Microchipping your beloved horse could be the difference between having your horse returned and not being able to find them. Soon, in order to compete at major horse shows and events, it will be necessary to haved your horse microchipped.

The horse microchip technology continues to evolve. Currently, microchip implants are designed to last the extent of your horse’s life and are also composed of biocompatible elements that can coexist with your horse’s body tissues without causing harm. Currently, microchips can be placed in a variety of pets, including reptiles, dogs, cats, horses, ferrets, and birds. You also do not need to worry about someone stealing your information from the microchip or reprogramming it – only a veterinarian, animal shelter, or animal control center can scan the microchip.

Reasons for implanting a microchip in your horse:

  • It can help return a lost horse to their proper owner especially in the event of emergency evacuations.
  • Microchips help animal shelters avoid the unnecessary expense of boarding an animal that belongs to a loving home.
  • Microchips provide a permanent method of identifying your horse. If your horse is lost or stolen, a veterinarian or shelter can still return your horse to its home.
  • Some countries require a microchip that must also be cross-referenced with an up-to-date vaccination record before an animal is allowed to enter the country.
  • They can help distinguish the legal owner of a horse when the ownership of the animal is in dispute.

What does implanting a microchip involve?

Implanting the microchip is a quick and easy process that is relatively painless for your horse. The microchip is about the size of a single granule of long-grained rice and is injected under your horse’s skin with a needle and syringe. The standard injection site is on the left side of the neck, and there is no anesthetic involved when implanting the microchip. While the chip can migrate from the initial injection site, veterinarians and technicians know to scan a horse’s entire body before determining whether your horse does or does not have microchip identification.

How are horses found?

Scanning the implant site with a radio frequency identification (RFID) scanner, the veterinarian will be able to see a unique identification number that coordinates with your contact information, your horse’s name, your horses’s veterinarian, and the animal shelter they were adopted from, if any.

If you have further questions about horse microchips or would like to schedule an appointment for a microchip implant, contact our office at your convenience.