So you want to identify a horse!

By Cathy Atkinson

You’ve just purchased a new horse, and it didn’t come with any history. Maybe you bought it at an auction, or from a trader, or adopted it from a rescue. Maybe you are the rescuer, and are looking for people who used to own the horse to see if they can help him out. There are a lot of ways to find out the history on a horse.

If your horse came with registration papers, former owners should be listed on those papers. If they’re not, they are typically available from the registry. All of the horse registries have web sites which are easily found online using a search engine like Google. You may have to join the registry to conduct a search for your horse’s records. Once you get those names, Google is a great tool to find contact information – just put the breeder’s name in quotes with the city they live in separately. For example:

“Joanna Horseowner” Boulder, CO

You can also try searching for the name with the breed of horse and you are likely to find a hit:

“Joanna Horseowner” APHA (or “Paint horses”)

Experiment until you find a likely match. Most people do not mind sharing information about horses they previously owned, but it is important to be polite when asking, even if the horse came to you in less than perfect condition. Keep it simple and see if you get a response. For example:

“Hi, I don’t know if you are the right Joanna Horseowner, but I just purchased an APHA mare named Leos Spotted Charm that you may have formerly owned. I love her and would love to know more about her. If you can tell me anything about her, I’d really appreciate it.”

You may also be able to search those registry records to see if your horse has been shown or bred. The owner of a foal out of your mare may know more about your mare or know how to contact former owners. The registries are very helpful with this so don’t hesitate to ask!

Now, let’s say you do not have the papers on the horse. First off, look for a lip tattoo. Pull the horse’s upper lip up and a tattoo would be on the inside of it (facing the teeth). Tattoos are frequently hard to read but it may be easier to do so at night using a black light. You can click here for more information about identifying a horse from a tattoo.

No tattoo? What about a brand or a freeze brand? Look under the mane right below the hairline for a freeze brand on Arabians, Mustangs and sometimes other breeds. Traditional brands may be found on the shoulders, hip, or sometimes the top of the horse’s butt. Brands are harder to trace because they are re-used from state to state but you can get more information by clicking here.

No papers, tattoos or brands? Don’t give up hope. If the horse was acquired locally, put up color picture flyers in tack shops and feed mills where horsepeople congregate. Put a listing up on your local Craigslist. Again, keep it simple – keep it clear that you just want some history on the horse, and papers if they exist. Make sure to note identifying traits such as scars, bad habits, and unusual markings. Horses who sell without papers are a challenge to ID, but it can be done especially if you are persistent.

Good luck tracing your horse’s history!

Back to HorseReunions.com