RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION DEVICES (microchips) FOR EQUINES

News

Introduction

The Equine Species Working Group (ESWG) is operating under the auspices of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the American Horse Council (AHC) to best represent the interests of the horse industry in connection with the National Animal Identification System (NAIS).

The proper visual identification of horses requires a combination of all available identification methods including coat color, white markings, cowlicks, sex, aging of the teeth, photos (preferably color & digital), brands, scars, lip tattoos, chestnuts or night eyes and RFID, normally microchips. Genetic testing with DNA provides verification of the horse’s parentage and is the ultimate tool to re-confirm the horse’s identity.

Recommendations

The ESWG has adopted the following recommendations to the USDA and the horse industry regarding the identification of horses:

• Whenever appropriate, equine identification systems currently in use should be incorporated into the national equine identification program, especially radio frequency identification devices (RFID), normally microchips.

• This date forward, the ISO/ANSI compatible FRID chip (11784/85, 134.2 kHz) is the recommended standard of electronic equine identification for the purpose of the disease control for the uniformity and compatibility necessary to successfully achieve the goals of the USDA National Animal Identification System.

• The recommended implantation site for the microchip is the nuchal ligament on the left side, in the middle third of the neck, halfway between the ears and the withers.

• Suppliers of RFID readers and scanners should make an immediate effort to provide readers and scanners for distribution to the U.S. animal identification industry to read the ISO 11784/117785 livestock microchips, and read or at least detect all 125 kHz frequency companion animal microchips.

• New technologies should be reviewed and researched to evaluate the potential to provide more efficient, cost effective and accurate methods of equine identification in the future, i.e., Biometrics, instant DNA testing, etc.

The NAIS Animal Identification Number (AIN) proposed by the USDA is 15 characters of which the first three numbers are the ISO country code for the United States-840. The most readily compatible identification device to affix this number to a horse is the 11784/11785 microchip which has 15 characters. This is the same chip that is being utilized in most European countries including the United Kingdom. The European Union has mandated that all horses be assigned a Universal or Unique Equine Life Number (UELN) which also has 15 characters of which the first three are the ISO country code and the second three are a three digit breed code. Both are reasons why the ESWG is recommending the ISO 11784/11785 microchip.

Example of UELN

840 027 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

country code breed code random or registration number

Microchips

Microchips use a common low-power radio signal to read an ID number stored in a tiny electronic circuit. Electronic ID based on these radio signals is also referred to as radio frequency identification, or RFID. These low-frequency radio waves can penetrate all solid objects except those made of metal. Therefore, use of electronic ID allows the number to be stored inside the animal, where it is permanent and is not subject to being lost or altered, or becoming worn and unreadable like an external tag.

The transponders or microchips used in horses are passive devices, meaning that the transponder carries no battery and remains inactive most of the time. The transponder’s tiny electronic circuit is energized by the low-power radio beam sent by a compatible reading device. The transponder sends the ID number as a radio signal back to the scanner, which then decodes the number and displays it on a small screen similar to that on an electronic calculator. Since the transponder contains no battery there is nothing to wear out.

Implementation

In horses, the standard injection site is the nuchal ligament on the left side of the animal in the middle third of the neck, just below the long hairs of the mane. For these injections, each transponder comes pre-packed inside a needle, and this assembly is packaged in a pre-sterilized plastic envelope. Each needle is discarded after one-time use. This prevents the spread of infection, and insures that the needle is factory sharp so as to cause minimum discomfort to the animal. The ESWG recommends that microchip implants be done by or under the direct supervision of a practicing equine veterinarian. The horse must also be properly identified at the time of implant.

Numerous studies have been performed on a wide variety of animal species to demonstrate the safety of the transponder. These studies have shown no adverse reactions to the transponder, either biological or behavioral. Many of these studies have been documented in published papers.

Horses have been routinely identified with electronic or RFID identification technology since the early 1980’s. Results reveal that microchips do not migrate in the nuchal ligament; are durable, with a failure rate of less than 0.5%; do not affect reproductive efficiency of stallions and mares; and, if implanted properly, are virtually tamper proof.

To date, microchip vendors estimate that more than 600,000 horses have been successfully implanted with microchips in the U.S. Starting in 1994, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry changed the state Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) regulation to include permanent identification by means of a brand, lip tattoo or electronic ID, of all horses tested for the purpose of disease control. Dr. Max Lea, Louisiana State Veterinarian and a member of the ESWG, has stated that, “Microchips have been an effective and cost efficient method of horse identification in Louisiana with less than a handful of problems from over 200,000 chipped horses.”

During the recent Hurricane Katrina, the positive identification of Louisiana horses, was a lifesaver, in terms of reuniting owners with their misplaced horses.

International

There are at least twelve countries in Europe, including England, Ireland, France, Germany and Italy, that currently microchip Thoroughbreds and other breeds. This number will certainly increase with the mandate for horses traveling between European countries to have a UELN. Australia and New Zealand have recently adopted microchip identification for Thoroughbreds. Most of the South American countries with Thoroughbred racing have been using microchips for identification purposes for several years.

Scanners

Microchips have utilized in dogs and cats for many years. A smaller microchip with 8, 10 or 12 characters that operates at a radio frequency of 125 kHz has been utilized in horses, as have the 134.2 kHz 11784/11785 microchips. The 125 kHz microchip has been utilized more in pets, and most of the scanners or microchip readers in the U.S. only read 125 kHz frequency microchips. Microchip vendors and veterinarians expanded the use of the “pet chip” to include horses, and for the most part it has worked very well. The recent introduction of the 11784/11785 which has 15 characters and operates at 134.2 kHz has the potential to cause problem because most of the existing 125 kHz scanners cannot read the 132.4 kHz microchips.

Conclusion

The Equine Species Working Group is recommending to any horse owner or regulatory authority considering the use of microchip that they thoroughly research all aspects of microchips in making their decision. The ESWG recommends the use of the 11784/11785 ISO standard microchip for livestock. This microchip will be compatible with the other RFID tag and scanners used in other livestock under the National Animal Identification System, and in concert with microchip technology being utilized internationally, especially in North America and the European Union. Anyone purchasing scanners or microchip readers should consider one that can read both 125 and 134.2 kHz microchips.

The methods of identifying livestock for disease control is a maturing area that is likely to continue to develop as new technical changes and more efficient means of identification are introduced. While horse owners should be aware of the evolving technology is in making a decision to use a particular identification method, the ISO 11784/11785 15 character RFID microchip is the best available option and has been endorsed by other species working groups and the NAIS.

A special thanks is given to American Horse Council for information supplied in Press Release.