The hair will not grow back in. There will be a period of time after the time of the marking when the marked place swells, goes down, and forms a scaly scab until the next hair growth, at which time the white hair or bald spot appears. Even the white marks, if examined closely will have an area of balding at the very center of each symbol. It is suggested that the mark be kept clipped, especially during the winter, to improve clarity. This is the only identification method that qualifies a horse to be entered into the National Crime Information Center computer.
NCIC information is available to any law inforcement officer nationwide.
Since a thief can be proven to be in possession of stolen property if caught with a stolen freeze marked animal, very few marked horses are stolen. They are passed up for animals with no freeze mark, or if they were stolen they've been released when the freeze mark was discovered. Many unmarked horses have been purchased from slaughter houses by their rightful owners because the identity of the horse could not be proven. These marks are most often associated with the Thoroughbred racing industry. Although many think that the Jockey Club does all the tattooing, it is actually done by the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau.