dealing with horns. |
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Expert
Posts: 2828
Location: Southern New Mexico | It's still just a way to take your money. They just take more of it if you don't get the papers. |
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Member
Posts: 42
Location: corinth, ms | DO THESE SO CALLED INSPECTERS HAVE SCANNERS ? ALL MY STOCK ARE MICROCHIPPED..... |
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Regular
Posts: 70
Location: Northern, CA | Yeah, the inspectors come with scanners. Around here, most of the inspectors are "retired" from some part of the Ag industry (ranchers, farriers, etc.). They DO know what they are doing.
As for descriptions, my sorrel gelding has a diagram of his markings (star, stripe, two hind stockings), including his scars (mountain lion attack) on his health papers. Though he is pretty plain, the vet did a really accurate drawing making the little twists and turns in his stripe and showing how his stockings are rippled at the top. That, combined with his photo on the brand card, the written description on the back of the card, and his micro-chip, it's obviously him. |
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Traveling into WI
