Horse Brands

Please find below a list of horse breeds that have a breed society brand. 

List of Studbooks

American Warmblood:

American Warmblood Society

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American Warmblood Registry (AWR)

Tel:+1 530 757 1377

American Sport Pony:

Anglo Arab:

Anglo & Part-Bred Arab Owners Association

Tel: 01404 814998

Australian Warmblood:

Australian Warmblood Horse Association Ltd

Tel: (61)2-46596600

Fax: (61)2-46596600

Australian Stud Brands:

Each State (except Victoria) registers their own brands, either through the Department of Agriculture, Department of Primary Industries or the Rural Lands Protection Board.

The Registrar of Racehorses is the organisation which registers all racehorses, past and present, in Australia and records their brands. They charge a fee of $AUD30 to trace a horse, if a full description of colour, sex, brands and any white markings is provided. Their contact details are set out below:

The Registrar of Racehorses
NSW Thoroughbred Racing Board
P O Box 832
KENSINGTON NSW 1465

SPPHAV - STANDARDBRED PLEASURE & PERFORMANCE HORSE ASSOCIATION

OF VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA - HOW TO READ THE FREEZE BRAND

Baden Wurttemburg:

Pferdezuchtverband Baden-Württemberg e.V.

Heinrich-Baumann-Straße 1-3

D-70190 Stuttgart

Tel: 0049-7 11 - 16 65 50  
Fax: 0049-7 11 - 1 66 55 20

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Pferdesportverband Baden-Württemberg

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Bavarian Warmblood:

Belgium Sport Horse:

Belgian Sporthorse (sBs)

Avenue Brassine 38

B-1640

St Genesius Rode

Belgium

Tel: + 32 2 358 5200

Fax: + 32 2 358 5538

Email: sbs@sbsnet.be

Belgium Warmblood:

Belgium Warmblood Horse Stud Book (BWP)

Tel: +32 16 479980, E-mail: info@bwp.be

Berlin-Brandenburg:

Landespferdzuchtverband Berlin-Brandenburg eV

Hauptgestut 10

16845 Neustadt/Dosse

Germany

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Pferdezuchtverband Berlin-Brandenburg

Landesverband Pferdesport Berlin-Brandenburg

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British Warmblood:

British Warm-Blood Society (BWBS)

Tel: 01344  297197

Canadian Warmblood:

Canadian Warmblood Horse Breeders Association

Tel: (403)-201-5996

Email: office_gr@canadianwarmbloods.com

Danish Warmblood:

Danish Warmblood Society (DV)

Tel: +45 86 109088

The Danish Warmblood brand, the crown over the wave, is carried by the offspring of graded parents only. For every single horse, there is an internationally recognised pedigree (Horse passport), which is an absolute guarantee of origin and identity. Foals out of two Danish Warmblood graded parents are branded with the Danish crown on the left thigh; for further identification purposes since the mid 1980s three digits reflecting the last three figures of the foal's registration number have also been included in the brand directly underneath the crown. Foals/horses with a Danish heritage which are unable to qualify on their pedigree/breeding for the DV brand are sometimes branded with the DK brand.

Danish Warmblood America:

Dartmoor Pony:

The Ponies of Dartmoor

Branding, ear cuts, ear tags and cutting the tails in a distinctive pattern.

Dutch Warmblood:

Dutch Warmblood

Tel: 00 31 3404 32004

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Royal Dutch Warmblood Studbook

Warmblood Paardenstamboek Nederland (WPN)

Tel: +31 3069 34600, Email: info@kwpn.nl

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Scottish Dutch Warmblood Association (SDWA)

Tel: 01330 833487 

The Dutch Warmblood Studbook of North America
Tel: (541) 672-8145
Fax: (541) 672-1721
E-mail: nawpn@rosenet.net

Exmoor Pony:

The 4 point star on the shoulder denotes official Exmoor Pony Society registration; the number below it is the pony's herd number. The number on the flank is it's individual registration number in that herd. Ponies in the 'Anchor' herd have no herd number but an anchor symbol on the flank above the individual number

Exmoor Pony Society

Tel:01398 341490

Finnish Warmblood:

Suomen Hippos Ry

Tulkinkuja 2

FIN-02600

Espoo

Finland

Tel: + 358 9 511 00260

fax: + 358 9 511 00291

German Riding Horse:

Deutsche Pferde

Am Allerufer 28

27283 Verden

Germany

Tel: + 49 4231 82892

Fax: + 49 4231 5780

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Haflinger:

Haflinger Society of  GB (GBHS)

Tel: 01371 810216

Hanoverian:

Verband Hannoverscher Warmblutzuchter eV (HANN)

Tel: 0049 4231 67 30

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Verband der Pony-und Kleinpferdezüchter Hannover e.V.  

Johannssenstraße 10  
D-30159 Hannover  

Tel: 0049-5 11 - 32 04 10  
Fax: 0049-5 11 - 32 57 59

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The British Hanoverian Horse Society

Tel: 01604 492 750

Email: info@hanoverian-gb.org.uk

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The American Hanoverian Society

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Hessen/Hessian:

Verband Hessischer Pferdezüchter e.V.

Pferdezentrum Alsfeld
An der Hessenhalle 5,
D-36304 Alsfeld
Fon: 06631 - 9655-0
Fax: 06631 - 9655-23
Mail: hessenpferd@t-online.de

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Verband der Ponyzüchter Hessen e.V.

Rheinstraße 91
D-64295 Darmstadt

Tel: 0049- 61 51 - 89 39 55  
Fax: 0049- 61 51 - 89 38 97

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Holstein:

The brand may also have numbers underneath it.  These numbers are control numbers for breeding purposes and are used to identify the horse, similar to a freeze mark.

American Holsteiner Horse Association

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Danish Holsteiner Association

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Verband der Zuchter des Holsteiner Pferdes (HOLST)

Steenbeker Weg 151  
D-24106 Kiel

Tel: 0049 431 30 898/9

Fax:49-4 31 - 33 61 42

Icelandic Horses:

Icelandic horses have different types of ear cuts, ear tags as well as freeze marks. For more information click here.

Irish Sport Horse:

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THE IRISH HORSE BOARD

Telephone: 01-607 2816. Int: +353-1-607 2816.

Fax: 01-662 0763. Int: +353-1-662 0763.

E-mail ihb@ihb.ie

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern:

Verband der Pferdezüchter Mecklenburg-Vorpommern e.V.

Soeicherstraße 11
D-18273 Güstrow

Tel: 0049- 38 43 - 68 60 33  
Fax: 0049- 38 43 - 6 60 33

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Landesverband Pferdesport Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

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Morgan Horse:

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American Morgan Horse Association

British Morgan Horse Society

Canadian Morgan Horse Association

Morgan Horse Association of Australia

NZ Morgan Horse Assn

The Morgan Horse Association (UK)

Namibian Warmbloods:

South African Warmblood Horse Society

Voigtskirch

Harald Voigts Okahandja brand used by the OTJOZONJATI STUD

Bodenhausen Stud

New Forest Pony:

A variety of different brands but they can be pinned down to the breeder.  A list of these brands is available in the New Forest Stud Book from Randells Farm, Burley street, Nr Ringwood, Hants, BH24 4HJ.

New Zealand Warmblood:

New Zealand Warmblood Horse Owners Association

New Zealand Thoroughbred Brand - identification

The Stud Book Department New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Ph: (64 4) 385 3988 Fax: (64 4) 384 5867 Email: studbook@nzracing.co.nz If your horse's shoulder brands are the only identification you have, you need to contact the NZ Stud Book directly with a full description of the brands. This will allow Stud Book staff to identify the sire, dam and registered name of your thoroughbred horse.

The NZ Studbook: Free access to the records of all thoroughbred broodmares in New Zealand from 1991 onwards (includes sex, birth date, sire and breeder of each foal), also imported mares, stallions standing

in New Zealand and their progeny listed by crop, named & un-named horses sent overseas

and industry statistics. If you know the sire and/or dam of your horse, and they were included in the 1991 NZ Stud Book, this is the place to go.

Oldenburg:

International SportHorse Registry & the Oldenburg Registry N.A.

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The "North American Division" of the Verband der Züchter des Oldenburger Pferdes e.V. can be found at www.oldenburghorse.com

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Verband der Zuchter des Oldenburger Pferdes (OLD)

Phone: 0049-4441- 91 49 - 0

Fax: 0049-4441-91 49 - 99

E-Mail: info@oldenburger-pferde.com

Polish Warmblood (Wielkopolski):

Polish foals born in a  national stud farm have a numerical brand under the saddle:

The right side is the number of stud farm.

The left side is the foal's number.

Foals from private breeders (regional breeding) are branded on the left leg (thigh).

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Okregowy Zwiazek Hodowcow Koni
Association of Horse Breeders
Podwale 23
00-261 Warszawa
Tel. 022-8312178

Rheinland:

Rheinisches Pferdestammbuch e.V.

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Rheinland-Pfalz-Sarr (Zweibrucken):

Pferdezuchtverband Rheinland-Pfalz/Saar e.V.

Pferdezentrum  
D-67816 Standenbühl  

Tel: 0049- 63 57 - 897  
Fax: 0049- 63 57 - 15 01

Email: zentrale@pferdezucht-rps.de

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R.P.S.I. (Rheinland Pfalz-Saar International)

The brand for the Rheinland-Pfalz-Saar territory was created By Duke Christian. The symbol is the joining of two famous bridges found in the city of Zweibrücken. A replica of the Duke's Crown rests above the bridges. The literal translation of Zweibrücken is "two bridges".

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Sachsen:

Pferdezuchtverband Sachsen e.V.

Winterbergstraße 98  
D-01237 Dresden

Tel: 0049-3 51 - 2 36 10 01  
Fax: 0049-3 51 - 2 54 90 63

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Sachsen-Anhalt:

Pferdezuchtverband Sachsen-Anhalt e.V.

Frommhagenstraße 55  
D-39576 Stendal  

Tel: 0049- 39 31 - 21 28 59  
Fax: 0049- 39 31 - 21 28 59

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Landesverband Pferdesport Sachsen

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Selle Francais:

 

Selle Francais Society

Tel: 00 33 555 73 83 83

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Studbook du Cheval de Selle Francais (SF)

Tel: +33 555 7383 91

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ASSOCIATION NATIONALE DES ELEVEURS
DE CHEVAUX DE RACE SELLE FRANCAIS (ANSF)
8,rue d'Athènes;
75 009 Paris
France
Tél : +33 (0) 1 44 53 15 37
Fax : +33 (0) 1 48 74 08 21
E-mail : ansf@wanadoo.fr

Shagya Arabian:

North American Shagya Arabian Society

Phone 765-665-385, Email: gwyn@starband.net

Swedish Warmblood:

Swedish Warmblood Association

Swedish Warmblood Association of North America

Swiss Warmblood (also known as the Einsiedler or the Swiss Halfbred):

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Zuchtverband CH Sportpferde (Swiss Warmblood)

Les Longs Prés, Case Postale
1580 AVENCHES

Tel: (41) 26.676.63.40
Fax: (41) 26.676.63.45

Email: info@ch-sporthorse.ch

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Swiss Studbook:

Postfach

CH-1580

Avenches

Switzerland

Tel: +41 26 676 63 40

Thuringen:

Verband Thüringer Pferdezüchter e.V. Thüringer Landesverwaltungsamt 

Carl-August-Allee 1a  
D-99423 Weimar  

Tel: 0049- 36 43 - 2 48 80  
Fax: 0049- 36 43 - 24 88 15 

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Trakehner:

American Trakehner Association

CANADIAN TRAKEHNER HORSE SOCIETY
P.O.Box 1270 New Hamburg, ON N0B 2G0
CANADA
Tel/Fax (519) 662-3209
e-mail: cantrakhsivh@golden.net

History of the Canadian Trakehner Brand

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British Trakehner

Trakehner Breeders Fraternity (TBF)

Tel: 0121 329 2719

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NZ Trakehner Assn

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Trakehner Verband (TRK)

Tel: +49 43 21 90 270

Central European Branding Of Horses

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United States Horse Brand Laws

All animal brands in the USA are registered with the Department of Agriculture within each state. Contact the Department of Agriculture in the state you think your horse came from, you should then be able to trace the owner of the brand.

US State Department of Agriculture Links

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona http://agriculture.state.az.us/ASD/asd.htm   

The bar N brand on the left shoulder, -N , is the brand of the Navajo Nation in Arizona and New Mexico.  That, along with the three character brand on the animal's left hip designate the grazing permittee that owns the stock. 

For more information contact:

Navajo Nation Veterinary and Livestock Program (928) 871-6615      Navajo Nation Switchboard (928) 871-6000

Arkansas
California http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/li/index.htm  

Colorado http://www.ag.state.co.us/brand/brand.html   
Florida
Georgia

To register a brand in Georgia, contact Dr. C. Carter Black III, 
at the Georgia Department of Agriculture, 19 MLK Jr. Drive SW, Atlanta, GA 30334, 
404-656-3667. 

Hawaii
Idaho

http://www.isp.state.id.us/brands/

P.O. Box 1117
Meridian, ID 83680-1177
700 S. Stratford Dr
Meridian, ID 83642
Ph: 208.884.7070
Fax: 208.884.7097
Toll Free: 1.800.772.8442 (Idaho Only)

Here is an interesting private page referring to Idaho livestock brands as a genealogical  source:  http://home.rmci.net/dyingst/brands.htm.

Illinois
Indiana
Iowa

Kansas Kansas Animal Health Department:  
http://www.ink.org/public/kahd/ 
Kentucky
Louisiana
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri

Montana

Montana  www.liv.state.mt.us
For questions regarding new brands, or brand transfers please call 1-406-444-3812.  For any other questions regarding the brands department please call 1-406-444-2045.
ALL MAIL SHOULD ADDRESSED TO:
DEPARTMENT OF LIVESTOCK
BRANDS ENFORCEMENT DIVISION
PO BOX 202001
HELENA, MONTANA 59620-2001

http://www.discoveringmontana.com/liv/brands/forms/bookrequest.asp
This link is to purchase a copy of the Montana book of brands. 

Nebraska

Nebraska:  http://www.nol.org/home/NBC/brandbook/ An online database of 8000 brands (pictures of them) from Nebraska.

Nevada Nevada Department of Agriculture, 
Division of Livestock Identification.   
Address: 1351 Elm St., Elko, NV 89801  
Phone: 775 738-8076  
Website: http://agri.state.nv.us
http://agri.state.nv.us/NevadaBrands.htm online database of brand pictures. 
Includes a page on brand symbols Symbols.pdf

New Mexico

For Information on New Mexico Brand Books
Contact the
New Mexico Livestock Board
300 San Mateo Blvd. NE
Suite 1000
Albuquerque, NM 87108-1500
(505) 841-6161 Main Number
(505) 841-6160 Fax

New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio

Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
South Carolina

South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont

Virginia
Washington

Washington State Department of Agriculture
Livestock Identification Program

P.O. Box 42560
Olympia, WA  98504-2560
(360) 902-1855
EMAIL: livestockid@agr.wa.gov

http://agr.wa.gov/FoodAnimal/Livestock/WhoToContact.htm 

Wisconsin Wisconsin  contact information
Wyoming

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Identifying a Horse By a Lip Tattoo 

Weser-Ems

Pferdestammbuch Weser-Ems e.V.

Mars-La-Tour-Straße 6

D-26121 Oldenburg

Tel: 0049-44 41 - 8 25 82  
Fax: 0049-44 41 - 8 31 63

Westfalen / Westphalian:

Westfalen Horse Association

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Westfalen Warmblood Association of America

18432 Biladeau Lane

Penn Valley

CA 95946

USA

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Westfalen National Stud
Nordrhein-Westfälisches Landgestüt
Sassenberger Str. 11
48231 Warendorf

Germany
Phone: 02581 / 63 69-0
Facsimile: 02581 / 63 69-50

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Westfalisches Pferdestambuch eV

Sudmuhlenstrasse 33

48157 Munster-Handorf

Germany

Tel: 00 49(0)251/ 32809-81
Fax: 00 49(0)251/ 32809-24
E-mail: westfalenpferde@t-online.de

A Westfalen brand is normally a W (for Westfalen) followed by a number which is the yearly registration number, not an identification number.

Zangersheide Stud:

Studbook Zangersheide
Domein Zangersheide
3620 LANAKEN
BELGIUM
Tel.: +3289730030
Fax: +3289718410
Email: studbook@zangersheide.com

Zweibrucken brand:

List of Studbooks:

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Abbreviations:

VB = Foal Book
NFWP = BWP (Belgian Warmblood Association)
HOLST = Holsteiner Stud book (Germany)
WPN = Warmblood Nederland (Netherlands)
CH S F = Cheval De Selle Francais (France)
XX = Thoroughbred

BHHR - British Hanoverian Horse Register

NRPS - Dutch Riding Horse and Pony Stud Book

KWPN - Royal Warmblood Studbook of the Netherlands

Branded Horse Registry Offer registration papers for branded horses. Email: info@brandedhorseregistry.com.

State Studs of Germany

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Celia Clarke of Warmblood Fact Files. Celia runs a consultancy service to help breeders with their choice of stallion.

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Government of Saskatchewan, Canada, Registered Brands database

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Livestock Identification Services Ltd,

The Brand Recorder, Livestock Identification Services Ltd, #375 11012 Macleod Trail South, Calgary AB, Canada T2J 6A5. Telephone: (403) 740-4105, Fax: (403) 740-4124, Toll Free: 1-866-740-4105

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Mexican Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA), email: glopez.aserca@sagarpa.gob. The web site is in Spanish.

Reading and understanding livestock brands - US

Mustang Brands

World Wide Warmbloods - Sport Horse Information from around the world.

http://www.jockeyclub.com/  Many Thoroughbred horses are identified by tattoos under their upper lip.  The Jockey Club maintains a site http://www.equineline.com/  that will do tattoo research for a fee.

El Libro de los Hierros/The Book of the Brands. By Juan Carlos Altamirano. Listing the recorded historic as well as current day brands for P.R.E. horses in Spain as well as renown international brands.

NATIONAL EQUINE DATABASE (NED) Defra announced in June that Momenta has been awarded the contract to set up the National Equine Database (NED). It is proposed that NED will be run by joint industry/government co-operative NED Society Ltd., and it is hoped that the NED will go live early in 2005.

The Breed Societies have been approached to supply the details of the horses/ponies on their register. The NED will hold the horse or ponies details, as well as the name and address of the breeder and owner. This horse passport based information about horse and owner is being collected by NED in order to provide a source of data that supports veterinary disease control and surveillance activities. The information will also enable Defra to carry out its responsibilities regarding the implementation of the horse passport requirement. It will also facilitate strategic planning within the equine sector, assist in tracing the owners of straying, lost or stolen horses and reduce malpractice in the sale of horses and ponies. The data collected for this purpose will be adequate, relevant and not excessive for the above purposes. For the equine industry in general, the information passed to NED will provide a central archived source of Breeding, Evaluation and Performance (BEP) data which will enhance the quality of horses bred in Great Britain. BEP data will be accessible by other interested parties (for a fee) via Internet website.

This National Equine Database (NED) should, in due course, be of great value and benefit to the whole of the UK equine industry - from the hobby rider to the professional, from the occasional breeder to the stud breeding for general or specific equine sport.

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