The German breed societies have booked success in their lobbying campaign to keep the tradition of hot branding going in their country. The proposition in the German parliament put forward by parties Bündnis 90/Die Grünen to ban branding has been deferred.
The German government announced the news on their internet platform "Das Parlament". The opposition was in favour of the ban, the coalition voted against.
Many German breeders sigh in relief now that they are allowed to continue the branding practise. The union and FDP parties did point out that the government would submit a proposal to amend the Animal Welfare Act as it should include the EU system of animal identification.
At the moment it is European law that alternative identification of horses is still allowed besides the micro chip. In Germany chipping is mandatory but the country's breed societies continue to stimulate and promote additional hot branding.
"The German breeders can decide for themselves how they want to identify their horses," said Breido Graf zu Rantzau, president of the German Equestrian Federation. "This was an important first victory to us. The past few weeks we gave a presentation of branding to representatives of the government in Berlin."
Animal welfare activists in Germany and Europe strongly oppose hot branding as it is a painful practise which mutilates and scars horses for life. Branding has been forbidden in The Netherlands, Scotland, and Denmark.
Photo © Astrid Appels
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