It is common for horses to change hands, sometimes multiple times over the course of their lives, highlighting the importance of having a system in place that allows for horses to be fully traceable throughout their lifetime. Current identification regulations require all horses to have a passport and a microchip as means of identification and contain up-to-date details of their registered owner. However, there are flaws with this system which can lead to lack of traceability, fraudulent changes being made to horse details, horse theft and in some cases, horses being smuggled out of the country. Illegal identification documents are surprisingly common and horses may even have more than one microchip. It is important when microchip scanning to scan twice in order to double check that there is only one microchip.
We have pulled together 5 simple steps all horse owners should take to make sure their horses remain visible and protected:
- Make sure your horse is microchipped (a legal requirement) and has a passport with a UK Passport Issuing Organisation (PIO).
- Check your horse’s passport information (e.g., your details and your horse’s description) is up to date and that their microchip number is included in the passport.
- Visit the Central Equine Database (hosted by the Equine Register) and make sure your horse is registered on there.
- Sign up to the Digital Stable (or ScotEquine in Scotland) to create alerts and upload photos should your horse be stolen. These are free services.
- Take photos of your horse regularly, especially of any distinctive markings. Include head shots and photos of the full body from both sides.
The photos you take don’t need to be perfect or staged but should clearly show any distinctive markings as demonstrated by the photos of Bandit below.
Horses can also change colour over time, particularly if they are grey. If you were shown the two pictures of Diamond below, would you believe they were the same horse? Therefore, it is important to take regular photos to document any changes to coat colour.
You may have seen our News story on the Dover 26. These horses were found with fraudulent documentation and were more than likely being smuggled out of the country. This case really highlights the need for proper identification and traceability. You can read more about the progress of the Dover 26 since being in our care here.
To find out more on our work towards improving equine identification and traceability please see our ‘Equine ID and Traceability’ position page.
Horses are smuggled across borders, into and out of the UK, more easily and more commonly than you might expect. Vets are extremely well placed to spot some easily missed signs that show a horse may have been caught up in this illicit trade and can also help to ensure owners are aware of how they can make their horse as traceable as possible.
It is not uncommon for horses to have more than one microchip – so don’t stop scanning when/if you find a one – log the details and keep scanning, taking note of any other microchip numbers you may find.
Did you know?
Although there are legitimate reasons for horses to have multiple microchips, it could also be a sign that a previous owner is attempting to hide that horse’s past so encourage owners to check any additional microchip numbers using the Central Equine Database Chipchecker and report it to their PIO and any other linked PIO to investigate. Or contact the PIO yourself on behalf of your client if you feel it appropriate.
When checking a horse’s description and silhouette on their passport – if there are any anomalies, as long as you are confident that the passport does belong to the horse (e.g. the presence of other identifying features such as whorls, hoof markings, or other markings) then explain to the owner the benefits of contacting their PIO to update any of the details.
Share the link to World Horse Welfare’s “Traceability: what does it mean for your horse?” with owners so they can read all about the simple steps they can take to make their horses more traceable.
If you have concerns that a passport may have been tampered with or may not be the correct passport for the horse, then either advise the owner to inform the declared PIO or contact them yourself.
It is not always easy to know whether a passport has been tampered with, especially when there are a lot of different PIOs all with slightly different designs to their passports. However, a PIO will easily be able to advise as to whether their passport has been altered in any way and will help you and/or the owner decide on the best course of action.
Did you know – vet stamps have been fraudulently copied and used to forge duplicate or replacement passports?
Visit the RCVS website for more information on equine identification and microchips – 30. Equines and microchips – Professionals (rcvs.org.uk)
