Avid Equine ID, microchip system for horses; Answers

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Q Why should I microchip my horse? Q My horse is chipped with another brand of chip. It is not an AVID® chip. Can I still enroll in HORSEtrac™ and get a HORSEcard™? Q Can I register my horse into HORSEtrac™ online? Q Where is the chip implanted? Can it be removed? Q Does the AVID EquineChip™ have a protective coating on it? Q Does the chip cause pain when injected? Will it interfere with my horse's performance? Q At what age can my horse be microchipped with the AVID EquineChip™? Q How long does the chip last? Does it wear out? Q Can I find the chip by feeling for it with my fingers? Q Can my horse feel anything when he is being scanned? Q Can the microchip move around or 'migrate' after it is injected? Q The chip is invisible. How can it benefit my horse? Q Are there scanners 'out there' so that the chips in horses can be detected? Q How many types of chips and scanners are used in horses? Q How can the microchip help prevent my horse from being stolen? Q If my horse is stolen or missing, how can the chip help me get him back? Q What about an emergency, a fire, flood, storm, etc.? Q How is the chip traced back to me? Does AVID have a database for recovery of missing horses? Q How much does it cost to register my horse in HORSEtrac™? Q Is the AVID EquineChip the same chip used in production or food animals? Q Will USDA slaughter facilities be able to detect and read the AVID EquineChip? Q Will the AVID EquineChip™ be accepted in the new government National Animal ID System?

Why should I microchip my horse? The tiny chip provides a permanent "inside" identification number for your horse. The number is unique in the world, and it cannot be altered. A microchip is POSITIVE ID for your horse. It leaves no doubt. Horse owners use it for many different reasons, such as: Proof of ownership, theft protection and recovery, disaster recovery, health certificates, medical records, farm management, event entries, registry ID, sales documents, and protection from slaughter. Now you can provide your horse with a lifetime microchip number for a minimal cost. Instead of asking "Why microchip?"�.you can now say "Why not!" My horse is chipped with another brand of chip. It is not an AVID� chip. Can I still enroll in HORSEtrac� and get a HORSEcard�? Yes, of course. HORSEtrac� is available to any one who has a microchipped horse, regardless of the type of chip. If you are a member of HORSEtrac, you can order a HORSEcard.

Can I register my horse into HORSEtrac� online? Yes. If your horse already has a microchip (from any company), you can enroll online at your convenience. *You MUST have the accurate chip number that is in your horse, before you can enroll online.. When you enroll at HORSEtracUSA.com, your number will be verified and you will receive an online certificate from HORSEtracUSA. NOTE: If your horse is not microchipped yet, you cannot enroll online. Order your chips today or have your vet install the AVID Equinechip. Then come back and enroll online!*
Where is the chip implanted? Can it be removed? The chip goes into the nuchal ligament just below the mane about half way between the poll and withers on the left side. It cannot be removed without general anesthesia and surgery. Does the AVID EquineChip™ have a protective coating on it? Yes. Only AVID microchips are sealed with a special coating called Paralyne C. Unlike some other types of chips that have a plastic cap or barbed tip at one end (or nothing at all) AVID chips are completely coated with this smooth biocompatible sealer. Does the chip cause pain when injected? Will it interfere with my horse's performance? Microchipping is a simple injection. It only takes seconds. Most horses don't even flinch, and their performance is not compromised at all. At what age can my horse be microchipped with the AVID EquineChip™? Any age, from birth on. How long does the chip last? Does it wear out? The chip is guaranteed for the lifetime of your horse. It will not wear out or fade. Can I find the chip by feeling for it with my fingers? No, you cannot feel an implanted microchip; nor can your horse. Can my horse feel anything when he is being scanned? The horse feels nothing at all when he is being 'scanned.' Can the microchip move around or 'migrate' after it is injected? No. Once properly installed, the chip will not migrate or move. It will be there when you need it.
(A study published in the Journal of The American Veterinary Medical Association (2003 223:1316-1319) revealed that microchips implanted in the nuchal ligament did not migrate.)

The chip is invisible. How can it benefit my horse? Microchips provide the most reliable form of instant permanent ID. Rather than being on the outside of the horse, removable or alterable, the chip is safe and secure in the nuchal ligament. If your horse also has a brand, the chip and the brand can work together for double protection. The AVID EquineChip� is always there; able to be checked and verified immediately. When the chip number is recorded on documents, it immediately confirms�with the pass of a scanner� that the horse on the paperwork is the correct animal. Microchip numbers can be used as proof-positive when transporting, buying, selling, breeding, insuring, and protecting from disease. A chip number registered in HORSEtrac� can be life-saving in cases of theft, slaughter or natural disaster. Are there scanners 'out there' so that the chips in horses can be detected? Yes. Brand inspectors, law enforcement, animal control officers, disaster workers, veterinarians, rescues, slaughter facilities and many sale barns have scanners. With the beginning of the new National Animal ID System, scanners will be even more widespread. Important: A scanner can only do its job if your horse is microchipped. How many types of chips and scanners are used in horses? You may hear of different brand names of chips and/or scanners. However, all microchip systems operate by sending and receiving radio wave signals. Microchips used in horses in the United States operate at the radio frequency of 125 kHz. Therefore, scanners operating at the matching 125 kHz frequency can read the chips, no matter who the manufacturer is. The system is very cross compatible. Note: If you are considering microchipping your horse, make sure that the chip you choose operates at 125 kHz, thus insuring that it can be read by all of the United States scanners. Click here for more information about compatibility.

How can the microchip help prevent my horse from being stolen?
Your horse will have a unique, permanent and registered number. To law enforcement, it is the equivalent of a 'Vehicle Identification Number' for your horse. And it provides you with proof that it is YOUR horse. Thieves know how microchips work. They know what it means. Post HORSEtrac� signs and decals on trailers, barns and fences as deterrents. Everyone will know that your horses are microchipped.

If my horse is stolen or missing, how can the chip help me get him back? When a microchipped horse is stolen, report it immediately to law enforcement and make sure they have the chip number. Contact HORSEtrac� and place your horse on the Hot List. Send a digital picture of your horse to HORSEtracUSA.com. Slaughter facilities will be contacted and the chip number and horse description printed on Hot Sheets. Finally AVID affiliates, such as Stolen Horse International, will be 'in the loop' and looking for your horse. What about an emergency, a fire, flood, storm, etc.? AVID works with national disaster preparedness groups across America. These groups are equipped with scanners. In times of natural disaster or emergency, scanning for microchips is the ideal and preferred method of locating owners of recovered horses.
When a microchip is found in a horse, he is a phone call away from being reunited with his owner. Carry your HORSEcard™, too, for instant backup if you must 'claim' your horse after a disaster. Check out The HORSEcard™ on the HORSEtrac page. Owners of microchipped horses are contacted immediately when chips are traced through the HORSEtrac™ database. Non-chipped horses typically take much longer, or in many cases, never get returned to their owners. How is the chip traced back to me? Does AVID have a database for recovery of missing horses? As the largest supplier of microchips for companion animals in the United States, AVID originated the concept of "recovery" by developing the global PETtrac recovery network over 10 years ago. HORSEtrac™ is part of this same network. Once the chip is actually implanted, the chip number and all owner information should be registered in the HORSEtrac™ database. Information is protected and private, but always there 24 hours a day, should anything happen to your horse. Operators are standing by to take calls from law enforcement agencies and recovery teams who locate missing or stolen horses. If your horse scans 'positive' for a microchip, everyone knows who to call. The phone number for the HORSEtrac™ network is printed on the AVID scanner. How much does it cost to register my horse in HORSEtrac™? There is a one time, lifetime fee of $18.50. A HORSEtrac™ registration includes all important owner information, an alternate contact, and information about the horse, including his chip number. The owner will receive a nice certificate. Digital HORSEcard is optional. Is the AVID EquineChip™ the same chip used in production or food animals? No. While some of the new cattle ear tags do contain a microchip, it is a different type of chip from the injectable ones used in horses in the United States. Additionally the food animal chip is 15 digits long. The EquineChip is ten digits long. Will USDA slaughter facilities be able to detect and read the AVID EquineChip? Yes. Absolutely. AVID has made sure that these facilities all have MultiScan readers. Will the AVID EquineChip™ be accepted in the new government National Animal ID System for horses? The AVID EquineChip is the type of chip already accepted in the United States to identify horses, and it can be read by the scanners in use.
The American Horse Council and the Equine Species Working Group have recommended to the USDA, among other things, that "Microchips are a cost efficient, readily available equine identification method already in use in equines. Exisiting microchip technologies should be incorporated into the NAIS for equines." In addition to complying with proposed regulations, and just as important, the AVID EquineChip serves many other purposes throughout the life of your horse. The HORSEtrac� recovery network protects your privacy and offers security for you and your horse. The AVID microchip used for horses is not part of the government program and has been in use for many years. If and when the government program is put into place, you will be able to participate, and comply, if you choose, but your data and ownership information will be private.

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