Permanent identification of horses serves many purposes. Horse theft in this country is an all-too-familiar reality for some horse owners, and being able to identify a horse among many is very important to law enforcement officials. This unit will describe some of the methods used to identify a horse.

Horse identification is important for several reasons. It:

• provides a method for proof of ownership or transfer of ownership.
• increases the number of stolen horses that are recovered and may deter theft.
• is necessary for registry with a breed organization.
• can be used as an advertising method (permanent identification).

There are several different methods that one may use to identify a specific horse as his or her own. With all of these methods, it is important that the owner be able to identify a unique or uncommon characteristic of the horse.