How to Find a Horse With Just a Microchip Number

For some breeds of horses, the only identification is a set of registration papers. But it is easy for the registration papers to get lost and separated from the horse. That makes it difficult for subsequent owners to verify the identity of the animal and determine its registration status. As a result, many breed registries now require that foals be microchipped as a condition of registration. Once the microchip is implanted, it can be read using a handheld scanner. Once that number is known, it is simply a matter of looking up the microchip number in the breed registry database.

Things You'll Need

Portable scanner

Instructions

- 1
  Contact the breed registry if you know or suspect what breed your horse is. For instance, if your horse is a Friesian, you would contact the Friesian Horse Association of North America. Check the website for microchip information, or contact the organization by phone to ask about the type of microchip reader you need to find your horse's information.
- 2
  Ask your vet to scan the horse's shoulder for the embedded microchip. Different standards exist for microchip readers, so your vet may need to try several different readers to pick up the microchip in your horse.
- 3
  Check the microchip number and related information carefully. The reading from the microchip reader often includes breed registry information.
- 4
  Log on to the website of the appropriate breed registry, such as Friesian, Gypsy Vanner, Dutch Warmblood, and search for microchip information. Enter the microchip number into the website. In some cases you may need to be a registered member of the breed registry to look up a microchip number. If you know someone who is an active member you can ask her to look up your horse in the database. Otherwise you may need to join the registry or pay a fee to obtain the information.