Microchipping Your Horse
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be altered and is permanently attached to your horse once chip implantation occurs. A chip reader or scanner activates the implanted chip and displays the chips number.
Microchips operate using a radio wave frequency to send a tiny signal to a microchip scanner explains Mayhall. In the past chips operated at 125 kHz. However for many years the only type of chip recommended for horses operates at 134 2 kHz. They are recognized worldwide and can be read by universal scanners across the U S. and around the world.
However its important to realize that microchips arent GPS tracking devices. These two technologies are very different. GPS devices require batteries and must connect to a satellitebased navigation system while microchips dont require batteries and remain inactive until receiving a compatible signal from a nearby microchip reader.
You can scan a microchip an infinite number of times with the same consistent resultyour horses ID number. The chip wont wear out and shouldnt stop working throughout your horses lifetime.
Construction of the chip is the key to its quality Mayhall emphasizes. Not all microchips are made the same way or with the same care. As with any product you should choose a chip manufacturer based on your research. Ask questions. Get references from others in the horse industry.
Inserting the Chip
Microchipping your horse can be done at any age so the younger you chip the sooner your equine friend has another layer of identification should he become lost or stolen. The entire insertion process is relatively quick painless and costeffective
Choose from standard microchips or the newer mini microchips. Mini chips are about the size of a grain of rice allowing for a finer needle and even less discomfort for your horse.
Inserting a chip is really easy says Hiney. They insert the chip with a needle and syringe
into the nuchal ligament neck of the horse. Its very low key and the process is completely safe. Its also a very cheap and painless process that gives you security and peace of mind.
The process is minimally invasive and can be performed in minutes by your veterinarian.
Once inserted the microchip cant easily be altered or removed making it more permanent than tattoos brands or other forms of identification says Emily Weiss Ph D. vice president of ASPCA Equine Welfare. After the chip is placed you cant see or feel it.
Millions of horses are chipped around the world says Mayhall. Microchips
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