Branding of livestock was a common practice to indicate
ownership. It entailed burning a mark on livestock using a hot
iron. Most cows were branded on the left hip. Rustlers who were
good at altering brands after pilfering the cows were known as
"brand artists". In the American West, a branding iron consisted
of an iron rod with a seal-like mark which ranchers heated in a
fire. After the branding iron turned red-hot, the rancher
pressed the seal-like marker against the hide of the cow. The
unique mark meant that the cow could then graze freely among
other cattle on the free-range of the American West. Drovers
could then separate the cattle at round-up time for driving to
market. These customs of the American West evolved from the
practices of the vaqueros (a Spanish term for "cowboy")..