Do they only tattoo Thoroughbreds? Or do Quarterhorses get the lip tattoo as well?
Strive for Perfection asked:
Also, if Quarterhorses are tattooed can Appendix Quarterhorses be as well?
Also, if Quarterhorses are tattooed can Appendix Quarterhorses be as well?
Do they only tattoo those that race, or almost all of them?
Is there any way that you can check if they have ever raced from the tattoos?
Thanks Elizabeth it would be really awesome to see that site. I would really like to figure out what the hell this boy is, ’cause nobody can quite figure it out and he doesn’t look particularly like any breed of racehorse, he’s just kind of a giant with slight Thoroughbred looks. I was very surprised to see the hint of a tattoo on his lip when he was playing around making faces, and I checked and it is a racing tattoo.
Robin R you can’t even see that tattoo unless you’re looking for it, it’s under their upper lip. It’s not just some random thing you do to horses, it’s for those that race.
only if they are a registered racehorse! and yes if they have a lip tatoo they have raced thats how they get in.
Of course, Thoroughbreds are tattooed, but also standardbreds are tattooed as well. I’m unaware of such if Quarterhorses are tattooed.
They usually only tattoo horses which are raced.
There is a website that you can go to — to check the status of a horse such as their racing records, when they retired, and also how many races they’ve won, or even if they had gotten hurt during a race. You can check by the tattoo under their top lip is one common place they place a tattoo at. Though, there’s other places as well such as their neck.
I have a website I’ll get from my other computer, and post it for you where you can check the status of your tattooed horse.
Tattooing is REQUIRED for the horse to race but other horses get them too. You can tatto a horse because you plan to race it or just for identification. Yes the tattoo is a record and you should be able to find out things like the name, breeder some owners if it raced was bred etc at least while it was being tracked. In the USA a TB does not get tracked if it is nto racing most of the time
The Jockey Club, which is the governing body of the Thoroughbred industry and registers all Thoroughbred horses, requires that all racing Thoroughbreds have lip tattoos as a verification procedure. Other breed associations also use this identification method for racing Quarter Horses and Standardbreds. There is a code to the tattoo with each letter of the alphabet standing for the year of birth. For example, a horse foaled in 1991 will have a tattoo that begins with the letter U followed by 5 numerical digits. A horse foaled in 1992 will have a tattoo that begins with the letter V followed by 5 numerical digits and so on. The numerical digits are the last 5 digits of your horse’s Jockey Club registration papers. Even a horse without a tattoo could have been in full race training but for some reason, left the track before being tattooed because of injury, illness etc.
Here’s a link that gives you info about how to trace the tattoo, get race record, papers and race photos.
Lisa did a great job(as always) explaining the tattooing issue. If you have a TB tattoo(letter followed by 5 numbers), call the JCIS to get info. I’m not sure what the tattoos are like for QH or Standardbreds.
Yes, a racing QH can be Appendix(just a QH with TB blood).
To race at a sanctioned track they must be tattooed, but many horses may have a tattoo and never have been raced due to many reasons. Good luck finding your horse’s history!
i personally think tattooing your horse ruins its looks
horses are animals not something to draw all over
it would look pathetic
ALL race horses (no matter the breed) have a tattoo
But other breeds and clubs also have tattoos for other reasons
Although a tattoo usually means a horse raced, its not a given and the numbers should be traced to see the history. Many horses are tattooed for various reasons besides racing.
If you read the tattoo, you can look the numbers up with the jockey club or AQHA – if they don’t match those, check the saddlebred, or google equine tattoo
TB tattoo: Letter followed by 5 numbers
QH tattoo: 5 numbers or 4 numbers ending in a letter (either way its 5 digits)
Just like everyone else said, if they are going to the racetrack, they get a lip tattoo.
As for the guy who thinks it is unsightly…we are not tattooing tribal tats on their foreheads and it is better than the old style of tattooing by branding….whether that be heat brand or freeze branding. You wouldn’t know it had a tattoo on it’s lip if you don’t flip it up and look, that is of course as long as the horse doesn’t do the lip flip as he is smelling something. LOL
As most have said any horse that is racing will be tattooed; no matter the breed. Mustangs are also tattooed and can be either on their necks or the upper lip. The jockey club would be a good place to start; and I am not sure, but I think that they have an online way of searching their records. I also know of owners haveing tattoo’s; put on their horses for identifcation, if the horse ever get’s lost or stollen.
Lisa M is exactly right. Let me just state to the unexperienced ones on here that have posted on your question. Just cause a TB is tattooed DOES NOT mean they have raced but it does mean they have been in training to race. TB’s, STB’s, QH’s, and Arabians all get upper lip tattooed! If there is any other breeds that run, I’m not aware of. The best way to read the tattoo is to put him in a dark area with a LED light and shine away. Best to have at least two people looking cause some are so worn that more eyes the better. The first letter is the year of the birth and the numbers following is there registration number. Good Luck and it costs money to have a tattoo looked up
My Bill Cody granddaughter was tattooed with her registration number. She was never raced or trained to race–tell me why you would race a Bill Cody horse? They are Cutting horses.
Anyway.
Tattoos are not for racers only. Of course I’m not sure how many people who are not racing do tattoo reg numbers anymore.
I have a Standardbred with a lip tattoo. He raced on 3 different tracks. Another site you can do a tattoo check is
This is for pacers and trotters. The basic information is free but have to join or know someone who belongs to get race results.