Microchip Your Horse -
The Benefits
More than 450,000 animals have been microchipped in the past five years in the UK alone.
Under new legislation effective from July 2009, every foal born in the UK will be required to undergo the procedure.
How Is It Done?
 Similar to the size of a grain of rice a tiny device is painlessly inserted under the animal's skin - on the crest of his neck.
Once in, it cannot move or be seen, but can be read by a scanner as it contains a unique code number.
It is no different to a simple injection and can be administered to any breed or age of horse.
Your vet will be able to determine quickly and easily if your horse has already been microchipped perhaps while in the care of a previous owner by using a hand-held electronic scanner.
Because it cannot be altered once in place, electronic ID can provide decisive proof of identity even if a stolen horse's physical appearance has been changed.
The owner's details and the code are put on to the national PetLog database. If a lost or stolen animal is found, the code will be revealed by passing a scanner over upper neck region of the horse's. Then it's just a matter of matching the code with the PetLog database.
How Much Does It Cost?
The process is done by your veterinary surgeon and the price is typically in the region of £20-30 per horse plus your normal call-out charge. This will add your animal to the PetLog database for life.
It is usually a good idea to arrange for the procedure to be done at the same time as the horse's vaccinations are due thereby saving one call-out charge.
Or, we suggest getting a few friends together and sharing the call-out charge between you if you all have your horses done at the same time.
Peace of Mind and Financial Benefits
 Having the procedure done will give you added peace of mind that you are doing everything possible to increase the chance of safe recovery for your horse in the event of theft or straying.
Being wise after the event does not take away the heartache of losing your horse so it's much better to do what you can right now to reduce risk.
In many cases taking this preventative action will have a beneficial effect on your
Horse Insurance
premiums which should be less costly when compared to those for an unchipped horse, although this is at the discretion of your insurer.
Read our advice on obtaining the best possible insurance quote by following the horse insurance link above.
If you would like to review the other key aspects of
Safeguarding Your Horse,
click on this link to be redirected now.
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