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Equine Microchipping

US Equestrian strives to consistently ensure the safety and welfare of both our human and equine athletes. One fundamental aspect of equine safety is microchipping. Microchips in horses allow for immediate onsite verification of horses for the purpose of safeguarding the health of each horse. This is vital, especially during times of disease outbreaks or natural disasters.

To this end, the US Equestrian Board of Directors approved a new microchipping rule during the 2023 Mid-Year Board meeting. Beginning December 1, 2025, under GR 1101.1, all horses competing in USEF-licensed or -endorsed competitions must be microchipped with a 15-digit ISO compliant 11784/11785 chip.

Important Note: Microchip requirements for Hunter Jumper competitions are currently in effect and can be found in the USEF Rulebook, under sections EQ103, HU104, and JP100.

 

Video Resources

US Equestrian has provided the following video resources to explain what a microchip is and the implantation process:

Learning Center Video
 Webinar - Microchipping:
What you Need to Know

 

 

 

Additional Resources

If you have specific questions about recording your microchip, please review the following resources:

Microchip FAQs
Microchip 101 
Microchip Mythbusters

 

How to Report a Microchip

Go to your USEF Member Dashboard to report a microchip for your horse. 

  • New horses/ponies - Submit a New Horse Recording Application.
  • Recorded horses/ponies - Use the Horse Microchip Update page to update your horse. To update the microchip of a horse not listed, please use the Update Microchips Search.
Support

Questions related to the recording of microchips and horse records should be directed to Horse Services at [email protected] and questions regarding the types of microchips or how microchips work to protect equine health are to be directed to the Equine Health team at [email protected]. 

Additional Resources

Microchip 101

This document goes through a few of the important information pieces on equine microchips and the process to implant them in our equine athletes.

Microchip Mythbusters

There are some common myths out there regarding microchips. This document is meant to discuss and debunk some of the common myths around microchipping.

How Do Microchips Work

This infographic stresses the importance of checking for previously implanted microchips and how important it is to ensure the chip number in the horse matches the one on the label.

Benefits of Microchipping

This infographic lists some benefits of microchipping.

Horse Eligibility

This infographic lists the required items in order for a horse to be deemed eligible to compete.

Checklist for Implantation

This infographic explains the process of implanting a microchip.