Horse Identification

Why and how equine identification methods work
by Dave Sauter, DVM, photo by NWHS

Civilizations have been keeping birth records on their human populations since ancient times. In modern times, official documents used for personal identification include birth certificates, social security numbers, driver’s licenses and passports. Nowadays there is even a system for identifying all of our automobiles. There is no standard state or federal record keeping system for horses, yet there are numerous situations in which the identity of an individual horse is important.

Reasons for Identification
The most fundamental reason for individual identification of a horse is for proof of ownership. There are two basic parts to proof of ownership. One is that the horse is who you say it is; the other is that you are that individual’s owner. When it comes to unregistered horses, there is often a lack of any sort of documentation of either of these. Instead, we rely on a sort of honor system. But there are times when it is helpful to have something more, such as when horses are bought and sold. At a minimum there should be a bill of sale to document the change of ownership, along with a written description of the horse (age, sex, breed or type, color and physical description).

Although not very common, horses can be lost. Having a method of identification can be an enormous help in returning lost horses to their homes. Some forms of identification (e.g., branding) can also function as excellent deterrents to theft.

Federal and state governments have an interest in animal identification. The Department of Agriculture requires Interstate and International Health Certificates whenever livestock (that includes horses) travel to other states or governments. These records document the description of the animals, the owner, where they originate from and shipping destination. This system helps ensure diseased animals are not shipped and helps trace the movements of animals in the event of a disease outbreak.

Methods of Identification
Homemade: Something simple everyone can do, especially if you currently have no registration papers, bill of sale, or brand certificate, is to write down an accurate description, something similar to what would be found on a health certificate or registration papers. Include a set of at least four photographs, one from each side of the horse. Position the legs so all four are visible in each photograph. Include:
• Breed or breed type
• Sex
• Color
• Date or approximate year of birth
• Description of all white markings (head, legs and body)
• Whorls (or cowlicks) on face
• Permanent acquired marks (scars, lumps, bumps, tumors, brands, tattoos, etc.)

Registration papers: Breed registration papers provide excellent individual identification and ownership documentation. Different breed organizations define the requirements, administer the program and provide a central database of all records. Each registered horse will have its own number, description, pedigree record, date of birth, owner’s name(s), etc.

Tattoo: This method is used by the Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing industries. The numbers and letters used correspond to the horse’s registration number. This permanent mark placed on the inside of the upper lip provides race officials with a quick and easy means to verify a horse’s identity. The disadvantage is that not all lip tattoos come out well, and they can be difficult to read. Also, over time some of the symbols can fade.

Brands: The history of branding helps illustrate how long animal identification has been important. Hieroglyphic paintings depict brands applied to animals, so we know the technique dates back to ancient Egypt, at least. We know the ancient Greeks and Romans used branding. Cortez is credited with bringing the custom of branding to the New World in the 1500s. American ranchers eventually simplified brand designs in favor of patterns that were easier to remember and more difficult to alter.

The visible external mark of the brand can facilitate recovery of a lost or stolen horse, and has the added benefit of theft protection as horse thieves are less likely to target branded horses.

There are two basic types of branding techniques, hot branding and freeze branding. Hair actually has two types of follicles: the deeper growth follicle, which generates the shaft of the hair, and the shallower pigment follicle, which produces the color in the hair. Hot branding results in a deep burn that destroys both follicles. The result is a “bald” brand. Freeze branding allows greater control. The duration the freeze brand is applied to the skin determines the depth of the freeze effect. With a shorter duration only the pigment follicle will be destroyed. After the skin has healed, unpigmented hair grows back, a process that takes a few months. The white hairs show the design of the brand nicely when contrasted with red, brown or black hairs. If the horse is white or grey, the “bald” brand is preferred so it is more easily seen. If this is the goal, the freeze brand is applied for a longer duration to destroy the deeper growth follicle.

Mustangs adopted through the BLM program and some Arabians use freeze brands. Utilizing a series of symbols that coincide with the horse’s registration number, the brand is applied to the crest of the neck (left side for mustangs and right side for Arabians). Racing Standardbreds also utilize a freeze brand on the crest of the right side of the neck that uses numbers and letters to represent the horse’s identity.

Private brand designs have to be approved and registered with the state. These designs indicate the mark of the brand's owner. This brand does not provide identification of a specific horse. What it says to the world is that any horse carrying that brand is currently or was previously owned by the owner of the brand. Similarly, some warmblood breed registries use a brand representing the breed, indicating the horse passed the necessary inspections to earn the brand.

Microchip: With the microchip, animal identification has finally entered the 21st century. Microchips are designed to be implanted into animals as a form of individual permanent identification. A radio frequency identification device (RFID) is about the size of a large grain of rice. It has no internal power source. When triggered by a compatible scanning device, it sends a coded signal the scanner reads, matching the recorded identity of the animal. For horses, the usual location for placement of the chip is one inch below the crest of the neck, left side, midway between the poll and the withers.

Some breeds require microchipping as part of the registration process. The microchip is virtually impossible to alter, and it represents a cost effective, reliable individual identification technology that can be traced back to the current owner through nationally maintained databases.

Identification in the Real World
In 1994, Louisiana began a program requiring all horses to have some form of permanent identification: a brand, tattoo or microchip. 70-80% of horse owners chose to microchip. After Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005 and hundreds of horses were displaced from their farms, rescuers using scanners over the customary left side of the neck were able to quickly match horses with their owners. The success in terms of percentage of horses returned to their proper homes and the speed with which it was accomplished was much greater than in comparable disasters. This is at least one example of where the technology really worked.