Equine identification

Hot branding or microchipping?

Veterinary research into the levels of pain and stress involved in branding and microchipping

Iris scanning unveiled as new horse identification method

Iris scanning is being hailed as a new way of identifying horses which could see freezemarks and microchips become obsolete

Horse passport regulations from 1 July

Delay hits English microchip regulations for horses

Regulations that will require all horses in the UK to be microchipped come in across Europe on 1 July, but English regulations are not expected to go before Westminster until early August

Microchipping: the pros and cons

Should you have your horse microchipped?

Freeze-marking frenzy followed summer theft scare

The riot of text messages claiming that individuals were stealing horses to order resulted in a massive increase in the number of horses being freeze-marked over the summer

Ask H&H: racehorse freeze-branding

Horse & Hound explains about Australian racehorse freeze-branding

H&H Asks: personalised freezemarks

Horse & Hound finds out more about personalising your horse's freezemark

Britain starts planning for all foals to be microchipped

Defra has met with a number of equine organisations to discuss the best way to implement new EU legislation requiring all foals to be microchipped

Freezemarks for HEROS retired racehorses to discourage theft

The Homing Ex-Racehorses Organisation Scheme is freeze-marking all its retired racehorses with the prefix HR, thanks to Farmkey

Stolen miniature pony returned home thanks to freezemark

Stolen miniature Shetland pony Megan is returned home after an RSPCA officer notices her freezemark

Horse industry takes control of National Equine Database

The British Equestrian Federation is to continue the development of the internet-based identification, breeding and competition database

Microchips aid return of stolen shetlands

Microchips and an advert in Horse & Hound played crucial roles in reuniting four stolen Shetlands with their owner

Confirming your horse's identity

From microchips to blood typing, there are now more ways of verifying a horse’s identity than ever before, as Horse & Hound explains

Missing loan horse court case dropped

Horse owners are being warned that unless horses are uniquely identifiable through a microchip or freeze-mark there is little the law can do to prove ownership

Farmkey gets PIO status

Freeze-marking company, Farmkey, is in talks with DEFRA about allowing owners of freeze-marked horses to self-certify silhouettes beyond the 31 January deadline

Freezemarking helps target fraud

If you saw a horse which was freezemarket with a single 'L' would you know what it signified?