08/03/05 Horse ID

Horse ID Horse ID has gone high-tech. I'm Jeff Keane; I'll be back in a minute with some details and a few examples. A few years ago freeze branding became the newest way to identify horses with a physical mark. At the time freeze branding was considered high-tech compared to traditional hot iron branding. But now there are some new methods of identifying horses. Microchips have become the recommendation of the Equine Species Working Group as a method of individual ID for horses. Along with other species of livestock, horses will be included in the National Animal Identification System being developed by the USDA. A veterinarian implants the microchip in the nuchal ligament of the horse's neck. This microchip, which consists of a 15-digit number, is read by a reader via low radio frequency. A special coating on the microchip binds it to the ligament tissue within 24 hours so it will stay in place and provides positive ownership identification. The American Quarter Horse Association will tie the microchip ID number to the horse's registration certificate. Drawbacks of the system include the absence of a physical sign of the microchip implant to catch the attention of people who might need to identify a horse and the chip cannot be traced by GPS technology. This method of identifying horses may cause to change the name of brand inspectors to microchip readers. That just doesn't seem to have the same western ring to it. I'm Jeff Keane. America's Horse July/August 2005