The Latest on Microchipping

photos by Oklahoma Large Animal First Responders

Microchips provide a permanent ID that isn’t prone to fading or difficult to read.

Microchipping dogs and cats is a routine practice for devoted owners who want to be notified if their lost pet is found. This practice of microchipping is becoming prevalent throughout the horse world for accurate identification. In fact, many competitive organizations and breed registries are now requiring it for ease of verifying identification of individual horses. 

The Microchipping Process

The process for horses, or for any animal, is fairly innocuous. After scanning the chip to ensure readability, a veterinarian uses a large gauge needle to inject the chip below the mane into the nuchal ligament of the left side of the neck, about half way between the poll and withers. Development of a new mini-chip enables insertion with a smaller gauge needle. The microchip, with its surrounding glass-polycarbonate capsule, is roughly the size of a grain of raw rice. The injection of the chip causes minimal discomfort to the horse and there is no scar associated with the procedure. Encapsulated within the fibrous nuchal ligament, the chip isn’t likely to migrate. 

The entire process, including purchase of the microchip, is usually accomplished for less than $100. Once inserted, the chip is scanned again to ensure that it is transmitting readable information. Then the horse owner registers the chip with the appropriate microchip manufacturer company, as well as with the sport organization and/or breed registry. This is a one-time process that needs no repeat fee or renewal.

Horse owners need to be proactive about registering their microchips. Once registered in a database like Equine Protection Registry (EPR) offered by Microchip ID, Inc., it is easier to track down a lost, stolen, or displaced horse. Once a horse is registered in the database, it is possible to obtain an ownership certificate or to download that paperwork to a mobile app. Should a horse go missing, an immediate search alert is sent out via the website to notify multiple agencies (state veterinarian’s office, brand inspectors, horse rescues, and Stolen Horse International) about the missing horse. 

Some breed registries automatically include registration within EPR, but take the time to ensure that your horse is registered as thoroughly as possible. During registration, it is often possible to add a veterinarian’s name or other alternative people who can be contacted about a found horse. For horses with a unique equine lifetime number (UELN) within a breed registry, this number can be connected with the microchip number for added identification. Your contact information that links you to your horse is only available through the microchip manufacturer, sport organization, and/or breed registry with whom you registered. A microchip company is an unbiased entity that proves the chip is verifiable and that your horse is registered to you.  

The Jockey Club started requiring microchipping and digital registration of all Thoroughbred racehorses in 2017. Microchips provide a permanent ID that isn’t prone to fading or difficult to read. Currently, microchipping Quarter Horses still remains voluntary but is highly recommended.

How It Works

Regardless of manufacturer, the chips used today should meet specific requirements set by the International Organization of Standards (ISO). Each chip:

• Has 15 numbers – the first three designate the manufacturer or country code, with the othernumbers unique to each individual horse
• Must be an ISO chip
• Must operate at 134.2 kHz, which can be read by a universal scanner compatible with ISO 11784 or ISO 11785

The microchip receives a radio wave signal from the scanner and then the chip instantaneously transmits the identifying number and other information to the scanner. This number is a positive, foolproof, unalterable, and unique number that remains with the horse for its entire life. Entering the horse’s unique number into a database connects that horse with its owner’s contact information. 

The transmitting frequency of the microchips, set by ISO, enables European and US scanners to read them. The European Union has required microchipping of new foals since 2009, so it is likely that any appropriately aged European import is already microchipped. In the United States, Louisiana has been using identification through microchips, brands or tattoos in conjunction with EIA testing since 1994; it is important to identify those horses already equipped with a microchip in order to avoid duplication.

Many large chip companies use codes that begin with a 9 - such as 985, 981, 933, 985, and these are legitimate microchip numbers. However, it is advisable to check the chip number before implantation, as any chip with a prefix of 900 (that is, 9-zero-zero) is unacceptable and has a potential for duplicate numbers. 

Horse owners need to be proactive about registering
their microchips. Once registered in a database like Equine
Protection Registry (EPR) offered by Microchip ID, Inc., it is easier to track down a lost, stolen, or displaced horse.

Change of Ownership

Many times, horses change hands and are sold to new buyers. How is the microchip information then changed along with new ownership? The starting point for a change of ownership assumes that there is an owner of record in the first place who is listed when the microchip is registered within the database. Then, the seller must release ownership by contacting the microchip recording company. Once permission is granted, the new owner registers the chip under a new agreement with the chip manufacturer and/or breed/sport registry. 

For Biosecurity Tracking

In the event of an infectious disease outbreak at certain venues, microchips have the added benefit of identifying which horses have been to specific venues. Not only is there information about the horses’ presence at an event site, but also all horse owners’ contact information is readily available. 

With microchip identification on board, it is easier for state vets to understand which horses were in attendance at a competition. Because these microchips are read only and do not contain GPS software, the horses can’t be tracked. However, the connection of the horse with its paper records at an equine event makes it easier to follow the trail. Some shippers are also planning to scan horses to track horse movement.

For Natural Disasters

Microchips are also instrumental to reunite displaced horses with their owners following a natural disaster. For a very small expense, this life-long identification proves that a horse belongs to its owner. This is important for displacement not just during natural disasters, but also if a horse is stolen. Many sport disciplines – polo, hunter jumper, racing – are a small world, so by getting the word out with a horse’s description and identification number, it is possible to locate a stolen horse. 

A wonderful era of technology has allowed us to incorporate electronic identification devices into sport and breed registrations rather than having to rely on less humane procedures, such as hot or cold branding or lip tattoos. Microchips are invaluable for ensuring an honest and equal playing field for competition horses as well as ensuring a means of tracking a horse during disease outbreaks, or if a horse is lost, displaced, or stolen.