Microchips

Snap · 05-24-08, 10:32 PM

We all know that you can microchip your dogs and cats so that if they are ever lost they have a good chance of being returned to you, but does anyone know if you're able to microchip a horse as well?

dreamer · 05-25-08, 08:52 AM

I'd assume so. They'd still probably put a visible ID as well though. It could save any questions if a horse was stolen, just check the microchip and you know it's yours. They're probably not cheap though.

purplefdu · 05-25-08, 09:57 PM

So I had never really thought much about this, but I think Home Again (the regular dog/cat company) has horses on its list. But a quick Google Search pulled up AvidEquine which cost less than $40 for the chip and lifetime enrollment (home again is a yearly fee). It can also be scanned with other program scanners of the same type.

Estelle · 05-25-08, 11:51 PM

It sounds like, with the way the world is lately that having a permanent and irrefutable way of identifying a horse would be an excellent idea. Can chips be re-programmed? Could a thief have it altered?

Buckskin · 05-28-08, 03:10 AM

Here in australia you can microchip horses, but in the neck rather than between the shoulder blades.

A microchip can't be removed legally, and it only emits a number which must be compared to a database to get the owner's details. Only the owner registered with the database can apply to have those details changed.

Estelle · 05-30-08, 12:29 AM

But fraud happens all the time and I can see it being relatively easy to be able to have the database changed even if you are not the owner as long as you are able to fake the right information.

Buckskin · 05-30-08, 03:28 AM

Like the signature on the original ownership form? It takes far too much effort to alter the data, and to do so you need to know that the horse has a chip and what it's microchip number actualy is, which you can only do if you have a scanner.

purplefdu · 06-09-08, 11:20 PM

I asked oodles of questions when we microchipped our puppy (twice since the first one disappeared) and it is really not that easy to change microchip information falsely. Also depending on the animal its not going to be something you can just steal and pass off as your own. I would imagine most horse theft is high value show or breeding stock which are well documented and easy to spot.

05-24-08, 10:32 PM	#1 (permalink)
Snap Member Join Date: 05-02-08 Posts: 25	Microchips We all know that you can microchip your dogs and cats so that if they are ever lost they have a good chance of being returned to you, but does anyone know if you're able to microchip a horse as well?

05-28-08, 03:10 AM	#5 (permalink)
Buckskin Member Join Date: 11-05-07 Location: Australia Posts: 125	Here in australia you can microchip horses, but in the neck rather than between the shoulder blades. A microchip can't be removed legally, and it only emits a number which must be compared to a database to get the owner's details. Only the owner registered with the database can apply to have those details changed. __________________ Got carrots?

05-30-08, 03:28 AM	#7 (permalink)
Buckskin Member Join Date: 11-05-07 Location: Australia Posts: 125	Like the signature on the original ownership form? It takes far too much effort to alter the data, and to do so you need to know that the horse has a chip and what it's microchip number actualy is, which you can only do if you have a scanner. __________________ Got carrots?

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05-25-08, 08:52 AM	#2 (permalink)
dreamer Member Join Date: 05-02-08 Posts: 25	I'd assume so. They'd still probably put a visible ID as well though. It could save any questions if a horse was stolen, just check the microchip and you know it's yours. They're probably not cheap though.

05-25-08, 09:57 PM	#3 (permalink)
purplefdu Member Join Date: 08-12-07 Posts: 236	So I had never really thought much about this, but I think Home Again (the regular dog/cat company) has horses on its list. But a quick Google Search pulled up AvidEquine which cost less than $40 for the chip and lifetime enrollment (home again is a yearly fee). It can also be scanned with other program scanners of the same type.

05-25-08, 11:51 PM	#4 (permalink)
Estelle Member Join Date: 05-02-08 Posts: 33	It sounds like, with the way the world is lately that having a permanent and irrefutable way of identifying a horse would be an excellent idea. Can chips be re-programmed? Could a thief have it altered?

05-30-08, 12:29 AM	#6 (permalink)
Estelle Member Join Date: 05-02-08 Posts: 33	But fraud happens all the time and I can see it being relatively easy to be able to have the database changed even if you are not the owner as long as you are able to fake the right information.

06-09-08, 11:20 PM	#8 (permalink)
purplefdu Member Join Date: 08-12-07 Posts: 236	I asked oodles of questions when we microchipped our puppy (twice since the first one disappeared) and it is really not that easy to change microchip information falsely. Also depending on the animal its not going to be something you can just steal and pass off as your own. I would imagine most horse theft is high value show or breeding stock which are well documented and easy to spot.