Counties NZ Sporthorse is pleased to announce it’s microchip program, which will be a major improvement in the identification and recording of NZ Sporthorses. 

Recording of horses with a microchip provides an easy and accurate method of identification of Sporthorses. 

Insertion of the microchip is relatively simple and leaves the horse permanently and easily identified without any blemishes such as brands.

The microchipping program works by recording the following horse information:

• Breeding and breeder of the horse
• Age / Date of Birth
• Sex
• Colour
• Current owner and address

This information is permanently linked to a microchip which is implanted in the horse by a veterinarian.

The microchip used is the Destron ‘Lifechip’ which is the same type of chip used on thoroughbreds in NZ and Australia.  The microchip has a special coating which encourages binding to the surrounding tissue, it is a quality chip which remains in place and readable for many years.

The microchip is rice grain sized, the electronic circuitry and antenna are sealed in an airtight, biocompatible capsule made of glass.  The chip contains no battery, it is only activated by magnetic field when it is being scanned.

How is the microchip inserted?

Horse is restrained, usually by sedation and the microchip is inserted once the skin has been surgically prepared.
 
The microchip is injected, in a similar way to a normal intra muscular injection, in to the nuchal ligament, a fibrous cordlike structure which runs from the wither to the poll.  This site is used because there is a very small loss rate of the microchip (0.3% - 0.4%).  The microchip cannot be removed once inserted, it is extremely difficult to locate it in the live horse.

Using a microchip reader the unique number of the microchip can be permanently read at any time. 

The horse is also identified using markings in the usual manner

Data on the horse will be stored on a central accessible database and will contain relevant information on the horse.

Costs:

• $30 purchase, registration and data entry onto database

The microchip is purchased by the horse owner from Counties NZ Sporthorse.

Other approximate costs

• $80 veterinary fees for insertion of microchip
• $45 identification fee if required.

These fees are dependent on the arrangement between the horse owner and their veterinarian.

The microchip program will provide a secure permanent method of identifying sporthorses.  This has obvious benefits for security of ownership of the horse but importantly also for recording of future sporting performance and linking this to the age and breeding of the horse.