To be recognized as Comtois, the young stallions must be branded with an iron on the left flat of the neck, with the intertwined initials 'TC' (Trait Comtois). The marking takes place in public after validation of the horse's breed standard by a committee made up of a representative of the local stud farm and at least one representative of the Comtois horse breeding union. It is also materialized on the Animal's Certificate of Origin by affixing a stamp and indicating a Stud-Book number. To obtain this mark, the horse must absolutely have its four grandparents marked.