Can Thoroughbred Tattoos be wrong?

Question

I was looking through my horse's papers, and came to his coggins for this year. (I'm a young 4-H member, my mom had the tests and shots done) I saw his tattoo number, and it started with a U. I looked up Thoroughbred Tattoos, and all the sites said that U meant 1991. However, my horse is a 1997. Is there any way that there could've been a mistake?

Answer 1

make sure you did not get taken, by some shady

person, selling you a old tired horse....

Answer 2

SHE LIED TO YOU

Never take another horse as a example of the other for age Just like people they age differently

also it ''IS POSSIBLE THAT THEY MADE A MISTAKE HUMAN ERROR all the time

someone might have changed it ??

it is possible,,,,

I have a 17 yr ols that looks just like a 10 yr old and his teeth are perfect People do and can change the teeth if its worth while to them but they must have the know how

I doubt that is what happened

Answer 3

Prior to becoming a Steward,  I served as a Horse Identifier/Tattoo Technician at some of this industrys most hallowed tracks.

Yes, it certainly is possible that a tattoo technian could inadvertenly apply the wrong number to the horse's upper lip. Having tattooed more than 15000 horses, I have never made this mistake; however I have, on rare occaisions, came across horses incorrectly tattooed. For instance: if the technician was supposed to apply the tattoo "J12345" and, erroneously reverses  the last 2 numbers, it would now read "J12354".  This would be a mistake!

People are not infailable. They are only human, and humans do make mistakes! In the horse identification business,   the trick is to catch your mistake. Obviously the tattoo cannot be erased. The recognized remedy for correcting a wrong tattoo  is quite simple. The technician contacts the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau (the agency responsible for tattooing thoroughbreds in north america) They will instruct the technician to apply another "J", and an asterisk, to the incorrect tattoo. After doing so the tattoo will now read "JJ12354*. Additionally the original foal registration certificate will then be sent back to The Jockey Club,  whereby they will issue a "corrected "certificate reflecting the fact that the horse has JJ12354* tattooed on his upper lip.

The best, and only way, to correctly identify the thoroughbred race horse is by his official Jockey Club registration certificate. In addition to its pedigree, these papers will clearly identify each and every natural marking on the horse body.

If this certificate is not available, I would suggest that you consult either a veterinarian or equine dentist. Upon examining the horse's teeth they will be able to ascertain the age of the horse.

Answer 4

no i doubt it is a mistake

Answer 5

sorry...it sounds like your horse is 6 years older than you thought. tatoos are applied to horses around the time they run for the first time, by a tatoo guy approved by the racing commision.  the likely hood that he did it worng is highly doubtful.

edit*** you say you have the actual papers from the Jockey Club? if they are not actual pedigree papers FROM the jockey club, they arent real, and are no good. take a better look at his lip.  he is used to it, so just put your hand over his nose like you do when brideleing.  have someone roll his upper lip up, and really look at that number.  you dont have to be scared to do this, take your time and take a good look.  sometimes tats fade.

edit 2 - my tb , by hail emperor, is 21 and has no grey at all on his face or anywhere.  he could easily be mistaken for much  younger...until u open his mouth, and see how longggggggggggggg his teeth are ....  you can also have ur vet or dentist confirm his age thru looking at the teeth.

edit3- there is something called a galvins groove, i cant rememebr when it first appears ...i think either 12 or 16. their teeth grow like an 1/8th of an inch per year.  see if u can find a horse dental chart online...maybe you can match the gowth patterns from the chart to what your horses mouth looks like... you can get a more definate answer when your dentisit comes out next time...

Answer 6

Tattoos can't be wrong.  Horses are tattooed as 2 year olds before they start in a race.  The tattoo is how a horse gets "checked in" in the paddock before its race.  When it comes to the paddock, it goes to the person with the clipboard who looks at the tattoo to make sure it's the right horse.  If your tattoo is different than your paperwork, it means your paperwork is wrong, not your horse.

That said, it is possible for tattoos when they get old to be hard to read.  Something that was once a 9 might look a lot like an 8 now.  It's hard to believe that you could mistake an A for a U though... that's quite a different letter.