Ignorant horse buyer and Brand inspection.

I am glad someone resurrected this thread. Interesting conversation.

I am in the east. No BI. No possibility of getting one done. At some point in the future, I am considering traveling west with my horse. I can get a Coggins and health certificate - I have that anyway since I travel to various local states.

What is my responsibility when passing through or stopping in a BI state? Am I actually required to get a BI from every state I may pass through? How exactly do I do that? Do I call ahead and have an inspector meet me at a motel on the state line? :)

This is a "registration" rather than a health issue. (Even on health issues, they still honor a coggins or health paper from your own state). If my state doesn't require a front license plate, I cannot be ticketed for the missing plate in a state that doesn't require one. I would like to think standard rules of honoring other state's laws/rules prevail in this case as well.

If not, it can be very tricky (and costly) for a "personal use" person deciding to take a trip west. How does this work for non-residents who are passing through or just visiting?

In Wyoming and I believe Utah and Idaho, you must have a brand inspection to enter the state. You can try to slip by, but if caught as I said above, you will be held.
Isn't there farms out there that sell cattle? Ship cattle to market for food? They also have to have a brand inspection to go to feed lots/slaughter houses I think. Call your state vet and ask about a brand inspection and how to get one.
If people , lets say rodeo participants, horse show participants, travelers come into Wyoming without a brand inspection, they will have problems.
There are stops all along highways stating if you are traveling withe livestock/horses, you must pull into the insection areas and will be checked.
I was selling a horse less than 2 hours away. It was crossing a state line into Utah, going through Idaho from my state of Wyoming. I had to have a current coggins, health certificate and a brand inspection on the horse, less than two hours drive time. Not worth the fines if I got checked, which I did not
Almost any state will honor a BI from another state, just like they will honor a health certificate/coggins. However, you need to check regulations from each state you will be passing through, each state might require a test done at certain times before traveling.. Some state are really sticky, most will just be happy with coggin/health/BI.
Every state, I beleive has brand inspectors for animals that travel out of state for feeding, working, feedlots, etc. I cant' imagine you can't get a BI for your horse to travel with.
I spend alot of my time on the phone getting travel requirements for horse/cattle traveling out of state to other states.. We also gets lots of calls from an attending vet to find out what their client needs to come into our state. Your state will have a state vet lab with a state vet. That is where to find out your information needed.

I am moving from Colorado to Florida and just agreed to purchase a horse in Colorado. The subject of brand inspection came up during negotiations on price but I never pursued who would pay as it was my understanding it was only $20 or so. I just looked on the Colorado brand inspection site and for 2012 it is $275!!!!! I am calling to confirm this tomorrow, but if that is so, what is the etiquette for who pays?

There is no way it's that much money.. I was there nearly a year ago and it was like $80, with transport permit included.

I paid for the transfer since they gave me the horse. But they NEED NEED NEED to give you all their brand paperwork and you either get a letter saying that they give you ownership of the horse, or have them call and confirm. Or they will NOT approve it!

EDIT:

From http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite.../1176829158786

I did see where it was over $300.. which is insane, but I think that's if you are making your own brand (as in for your ranch) and need to have it registered. I'd call and make sure though, but I'm pretty darn sure you are looking just to pay the transfer fee.

A brand inspector will not issue a new brand card on a horse based solely on an out of state bill of sale. There must be a paper trail that shows where the horse originated (Coggins typically). They will not accept registration papers either

If you are from a non brand state traveling through (camping, showing...) to a brand state, you DO NOT need a brand inspection to enter the state. Yes you have to stop (WY and UT are the worst) often at the state line but they'll wave you through. You will have your Coggins and HC to travel. If you are from another brand state, you'd better have your paper work in order and your travel card/BI. After 30 days in one state, you are supposed to get one.


This is for a BRAND. A brand inspection will run $20. It is part of the selling process and the responsibility of the SELLER.

This certainly makes more sense. My own state, which doesn't have brand inspections, couldn't and wouldn't give me information on rules for other states. It would be crazy to have to contact each state on the way and obtain individual brand inspections in advance of a trip (if that was even possible).

Thanks for the tip on WY on UT. I will make sure to plan around those states on my trip west.

...Dh and I couldn't figure out brand inspections for YEARS! Finally, the 1st year we were at a horse camp in the Black Hills, the owners had a contact who came to their camp to do the lifetime inspection on our horses.

I live in Idaho and it does require BI. The BI is usually grumpy because people wait until the last minute to call him to set up the inspection. One guy here got a call at 3:00 am to come and do the BI on a semi load of cattle to go to the sale that morning. I also know of a couple of incidents that horses were brought back to the owner because they had a lifetime BI done that came up on the stockyard search of stolen horses. The lifetime BI has a picture on it of the horse. It also records any scars, white markings and even hair swirls if you want. When I had mine done the BI had me fill in the markings and scars myself. He then checked it and took pictures and laminated it right there. If my horse is stolen I have a card that I can show anyone that is an accepted proof of ownership in my state and the surrounding states as well.

What most people don't realize is that cattle rustling in on the rise again since cattle prices are quite high again. The local BI does a stint at the stockyards checking for stolen cattle. Our local cattlemen have had cattle show up without there calves when the range rider checks fences and troughs.

Everyone can do as they choose, but for $25 a head I have had all mine done.

Thank you for the piece of information. I didn't know nearly all of the requirements for brand inspection as I've only had to deal with it once and it was a very good experience.