Instructions
Find out your horse's number. To find information about your race horse, you will need its number. This will be tattooed on the bottom of the lip and will consist of a letter followed by five numbers. The letter signifies the date the horse was foaled. The numbers correspond to the Jockey Club registration number.
Obtain information on your horse from a reliable website. Equine Line (see Resources) is a trustworthy website that many people use to learn about horses. You have to pay, but if you want to find out the truth about your horse's background then it may be worth it. The Jockey Club (see Resources) provides a free tattoo search. All have you to do is register. They also offer tips on tattoo reading and a tattoo FAQ. Scroll to the bottom of the page to find the letters that correspond with each year of birth.
Fill out the information at The Jockey Club's website, scroll to the bottom of the page and press the "Click Here" button to fill out a form. This will take you to a page where you can enter information about your horse. If you do not know the horse's name, it does not matter. You then have to enter additional information to better identify your horse. After that, you must provide information about yourself. You can choose to add a picture. Once completed, check that your information is correct. If it is, you can submit it and wait to see if any information about your horse can be found.
Fill out the information at Equine Line, for which you will first have to register. Click the link that says "Create New Account'." Enter the required information and choose which services you would like. You will then have to enter your credit card details, after which you can search for information about your horse.
Ask the TRPB for help. If only part of the tattoo is legible, the TRPB can do partial tattoo research for you. They will try to match your horse with one that matches your horse's descriptions as closely as possible. The convenient thing about this is the fact that the data will include sex and color, which narrows down the possibilities.
How to Search for a Thoroughbred by Registration Number
Before a thoroughbred is allowed to be entered in a race, they must its lip tattooed. This gives you an insight into its racing history, which can be extremely useful. The tattoos are supplied by the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau after registration papers are issued. On their website, TRPB write that they act as a "national investigative agency in the horse racing industry." The letter that comes alongside the thoroughbred will signify the year the horse was foaled.