In the old west all livestock was branded and each ranch had a registered brand.  Often times livestock was run together from several ranches. At the end of the grazing season when the livestock were collected, the brands were inspected and the animals sorted by each brand. If you were in possesion of an animal with a brand not registered to your ranch, you needed to prove ownership. If the brand appeared doctored or changed, You would have to tell why.  You often see horses and cattle with 2-3 brands. One from where the animal was born, one from where the animal lived as it grew up and one from where it ended up as using stock. All Livestock requires a brand inspection. Sheep, goats, Llamas, cattle, equine. A brand inspection may detail that it's a Hot brand, a Freeze brand or that no brand is visable. A brand inspection usually details what the brand sysmbols are and where they are located on the animal. If the animals has no brand it details all the markings, color, height, breed, scars etc. Just as a police officer may look for a felon by describing him as a White male about 30. 5'10" , 180lbs and a tatto that says Mom on his right upper arm and a "Z shaped" scar on his left palm.

In today's world a lot of us Kinder - Gentler folks don't want to brand and re-brand our horses with hot irons.  So the horse may have only one brand or no brand on it, but we posses some kind of ownership that proves we have bought and paid for the animal. Since bill of sales can be forged. A brand inspection is a way to get a more recognized form of ownership papers. Here you call the brand inspector, he comes out and inspects the animal. He diagrams the animals markings, looks at your bill of sale, auction reciept, registration papers etc and compares the horse to anything listed in the stolen horse list the state department of agriculture keeps. If everything checks out they send you a laminated piece of paper with a description of your horses markings, which may or may not include a brand.

This Brand Inspection, basically just says, I've had a state agent review my ownership, inspect the brand and verify that it's original.  Kinda like a title for a car.

If you bring an animal into an auction, You will have to prove you have the right to sell that animal. You would present your ownership papers (which may include a BI) and the State Brand Inspector would inspect the animal and make sure it is the animal described. Since brand inspections are usually registered with state agencys. States require you submit for for inspection before crossing state lines.  By this I mean a -BQ  brand on the left hip may be registered to Browning ranch in Utah, but the same -BQ  brand could be registered to the Bennett ranch in Colorado.  So by carrying a brand inspection with you, you basically make it much easier to prove your ownership. As a horse owner traveling from Tennesse to Wyoming, the Wyoming brand inspector has no idea what brands have been registered with the State of Tennesee Department of Agriculture. It could take days to get days to get information back from the Tennesee Department of Agriculture as to whether you really own a certain brand.

Here in Utah, all vehicles transporting livestock are required to stop at the Port of Entry. I think most states have similar laws. Its a $250 fine to not stop. If you stop they want to see your brand inspection, health certificate, coggins, they also casually look at your weight. They can and sometimes do give tickets for horse trailers being too heavy for the tow vehicle, or other safety issues.   But the highway patrol is usually not too worried about horses. When they have a line of semi's lined up on the scale.  Each semi is writting a check for $400 to $600. To miss collecting money from a semi, because they were fussing with a couple of horses is not in their interest. So the burden of checking usually falls on the Department of Agriculture, usually the Brand Inspector. They occassionally hang out at the Port of entry. I've seen them drop in on large equine events, ie Rodeos, Endurance races where they spot check.  And of course they are always present at any kind of livestock auction.

Add NM to that list too. Every county has its own livestock inspector and you can stopped in each county you cross, not just at the state line.   

I've found the inspector in Dona Anna county to be quite thorough.  Right after we moved he stopped me and I'd never heard of travel papers.  They didn't tell me about it at the state POE, of course they didn't tell me anything except get out of the way, so he didn't give me a ticket, but he told me I need them and the next day called the live stock inspector in my county to make sure I'd made an appt and to let her know I didn't have papers if I hadn't.

Well I hope the Flying J is either getting some rebate on taxes or rent from the states that use them for brand inspections.  IMO that is a load of crap.  Reminds me of the old jokes about where to to find a policeman.....at the donut shop.    I could have understood it if they wanted us to stop at the state weigh station or something like that.....or is the Flying J  state property?  And what the h---l do I want with a plastic card mailed to my home long after the trip is over?  That assumes I will be traveling out west with my horse again.....NOT.

BBSmfg.....I did not miss anything.....I just do not like arid areas with bare rocks and 25 year old trees that are 2 feet tall.  Nor do I like manual pitcher water pumps that have to be primed (since I am physically unable to operate them).

The rampant poverty in SD, WY and CO was very sad to see....also the strip coal mines.....  JMO

Cloud9   Let me refer you to Izzy's post as that explains it  better than I do.  Anyway I cannot see where there would be a lot of money in stolen horses and most thieves want to steal stuff they can readily turn into cash.....but what do I know.....most thieves are not over run with brain power either.....

Anyway, for me and mine, we will stay east of the Missouri River.