While it is currently NOT true that microchipping is required for either Racing Quarter Horses or Thoroughbreds, recently there has been a lot of interest and discussion about this subject so we will discuss it this month.

A microchip is simply a small device that is being utilized in the livestock industry for animal identification, especially in the case of a disease outbreak. Microchips use a common low-power radio signal to read an ID number stored in a tiny electronic circuit. These devices are known as RFID or Radio Frequency Identification Devices.

Recently, horse owners have been hearing a lot about animal identification and microchipping. As many already know, the USDA has, for the past several years, been developing and implementing the voluntary National Animal Identification System (NAIS) in order to rapidly trace an animal disease to its source (their goal is 48-hour trace back) in the case of a disease outbreak. To date only production livestock and a small number of horses have been included in the focus of this system. Those horses that frequently move from their main premises (their base farm or stable) and are commingled with horses from other locations (such as happens with racehorses) are of primary interest due to the greater potential of disease spread.

Following the formation of the NAIS, the Equine Species Working Group (ESWG) was formed with representatives from several equine associations represented. The Equine Species Working Group (ESWG) is operating under the auspices of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the American Horse Council (AHC) to best represent the interests of the horse industry in connection with the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). It is important to remember that the NAIS is a voluntary program. Now, have we used enough initials to suit everyone?

There are at least twelve countries in Europe, including England, Ireland, France, Germany, and Italy, that currently microchip Thoroughbreds and other breeds. This number will certainly increase with the mandate for horses traveling between European countries to have a UELN (Universal European Licensing Network). Australia and New Zealand have recently adopted microchip identification for Thoroughbreds. Most of the South American countries with Thoroughbred racing have been using microchips for identification purposes for several years. Member states of the European Union have reached an agreement on a new regulation that will revise existing equine identification legislation. The main new requirement includes the compulsory microchipping of foals born after July 1, 2009. With this in mind it will not surprise anyone if some of the breeds in the United States decide to make microchipping mandatory but none of them have done so at this point in time. This fact and the recommendations of the ESWG have resulted in a fairly standardized procedure for microchipping a horse.

A microchip is an electronic device the size of a grain of rice (as shown in Figure 1) implanted in a horse's neck that can provide the horse permanent identification. Encoded with a unique 15 digit number and encapsulated in glass, the chip (diagram shown in Figure 2) is inserted with a special syringe. The circuitry in the chip can be activated by a hand-held radio-frequency scanner, which then reads the unique number imbedded on the microchip. Each transponder’s unique ID number is encoded into it during the manufacturing process. A laser etches this code onto the surface of the microchip prior to transponder assembly and encapsulation in glass. Once the number is encoded it is impossible to change it. Encoding of the number itself uses 35 bits of information which allows 34 billion possible ID numbers.

The microchip is said to function for 25 years or longer. The microchip is injected into the nuchal ligament of the neck just below the mane on the left side of the neck approximately half way between the head and the withers. To date, microchip vendors estimate that more than 600,000 horses have been successfully implanted with microchips in the U.S. Starting in 1994, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry changed the state Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) regulation to include permanent identification by means of a brand, lip tattoo, or electronic ID, of all horses tested for the purpose of disease control. It is estimated that in excess of 200,000 horses have been microchipped in Louisiana alone with almost no reported problems.

There are several manufacturers of the microchips and their respective readers. The frequency of the emitted information continued on page 26 varies between some of the manufacturers as it has not been standardized yet. The reader is a scanner designed to retrieve the unique number on the microchip. There are several scanners available so it is necessary to read the microchip with a universal scanner that will retrieve the information from all of the different types of microchips.

So, the answer to the first part of your question is no…..it is NOT a requirement that your Thoroughbreds be microchipped. The answer to the second question involves the identification of your horses. When microchipping of horses first became popular it was primarily used to prevent theft of the horse. One of the major problems encountered was that nobody was going to the trouble of scanning these horses at the slaughter plants or at the sales so even if a microchip had been implanted the information was never retrieved. While a microchip is certainly a major way to identify your horse, we must still rely on the old proven methods of identification of our horses, including those that have been microchipped.

As you already know from your long time involvement in racing, all of the parimutual racing states require a lip tattoo of both the Racing Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds before the horse can have an official work or be entered into a race. Individuals are designated by the breed associations to accurately identify the horse, apply the tattoo (as shown in Figure 3), and alter the registration papers of the horse to reflect the tattoo number. Prior to every race, a State Racing Commission employee, known as an identifier, will check both the tattoo and the written description of the horse. When a horse is brought over from the barn area to the saddling enclosure or paddock, prior to a race, this official horse identifier, can raise its lip, read its tattoo, and make sure that the tattoo matches the one listed on its registration papers.

While this tattoo becomes the primary method of identification of the horse in racing there are the obvious other aids to identification of an individual horse. These include the visual markings that distinguish one horse from another, which is known as the signalment of the horse. Signalment includes haircoat color, mane color, tail color, and markings such as facial blaze or stars and leg markings such as socks and stockings, or the elaborate coat-color patterns of a breed like the Paint Horse. Haircoat color and markings are usually not unique enough to be absolute evidence for determining horse identity, and unfortunately can be altered by a skilled unscrupulous horse thief.

The second most common means of identification is through the use of a brand. This can be either a thermal brand or, more commonly today, a freeze brand. The freeze brand may be either a typical brand or can be a number brand. When combined with the tattoo and physical description of the horse the brand makes definitive identification of an individual much more accurate.

Other markings of the horse can include the chestnuts. These are the remnants of the first digit from the times when the early horse was a five toed animal. The chestnut is the horny growth located on the inside of the foreleg just above the carpus (or “knee”). The pattern on the surface of chestnuts is unique to each horse much like our fingerprints. Impressions can be made of them using fingerprint-like technology. Unfortunately, like haircoat markings, they too can be easily altered (surgically), and can be done so by the same skilled dishonest horse thief.

As distinctive as coat markings or chestnuts, are the hair whorls or “cowlicks”, known as trichoglyphs (remember, there might be a quiz on this stuff), found throughout the coat pattern, especially on the head and neck. Both the Morgan and Thoroughbred breed registries use these "cowlick" patterns within their records. These whorls are naturally formed during embryonic development and remain throughout the horse's lifetime making them useful in identification.

DNA testing and blood typing provide another foolproof indicator of absolute identification and is required by both the AQHA and the Jockey Club as part of the registration process. Both methods are commonly used in horses for paternity and registration verification. If an animal has a DNA test on file, this technique may be used for theft or loss detection as well. The downside of DNA testing is that it is not an instantaneous identification system like other methods such as a microchip or a visible mark. It takes time to process the sample and obtain the identification information. While it can be done on an emergency basis within a day, it normally takes a few days to a week to receive the results. While there is usually no rush for paternity testing this time delay makes the use of DNA for identification of the individual much less practical.

Still less commonly used are the scanning of the retina and the iris. While this is another very distinctive identifying characteristic of an individual horse, it is seldom done.

As previously stated microchips are only one aspect of proper horse identification and should be utilized in conjunction with all other horse identification systems currently in place including lip tattoos, physical characteristics, and brands. The methods of identifying livestock for disease control is a maturing area that is likely to continue to develop as new technical changes and more efficient means of identification are introduced. While horse owners should be aware of the evolving technology in making a decision to use a particular identification method, the 15 character RFID microchip is the best available microchipping option and has been endorsed by both the ESWG and the NAIS.