something done to a cow

[Angie8]

There's one phrase I read from a book I don't understand:
"...as far as she was concerned, branding was something done to a cow."

What does it mean by "done to a cow"? Is it an idiom?

Thanks.

 

[Islands]

'Branding' can be used in the context of a product. (for example: Suzuki is a brand name)
'Branding' also refers to the marking of an animal's skin to show who it belongs to.
So in this case 'branding was something done to a cow' is literal.

 

[emsr2d2]

"Branding is something which farmers do to cows" - does that help?