But if you have ever started working on a yard where there are a several similar horses that may fit the description of ‘the bay mare’ or ‘the chestnut gelding’, you will know that it can be hard to quickly distinguish one from the other. So consider the task facing those people who are searching for stolen horses at sales every day. A brief description of a 16.2 bay gelding with a blaze and one white sock could apply to any one of hundreds, and without further details, makes it unlikely that that horse will ever be recovered.
If your horse is stolen you have a much better chance of finding him if he is easy to identify. Make this easier by photographing the horse from all angles and with close ups of features like scars and whorls. Similarly, when you first start dealing with a lot of different horses, ask for specific features that will help you identify them. Some of the following can really help you recognise a horse.
Build and Type
It helps know a little bit about the type of horse you are looking for. Horses may be lightly built or chunky and stockily built. If it is heavier, does it have feathering (long hairs growing from the lower leg/heels) on the legs? These are a fairly common feature of horses of a cob type or with heavy horse breeding, and can be a helpful hint to distinguish one animal from another, or at least, narrow down the possible options.
Brands and Freezemarks
Some horses of specific breeding are branded. The brand can denote a pedigree breed, a breeder, or even incorporate the horses’ unique identity with numbers, like a freezemark. These brands are most commonly found on the shoulder, hip or stifle area. Particularly where the branded horse is of a more uncommon breed, they can be very helpful in picking out an individual.
Freezemarks are white numbers, or numbers created out of small bald patches on light coloured horses, usually placed on the back under the saddle area, giving the horse a unique identity code. If you don’t know the horse, you can be confident you have got the right one by looking for its freezemark- it is a very efficient way to deter thieves. Some people prefer to have their horse freezemarked on the neck or shoulder, as there are many recorded instances of stolen horses being sent through auction rings in tack to hide the identifying mark under their saddle.
White Markings
Many horses have white markings, particularly on the face and legs. The name for these markings varies with size, location and shape. On the face a white marking located between the eyes, on the forehead, is a star, and a broad stripe running between the eyes and covering wider than the nasal bone is a blaze. On the legs, the name tends to denote the location of the white- white coronet or white fetlock- but white reaching further up than the fetlock is often termed a sock, or if reaching the knee, a stocking. A precise description of a horse’s white markings, number of white legs, size of star etc. can help pick one out of many. The white marking may form or incorporate unusual shapes or patterns, making them even more distinctive, for example, spots or marks within the white. If your horse has such features, keep clear pictures of them.
Whorls
Different numbers of whorls of varying sizes and positions can be found on an individual horse’s coat. A whorl is a small patch of hair growing from a central point but in the opposite direction to the surrounding coat, often described as a ‘swirl’ of hair. Each horse’s precise whorls are unique and are a useful aid to identifying a horse. Always keep a record of where exactly they are on your horse.
Scars or Blemishes
Many horses will acquire scars during their lifetime. Whilst they may be damaging for a show career, they can prove helpful in identifying a horse. Scars are particularly likely to form from cuts on the thinner skin of the leg or face. Note the precise location of any scars on your horse.
Permanent blemishes often feature on the legs and include cold splints- which are splints in the leg that no longer cause problems but have resulted in a small, permanent bony bump. Again these can be helpful in picking a horse out of several, so document the size and location of any on your horse.
White Hairs
In addition to the white markings described, some horses will have patches of white hair in other places, where the hair follicles may have been damaged by pressure or similar injury. Badly fitting tack particularly can cause the hair on the withers or around the face to grow back white. These marks are often misinterpreted by novices as a horse’s normal markings, but are actually a form of blemish caused by injury. Record any such white patches on your horse, however small.
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