Also from Piemonte I’ve never heard the horse brand one but “three hens brand” was used regularly when I was a kid.

My favourite though is “Coma na barca ant el bòsch”, like a boat in the woods

I don’t see how this is giving up though. Been doing this to close to two decades in one form of another and I wouldn’t consider any other way. Except kodi instead of plexus here.