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Horse owners have reason to be concerned about being able to identify their horse(s). In fact, proof of ownership on livestock has been an ongoing concern since man first claimed ownership of any form of livestock. The problems of horse theft are now compounded by the perpetration of myths and fallacies. Horse owners also have to deal with recovery issues for horses after national disasters and disease outbreaks have occured throughout our nation. Modern technology has become a useful tool for horse owners, veterinarians and law enforcement officers, but also has opened new opportunities for those who are dishonest.

During the 1970s, information was gathered and studied by Washington State University, the United States Department of Agriculture and an agent in charge of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation on the pros and cons of livestock identification methods. In 1980 their research was published in an article titled "Freeze Marking and Other Techniques for Identifying Horses" in the Journal of Forensic Science. Dr. Keith Farrel of Washington State University and his wife Pat Farrell developed the Alpha Angle Freeze Mark and horse identification system that has gained recognition internationally. Many top breed associations and the BLM highly support this method of identification.