Yesterday Tonka was using his flehmen response to assess Raven's back end (she's in heat again -- let's hope it's the last of the summer) when I noticed some faded green markings right at the front of his upper lip. It turns out that Tonka is tattooed! Given that he (a) looks like a big 'ol grade horse and (b) was sold to me as a big 'ol grade horse it has never occurred to me to check. Christina is coming to trim the beasts next week, so I will solicit her help in getting a picture -- Tonka tolerates most manhandling without complaint, but he does not like oral poking and prodding.
I know nothing about the administration of horse tattoos. Purebred dogs are often marked and registered by their breeders, but vets will tattoo any old mutt for the purpose of identification. Does the same go for horses, or does the existence of a tattoo define Tonka as the member of some breed registry? And, if so, what registry? He looks like a big 'ol grade horse!
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8 comments:
Maybe he’s a Standardbred? Toad is visiting me for a little while and that’s what he is.
Ahhhh!! No dear girl, Tonka looks like an old fashioned Thoroughbred! The only two breed registries that I know of to tattoo, are Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds. They get a tattoo once they complete gate training.
I dont know if they tattoo racing QH, paints, or Appys....
The notion of Tonka as race horse really is laughable, but I believe you folks. He does pace, so maybe standardbred? More to follow once we get a picture of the tattoo.
It is likely he is Thoroughbred or Standardbred. By reading the number you can track down his "horse family tree" and determine his exact age. If he raced, you can call up his race record. In some cases, you can find out his breeder and past owners.
I hope the tattoo can help trace his past. I would love to know where he came from!
Sean's very happy to know that he now has something else in common with Tonka.
Big white dudes with tattoos who love Mel...that's about right!
Now I wonder if Sean demonstrates the flehmen response around Mel. Is it wrong to wonder about this?
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