Horse Racing is a twenty-four Sport and, indeed, a Business. It employs hundreds of thousands of people worldwide and hundreds of thousands of equine thoroughbreds, which entertain millions across the globe.
These magnificent athletes have different names given to them by their enthusiastic owners. Of course, all these thoroughbreds are unique and must be identified daily as they arrive at the racecourse to run in the race they are entered in.
Do they still Tattoo Racehorses – Beginning January 1, 2020, any Thoroughbred that has not previously been lip tattooed and is making its first lifetime start in a recognised pari-mutuel race must have the TRPB Digital Tattoo adequately identified and authorized to compete. The long-standing practice of branding horses on the inner lip was phased out at the end of 2019; nevertheless, horses having a lip tattoo will be allowed to race for the remainder of their racing careers. The Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) has developed a standard regulation for Digital Tattoos. According to the Racing Authorities regulation, from January 1, 2020, the racing secretary must guarantee that all Thoroughbred horses foaled in 2018 or later have a Digital Tattoo before competing.
In essence, the Digital Tattoo is an electronic authentication of a horse’s identification conducted by a Coding specialist. Using a scanner, the technician reads the Horse’s microchip, which ties to computerized registration information. The technician validates the Horse’s identification and uploads a selection of digital images documenting the Horse’s markings to The Jockey Club’s database after extensively scrutinizing the markings and foal photos in the Horse’s computer record.
The Specialist will digitally stamp the electronic registration certificate or the Horse’s passport. The applicable Racing Authority will have validated the Horse’s identification and submitted new digital pictures to the breed registry’s database, as shown by this Digital Tattoo.
The Lip Tattoo Description
If a person buys a retired racehorse without registration documents, they may use the tattoo to find out its registered name (for free) and even details about its racing history (for a fee). This tattoo may also aid in the identification of stolen horses.
A thoroughbred tattoo consists of one letter representing the Horse’s birth year, followed by four or five numerals. Horses will have an asterisk (*) at the start of the tattoo. Most Jockey Clubs offer a free tattoo lookup service, a research registry, and a tattoo frequently asked questions area, which includes a video showing how to interpret a lip tattoo.
A quarter horse tattoo is distinguished from a thoroughbred tattoo by four or five numerals followed by a letter. The American Quarter Horse Association has further information about quarter horse tattoos and registration.
The Racehorse Identification – A Microchip and a Passport
A microchip is a tiny computer chip the size of a rice grain. It has a one-of-a-kind code that corresponds to an individual racehorse’s information. Microchipping a horse is a simple and fast operation. The chip is implanted via the back of the neck with a needle, which takes seconds. A portable electronic instrument known as a scanner may be used to screen horses for microchips. When this is waved around the Horse’s neck, the scanner recognises the unique information inside the chip.
A passport is a mandatory measure that consists of a compact booklet or smart card that identifies the Horse by height and species and stores the information. The Central Equine Database (CED) is a database that contains all the Horse’s information.
This contains the trainer’s contact information, the Horse’s passport, the Passport Issuing Organization (PIO) with whom it is registered, and the microchip information. This database offers a dependable digital service that enables you to ensure that your Horse’s data is up to date, report your Horse as missing or stolen, establish statuses and alerts on the national chip checker, and ensure that any horses for sale are legal.
The Equine Thoroughbred – Microchip Costs
A Coding Specialist or the Veterinarian appointed by the Racing Authorities will need to microchip a racehorse which could cost between £25 and £30 per Racehorse. Microchipping is a simple operation, but it does include a needle, so the Horse may be uncomfortable for a few seconds, similar to when they have their vaccines.
All Racehorses in England, Scotland, and Wales had to be microchipped by October 2020. This microchip ensured that if the Horse went missing, the owner or the Racehorse trainer would be reached immediately, as the contact information was up to date.
Your Horse’s information will appear if they’re connected, including which PIO they’re registered with. If the PIO does not appear, it is possible that the microchip is not registered with the passport, in which case the owner or trainer should contact the PIO and inform them.
Failure to Microchip a Racehorse will have Consequences
Owners who fail to get their Horse microchipped, passported, and registered with the CED may risk a £200 punishment. If a racehorse moves ownership from one trainer to another or the training yard of the same trainer, but in a different province in the same country, the owner must provide the new owner with the appropriate microchip registration documentation and passport so that they may contact the database and register as the new owner.
A new owner may verify the passport’s registration status by entering the Horse’s microchip number into the CED. The new owner has 30 days to notify the PIO of their new contact information. This information is non-negotiable in the horseracing industry, and fines will be imposed if the rules are not strictly adhered to.
The Racehorse – A Timeline
The Horse’s first registered keeper should be the breeder. When the Horse is sold, the breeder should provide the new owner with the Racehorse’s relevant microchip and passport documents.
The Horse will now be registered with its new owner, and the custodian of the Horse will not be the trainer of the Horse that the owner has decided will look after the Horse during its racing career.
This signifies that this individual has legal responsibility for the Horse and may be held liable if it violates any law, but it does not show legal ownership as that remains with the owner of the Horse.