Microchiping - Pros/Cons

Funkyfilly024

Funkyfilly024

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Thinking i might get my horse microchipped, but have a few questions: Is there problems with them moving around inside the horse? if so will it cause any discomfort? How effective are they?- meaning if my horse ended up with someone else way in the future from being stolen/ sold on, would people nessecarily think to scan for a microchip? and finally How much does it cost?
As to the alternative of freezemarking - Would this hurt my horse at all?
 
i personally believe they are a not worth the hassle (pet hate ahoy)

i know certainly they move in dogs if put in too young as tehy move during growth so surely would be the same for horses and the legislation says bout chipping foals :S i dont think theyy'd get scanned at sales or knackeryards etc as they dont even seem to manage to check the equally crap passports!

also with the chip being just under the skin and unfortunately there are nasty people that will feel it and cut it out so therefore would no longer be a traceable horse

i am all for freezemarks as they are a visible deterant can be easily seen and noted by anyone who sees the horse, dont know about the pain but believe it isnt too bad
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My horse was microchipped about 9 hours ago.
She was sedated for her teeth and had the mircochip inserted while out.

I think they are amazing inventions and wish to protect my horse as much as possible.. who wouldnt.

Cutting a mircochip out would be pretty difficult. and the one put in today was in muscle not under the skin?? i think

Lo ux

Lou x
 
i was just wondering because they put them between shoulder blades in dogs i think, if they were in the same places in horses if they moved could they cause problems.

Btw if you dont mind my asking how much does it cost, compared to freezmarking cost, because i think i would also need extra cost of sedation for a freezmark to happen (unless they do that anyway!)
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I think the main problem with microchips is that people don't automatically think to scan for chips, although you can get a little freezeband that tells people it's there).
Also I've heard that not all microchips are the same and the machines that read them aren't either, so someone might scan for it and not find it, which is pretty useless.
I though it went in the muscle and not under the skin and was quite hard to locate/remove, but I could be mistaken.
 
I'm eventually going to get my boy freezemarked and microchipped...

I think freezemarking is a more effective deterent to thieves as it's obvious, however obviously it can be masked...
Microchipping is more difficult to remove but obviously can't be seen without being scanned, which I tend to think would be unlikely if he were stolen. But I think for the extra money, which really isn't all that much, you just can't be too careful.

We've had a few coloureds stolen from around near us and I'm absolutely paranoid Freddie will be taken so am booking him in as soon as I get my next paycheck.
 
ohh i just thought it grew back white!!!

can you tell this is new to me lol!!!
none of our horses/ponies have ever been chipped/freezemarked but like others i am starting to get a little paranoid as we have some lovley horses at the moment i couldnt stand it if anything happened
 
Mine are all freezemarked. I was so worred it would hurt them but not one of them battered an eye lid! All stood eating hard feed and didn't even flinch or lift their heads from the bucket! Potential new horse is micro chipped but fully intend to freezemark asap if I get her.
 
my experiences so far include freeze marking two horses one went mental the person who did it from farmkey was brilliant we allowed the horse to do a small circle and she just carried on doing the freeze mark as she lunged herself !
the other not so bad but certainly wasn't happy.
a friend of mine has a grey that's freeze marked its not so clear to read but it grew back a solid dark grey
bear in mind i had mine done under the saddle so they weren't obvious for the show ring but it meant they couldn't be ridden for 6 weeks.
as a good point for freeze marking i did hear of two horses stolen out of their field only to be found abandoned when they removed the rugs and realised they were identifiable !!
as a bad point if they new owner doesnt tranfer details the horse amy be found but not the owner ( a yearly fee was involved when i had mine done not sure about now though )

as for chipping i myself been chipping greyhounds for a while now and I'd say its a lot less painful for the animal than freezmarking and it definitely doesn't go under muscle for them it stays under the surface of the skin where fat attaches itself the the chip and holds it in place. after a week or two they have settled under skin and are not easy to find by feel alone.

Ive never chipped a horse but i find it hard to believe it would be as far under the skin to be in muscle ! the needle would surely cause bruising and discomfort.
I cant see it moving much as horse have considerably more fat than you average greyhound !

as for horses being checked for passport or being scanned god only knows !!!
both ideas have thier pros and cons !!
 
I have been involved in the recovery of a number of stolen horses and freezemarking a horse on it's shoulder is the best method of identifying a horse as anyone can see and read a freezemark. No scanner is required.

Sadly with micro-chipping there are about 5 different systems of the market and the scanner of one system does not identify or read the other systems.

My advice would be to Freezemark on the shoulder and also micro-chip.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I have been involved in the recovery of a number of stolen horses and freezemarking a horse on it's shoulder is the best method of identifying a horse as anyone can see and read a freezemark. No scanner is required.

Sadly with micro-chipping there are about 5 different systems of the market and the scanner of one system does not identify or read the other systems.

My advice would be to Freezemark on the shoulder and also micro-chip.

[/ QUOTE ]

Unless it's a pink skinned grey horse.....then you can't read the damn thing anyway even after having it re-done.

Waste of time for me. No one knows what her mark is supposed to read....apart from me. Not much use.
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micro chips in a horse are different than in dogs...
the chip goes into a ligament in the neck not a muscle or fat so they should not move or be felt through the skin the only way to remove one is to get an xray to locate it then cut it out and thet leaves a fairly distinctive scar.....the only problem is they are not scanned for enough and the fact that you ca get a new microchip put in without contacting the owner of the 1st...

but if your going for a theft deterent on your beautiful coloured id go for a freeze mark more visable and harder to remove
 
[ QUOTE ]
my experiences so far include freeze marking two horses one went mental the person who did it from farmkey was brilliant we allowed the horse to do a small circle and she just carried on doing the freeze mark as she lunged herself !


[/ QUOTE ]

Did you have Lucy?
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- I had Izzy freezemarked last Wednesday and she was reasonably behaved, walked round in circles around the lady and reared a couple of times, but I believe this was only because of the horse flys!!

The freezemark didnt hurt, it only begins to be sore after its been done when it swells alittle and feels like a 'cold burn'. Its been almost a week and she is fine! I can see the letters perfectly but the white hair should come through in a bout 6 weeks time
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(It's on her shoulder) I, too was cr@pping myself at the thought of her not standing and going mental and even considered having the vet out to sedate her (she is only 3) but she was fine without sedation and without calmer and I took her mind off it with a bucket full of carrots and apples and polos (good job they advise a rest period!)

She is also microchipped, but I feel the freezemarking is more of a deterant. I can now relax knowing I have done everything I can to ensure she is a weak target for thieves and if the worst does come to the worst atleast she will have a good chance of being recovered and brought back to me!!
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I had George freezemarked under his saddle, and he didn't bat an eyelid he was far more interested in the bucket of treats! Farmkey recommend you don't ride for 7 days which is what I did and he was fine after that. It does take quite a while for the mark to show fully though.
 
Microchipping is most deffo in the muscle in the top of the neck. Yes it is uncomfortable - but they get over it within a few moments - even when I had my wussy section D done - he had recovered a few minutes later.

I have never had a horse freeze marked TBH - but I have started thinking about having it done with the posts that have been on here recently.
 
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