Microchipping horses becomes more common; Whanganui event scheduled for November 9

Whanganui Riding for the Disabled volunteer Melody Crosse holds miniature horse Mohawk while vet Netta Rousell inserts a microchip into his neck.

A Whanganui vet is joining efforts by Companion Animals New Zealand to push for horses to get microchipped to help prevent the spread of disease and stop flighty horses from getting permanently lost.

Horses may be larger and more easily recognisable than cats and dogs, but implanting a microchip allows a horse to be added to the NZ Companion Animal Register (NZCAR) – New Zealand’s database for lost and found animals – which could help them be located in an emergency.

Whanganui Veterinary Services vet Netta Rousell is organising an event in affiliation with Companion Animals NZ (Canz) horse microchipping events in Taupō, Cambridge, West Auckland, Wellington and an upcoming event in Christchurch.

“I just saw that and thought why don’t we do one in Whanganui? We’ve probably got as big a horse population as some of these other centres,” Rousell said.

Canz animal welfare operations officer Dr Nicola McDonald said microchipping horses was becoming more common and was now a requirement for all thoroughbreds and standardbred horses in New Zealand.

“If you have an animal that is microchipped and registered ... you are three times more likely to bring that animal home.”

Companion Animals New Zealand animal welfare operations officer Dr Nicola McDonald says a microchip can help to reunite owners with their horses if they are separated in an emergency.

Many horses were misplaced and lost contact with their owners during Cyclone Gabrielle. An image of a horse stranded on a building in flooded Hawke’s Bay led to a desperate search for the owner on social media.

“The purpose of our register is to reunite owners with their horses should they be separated in an emergency, and we saw with Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 that it was difficult to identify the horses,” McDonald said.

“This would ensure if there was another event like that, be it an earthquake or cyclone, the horses are all microchipped.”

Rousell said she had seen many cases of wandering stock and spooked horses after noisy events such as Guy Fawkes night or during storms.

“They’re flighty animals and, if something goes wrong, they can go quite far,” Rousell said.

“They’re very emotional pets.”

Only approved users such as veterinary clinics, SPCA or animal control officers are able to access the NZCAR database and can notify a horse’s owner if they come across a lost horse.

McDonald said microchipping could also help to mitigate biosecurity risks.

In the case of a disease like equine influenza spreading throughout the country, the information could help the Ministry for Primary Industries to distribute a vaccine to the horse population.

A horse that was stolen could also be identified by a microchip if it were resold, she said.

How horses react to getting a microchip

Rousell said in most cases horses responded well to the microchip being inserted in their neck.

“It’s optional whether you clip the neck or not, but we just make sure it’s really clean so we’re not contaminating it.

“It’s just a quick injection – but it is the biggest needle they’ll ever take.”

If horses are scared or known to be flighty, they can be sedated or given localised anaesthetic before getting a microchip.

Alongside this process, it was vital for owners to register their horses with the NZCAR database.

The Whanganui horse microchipping event will take place on November 9 in conjunction with the Whanganui A&P show. The cost of a microchip is about $30 per horse.

Donkeys and goats can also be microchipped.

Registrations can be made online at www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/equichip-whanganui-horse-microchipping-event-registration.

Eva de Jong is a reporter for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news. She began as a reporter in 2023.