Across the United States, young horses are still being branded with red-hot irons — a process that causes pain, trauma, and sometimes permanent injury. Many foals, just a few months old, are held down while a metal brand is pressed against their skin, often without adequate anesthesia. For what? A mark of ownership.

While some breeders defend branding as a “tradition,” the reality is clear: branding causes third-degree burns, destroys nerve endings, and often leaves horses with long-lasting wounds that are slow to heal and vulnerable to infection. In many cases, especially with light-colored horses, the brand must be held even longer to be visible — compounding the pain.

This cruelty is not necessary. Since 2006, the U.S. has widely adopted microchipping as a safe, non-invasive, and permanent form of horse identification. Microchips are now required in many competitions, breed registries, and racing circuits. They do everything a brand does — without the pain.

Animal welfare organizations, veterinarians, and equine behaviorists have long warned about the risks of branding, especially on young foals. Some states have taken limited steps to discourage the practice, but there is no federal law banning the hot branding of horses. That needs to change.

We call on the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Congressional leaders to pass federal legislation that bans the hot branding of horses, with no exceptions. We also call on breed associations and racing commissions to stop requiring or encouraging branding when humane alternatives already exist.

In a country that claims to care about animals, we should not allow outdated, painful practices to continue simply because they’re traditional. Horses deserve better. And we have better tools.

Sign this petition to demand the U.S. end hot iron horse branding — and protect young horses from unnecessary pain.