• Dimples/Prophet's thumbprints: Permanent, easily seen indentations in muscles 

 just under the skin. Dimples are usually found at the point of one or both shoulders 

 and in the neck muscles. 



• Curly coat: A rare variation of hair growth resulting in exceedingly curly body, 

 mane, and tail hair. The curly trait is inherited and is not related to hirsutism. The 

 curly appearance occurs to varying degrees but usually affects the mane and tail 

 (as opposed to hirsutism), and curly horses may shed out their mane and tail in 

 addition to their body coat in the spring. 



• Chestnuts (on the legs)/Night eyes: Chestnuts are hard, horny growths or patches 

 of cornified skin found inside the horse's legs. Chestnuts may grow long but when 

 flat have a distinct shape. The presence, location, and shape of the chestnuts can 

 help uniquely identify a horse. 



Acquired Equine Markings 



• Tattoos: The tattoo is a group of numbers with or without a letter applied to the 

 underside of the upper lip. In Thoroughbred horses, the letter indicates the birth 

 year of the horse (A=1997, B=1998, etc.), and the numbers correspond to the 

 numbers found on the registration certificate. Imported Thoroughbreds have an 

 asterisk rather than a letter in their tattoo. 



• Scars: Many scars produced by accident are permanent and can be seen 

 throughout the life of the horse; they should therefore be noted. 



• Pin firing marks: Although not common today, the procedure of pin firing the legs 

 of a horse leaves permanent scars. This information can be useful for identification. 



• Brands: A hot or cold (freeze mark) brand may be found on various areas but 

 is most commonly found on the hip or neck. Some brands are for breed or farm 

 identification; others use numbers or symbols unique to each horse. For example, 

 the Bureau of Land Management uses an angle-numeric system for recording 

 unique numbers on the left side of the neck under the mane (fig. 6). 



BLM Freeze Mark Alpha Angle Code 





r Indicates U.S. Govt. Registration 



r- Year of Birth (top to bottom) 

 I I r Registration Number 



19 8 7 



Figure 6 — The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) applies a unique angle-numeric 

 freeze mark to the left side of the neck, under the mane, on each wild horse or burro it 

 removes from the range. 



11-15 



