Identification

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Identifying Your Trail Horse

Branding Program- With a deposit, ATHA will send you the official Association iron for freeze branding your equine. Now you wonder, “Why would I brand with this, instead of a personal brand?" Well, one thing is: Who will ID your personal brand and know it’s yours? An Association brand is more easily seen and identified. If you’re at an auction or slaughter pen, and you see a breed/association brand, you know that the association has a past record on that horse. Personal brands are forgotten and only valid in the state YOU register the brand in. Many states don't register freeze brands, only hot brands. And if you don’t re-register the brand every year for the rest of your horse’s life, or your sold horse’s life, then it’s lost. Also, if the horse crosses the border, there’s no way to track the brand.

Here's a webpage full of unidentified brands:

Can You help these people ID their brands?

Your State branding Laws

Branded Horse Association

Don't let your equine or new equine end up UNIDENTIFIABLE !

Having your horse branded prevents horse thieves from not only taking, but from selling your equine to auction or slaughter. Most states require proof of relinquished ownership. Meaning they call/contact you to verify that you sold the equine for whatever reason. By some laws they cannot accept a branded equine without this. (of course, some places/states overlook this, but we hope not) ATHA keeps record of your equine for life. We are very precise in every detail of your equine, down to three little white hairs on a knee cap. If someone was to acquire your equine, We, as an Association have a good chance to identify who the equine is, by those small little marks. With this and the help of Net Posse, ATHA hopes to recover lost and stolen equines, FAST!

For those who don't like the idea of an obvious freeze brand on your equine's left hip, ATHA has Teamed up with AVID/HorseTrac to have Trail Horses microchip. The sterile paks, which can be done by horse owner or a vet, are registered thru AVID/HorseTrac and ATHA for MAXIMUM identification and horse protection. The AVID EQUINEchip can be read by any 125 kHz scanner (AVID, HomeAgain, Destron, etc), and AVID has donated a Scanner for ATHA headquarters in Illinois, near the Cavel Slaughter Facility. As the microchips go out into other areas and locations through out the U.S., ATHA scanners will be available thru area ATHA Reps.

The AVID Microchip paks are an inexpensive way to identify your equine in case of lost, theft and tragedy (like the CA forest fires).

Prices are:
$27.00 -- Chip, HORSEtrac registration, and ATHA customized personal ID card.

Remember that this is a VERY inexpensive way to identify your trail horse for the lifetime of the horse. Combined with ATHA Registration, who could ask for more?

ATHA personalized ID card. What's this?

New to only ATHA members, the HORSEcard! This is a plastic, wallet-sized ID card that identifies horse and owner. Customized with owner info and chip number, it also includes ATHA's logo, info and your equine's picture! A must have for trail riders traveling from state to state! Show ownership of the equines' in your trailer, with details and a picture on a credit card style card!