Got to be cruel to be kind....

[1stclassalan]

1stclass. I wrote a long thing but was wiped so here's the short version.

Owwwoooo that's interesting --- do you fear a Conspiracy?

........... very expensive (thousands of pounds per tag)...... battery life ..........military researchers.......How on earth would this method work. Satellites aren't going to pick up the information of someone not tagged.

Yes, go along with that but I was really looking to the future ( not too distant either ) when passive systems will be available thus obviating the need for a battery on the sender - however, this idea precludes the will to set up a practice in which ALL animals were chipped at birth.

The price will never drop a substantial amount as the cost is in the transmission not the tag itself.

Yes it will. I once bought a computer with 20meg storage and 512kb memory that cost over £3,000 - the one I'm sending this post from has 2gigabit hard disc and 500meg ram yet cost £400 - the costs you allude to are the INFLATED charges rather than actual costs.

I forsee a future in which this technology will used to track PEOPLE despite the huge outcry it will initially cause but it will introduced on the grounds of safety, anti-terrorism etc.,etc. at least 50% of us carry a mobile phone that tranmits our whereabouts now and we have a plethora of data on cards - my gadget has the lot - I'm quite confident I'll be right.

 

[PandorasJar]

Actually the costs I'm talking about are both. Being as we work with the manufacturers of satellite and acoustic tags (the only UK reseller for one tag type) and resell service I know the costs

Well done on your computer purchase... What has memory to do with iridium/satellite service costs? Argos never dropped substantially before being replaced.

I can guarantee your phone doesn't last longer than a week doing so though. There is very little need for the advances you're talking about in the near future. Most kit measures in more detail than we require, is a suitable size and only has battery left to advance on. The need is for new measurements or tracking in remote places (which only one service provider guarantees good world wide coverage). It is not a section in the industry that will be advancing at any grand speed.

 

[tallyho!]

I think I will stand my ground when I suggest taxing and licensing.

The burden will decrease over the years once it is in place.

Also, another point... how many of your vets actually scan the microchip to ensure it is the horse on the passport you have just handed over...?

No one has ever scanned mine.

 

[moodymare_1993]

ive got a better idea......why dont people just stop breeding all these horses for the sake of £200? then there wouldnt be so many to abandon...im sorry but whenever you see abandoned horses/ponies, its always shetlands or cob types....its never warmbloods or spanish horses etc.....because they arent breeding horses for pennys and just selling to any old person that offers the most money? and half the horses turn out to be rubbish breeding anyway.

unless for good breeding reasons, just have your horse gelded, much safer for the horse aswell as poor old mares that just happen to be chucked in a field with a roaming stallion!!

 

[SO1]

I am afraid I disagree, these people are not the people responsible for the majority of horses ending up at charities, it is often those who consider themselves professionals such as low quality breeders and dealers who have multiple horses that are providing the charities with most of their equines either directly though not looking after the horses in their care or indirectly by selling horses that have undisclosed health or behavioural problems to unspecting members of the public. Liscencing and inspection of both breeders and dealers I think could make a difference.

SO1, you forget about the ignorant people that buy a horse because they can afford it but haven't the first clue how to look after it or what its needs are. They are the worst offenders because they couldn't be bothered to learn anything first but expect others to pick up the pieces and if that includes dumping it because it's gone out of fashion, they'll do that too, they don't appreciate a horse is a living breathing animal that needs some degree of care.

 

[tallyho!]

So, if that many poorly bred horses end up in sanctuaries, perhaps the cull should be related to conformation rather than age.