Horses do wander away and do get stolen. That’s a fact of life. In recent years a new technology has evolved that can help shelters, vets and law enforcement identify who the legal owner of a horse is.
A small microchip is embedded under the horse’s skin and it can be “queried” by an external device which will show the chip number. At the time you buy the chip you register it with the company and they keep a database showing your name, contact information, etc.
Law enforcement, slaughter houses and rescue organizations routinely check for these chips as a way to try and find the owner.
My horse has one and it gives me peace of mind. I hope you get them for your animals.
From the Home Again ID website:
“A veterinarian simply injects a tiny microchip about the size of a grain of rice (12mm) beneath the surface of your pet’s skin between the shoulder blades [or in the horse’s neck area]. The process is similar to a routine shot, takes only a few seconds, and your pet will not react any more than he would to a vaccination. No anesthetic is required.
The microchip itself has no internal energy source, so it will last the life of your pet. It is read by passing a microchip scanner over the pet’s shoulder blades. The scanner emits a low radio frequency that provides the power necessary to transmit the microchip’s unique code and positively identify the pet. HomeAgain is the only microchip on the market today that has the Bio-Bond™ patented anti-migration feature to help ensure that the microchip will stay in place so that it may be easily located and scanned. If your pet gets lost and is taken to an animal shelter or veterinarian, they will scan the microchip to read its unique code. This is the number used by HomeAgain to identify the pet and retrieve your contact information, which is used to contact you and reunite you with your pet.”
There are several companies around that do this but I’ve used Home Again ID with good results Their website is HERE.