Does my horse have to be microchipped?
Since the 2005 intoduction of compulsory passports for horses another European Union regulation came into effect on 1st July 2009 which states that all foals must be microchipped before an owner can apply for an equine passport.
Any foal born after 1st July 2009 must be microchipped within 6 months of birth or before 31st December of the year of birth or the owner will face a possible fine.
The new rules do not apply to equines with passports born before 2009, but any horse, pony, mule, donkey or zebra that does not have a passport must be microchipped before a passport can be issued regardless of date of birth.
What is a microchip?
Microchips are a small implant, about the size of a grain of rice, that contain a unique serial code. They are implanted into the ligament on the left side of the horses neck , via an injection by a veterinary surgeon.
The microchips unique serial code can be read using an electronic microchip reader. The code along with the owner's details are stored on a computerised data base.
How is the microchip put into the horse?
Microchips are implanted into the ligament on the left side of the horses neck , via an injection by a veterinary surgeon.
See a horse being microchipped in the following video:
What are the health risks to my horse with microchipping?
There is a small risk of bruising and although rare, abscess formation and possible migration of chip.
If my horse is stolen will a microchip aid recovery?
Yes but remember to keep contact details on the data base up to date as a chip without current contact information is essentially useless.
