Page 36 - Speedhorse Canada Spring 2020

EQUINE
MICROCHIPPING
aka Digital Tattoos
by John Moorehouse
Dr. Tom Lenz, AQHA Microchip Task Force Chairman
Digital technology has changed almost every aspect of our society: the way we shop, communicate,
travel, and do business. That same trend to the digital has come to the horse industry with the practice of microchips replacing tattoos and branding as other means
of identification.
In early 2019, the American Quarter Horse Association initiated a pilot project to educate members on the value and importance of microchipping— also known as digital tattoos. Some sanctioning bodies are now requiring microchipping, and Dr. Tom Lenz thinks that trend will continue.
“I would expect in time it’ll spread across the country and across the horse association—all breeds,” said Lenz, who chairs the AQHA’s 11-member microchip task force.
WHAT IS MICROCHIPPING?
The process entails surgically implanting a microchip into the neck of a horse using a syringe. These microchips are small—about the size of a grain of rice—and each has a unique
15-digit numerical code assigned to that horse. Once placed, that microchip can be scanned and will provide automatic access to electronic registration information on that horse.
Lenz elaborated on microchipping, its benefits, and other aspects of the trend to digital tattoos.
“I think a lot of people already have been microchipping their horses,” he said, noting there had been resistance from some in the ranching industry. “Some of them raise a lot of horses and they were concerned about cost. I think we’ve negotiated a pretty good price for the microchip. Slowly, but surely, I think we’re getting a buy-in from all segments of the horse industry.”
. . . instilling consumer confidence is the biggest benefit of using a digital tattoo to identify a horse.
36 SPEEDHORSE CANADA Spring 2020