Ask an Expert    Theft & ID Q. A friend of mine lent her horse to a man who was using her for team penning. She just found out that the horse was sold - and the man she had loaned him to refuses to compensate her. She has been told that unless she can prove she owned the horse, she doesn't have a legal leg to stand on. She can't get her horse back or force him to pay her. This incident and all that I've read about horses being stolen and otherwise lost has convinced me that I need to get my horses permanently identified. I've decided that I would like to have my own brand. What's my next step? A. Tom Crowe, Area Supervisor for Livestock Identification Services, the organization that oversees the Alberta Government Livestock Identification Act, offered some information about horse brands. Branding your horses to establish your ownership is a good idea. Stolen and missing horses reported in Alberta number in the neighborhood of 1,500; many of these were not marked in any way and are therefore very difficult to track. Horses obtained by illegal means are often moved out of the province very quickly and are rarely recovered. While it is not mandatory in Alberta that livestock be identified by branding, any brand that is used must be registered, or is illegal. For a fee of $220 plus GST, you can purchase a brand that is your property for life. Horse brands must be applied on the left or right jaw, shoulder or thigh. The position of your brand will be specified on your Registration Certificate. The Livestock Identification Services website at www.lis-alberta.com has all the information you'll need to design and register a brand. The regulations for combining letters, numbers and symbols, their positions, dimension and use are all covered. You can actually go through a step by step design process, create your own brand, check on its availability, and apply to purchase and register it, all on line. The web site provides information on how to apply hot and cold brands and how to have a branding iron made. Procedures for reporting missing and stolen horses are also covered. If you are not an internet user, you can contact Livestock Identification Services at (403) 509-2088 for further information about horse brands. Back to Top IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: At westernhorsereview.com our 'Ask an Expert' page is not intended to replace diagnosis or treatment of your horse by your veterinarian or other professionals; westernhorsereview.com does not assume any legal responsibilty.