Harness: USTA to use Merck Animal Health as microchip provider

The United States Trotting Association today announced an innovative collaboration with Merck Animal Health (known as MSD Animal Health outside the United States and Canada) and HomeAgain® to be the organization’s sole microchip provider. The USTA is the first horse registry to formally incorporate temperature scanning into their microchip identification program.

Following two separate field trials to assess various products and chip insertion points, the USTA board of directors unanimously selected HomeAgain TempScanTM as its microchip of choice. The technology will allow for a quicker, safer and more accurate identification process versus freeze branding. Additionally, the scanning feature will instantly measure equine body temperature. This significant health related information can be a sentinel for contagious and potentially fatal equine diseases such as Equine Herpes Virus 1 and Equine Herpes Virus Myeloencephalopathy (EHM).

“Our mission is to provide value to our membership. This includes prioritizing the well-being of horses and the safety of our ID technicians,” said TC Lane, Director of USTA Registry and Member Services. “Temperature scanning is state-of-the-art technology. Merck Animal Health and HomeAgain share the USTA’s commitment to animal well-being and we are proud to work with them on this project.”

TempScanTM technology will help identify febrile horses sooner and foster the evolution of a biosecurity platform.

“Healthier horses also benefit horse owners, trainers, caretakers and may provide a tool to help protect the integrity of pari-mutuel events,” said Lane.

In addition to providing quick and reliable temperature readings, the HomeAgain TempScan radio-frequency identification microchips offer a unique and unalterable means of identifying a horse.

“At Merck Animal Health and HomeAgain, we’re committed to providing innovative solutions to meet each animals’ unique needs,” said Gary Macphee, Associate Vice President, US Companion Animal and Equine Business Unit, Merck Animal Health. “We’re proud to partner with USTA, and together, utilize this advanced technology to protect the identity and health of each horse in the registry.”

The USTA will microchip around 9,000 foals annually, as well as another 25,000 older racehorses, stallions, and broodmares. Foals can be swiftly microchipped in the neck at an early age with minimal pain -- microchipping appears to be less painful and more efficient than the current freeze branding method.

-release (USTA and Merck Animal Health)