late attendees to the World Equestrian Games , in Lexington , Ky. , were introduce to a new method of equine designation that practice iris - scan technology to identify horses .
Although the iris - scan engineering science , called eyeD , wo n’t be commercially available until June 2011 , its producer seize the chance to unveil its conception in front of member of the equine community from around the world .
“ We want horse owner to understand and become familiar with the difference between noninvasive equine identification and more traditional equid identification methods , ” says David Knupp , merchandising manager for Global Animal Management , the company that created the technology .
According to its manufacturer , eyeD technology work because no two brute — including cloned animals — have the same iris diaphragm design . To charm the range of a function of iris shape , the eyeD hustler employ a special camera to take a picture of each of the sawbuck ’s eyes . The photographic camera converts the fleur-de-lis image into what are squall eyePrints , which are then linked to a unequaled 15 - digit identification number .
The identification number , “ eyePrint and other information about your horse can be store in the eyeD mainframe for retrieval at any prison term , ” Knupp enunciate .
The GAM presentation at WEG boast eyeD for its noninvasiveness . While methods like micro - chipping , ear - tagging and stigmatisation ask alterations to the cavalry ’s torso , eyeD pic are taken with infrared illumination and can be captured without restraining the horse .
EyeD is also more secure than many other horse identification method acting that are linked to laborious written matter .
“ The system is completely secure , and information can not be lost or steal , unlike traditional paperwork , ” Knupp say .
While eyeD promises to be especially useful for equine manufacture professionals and Equus caballus - show managers , it may also benefit small - exfoliation granger or hobby farmers who have access to the engineering through their vet or local creature - mastery agencies .
Equine recognition is n’t on the minds of many humble farmers — even though it should be , say Ann Swinker , extension Equus caballus medical specialist at Penn State University .
As part of Penn State’sEquine Identification Project , Swinker and her research squad surveyed horse owners on their cognition of and position about creature identification . Most of the sketch ’s responder identified themselves as Farmer who owned horses for pleasure rather than business .
Swinker says the resume revealed that many farmers do n’t look the unexpected . Of the 2,783 knight owners surveyed , 75 percentage admitted they did n’t have a plan in blank space for confront Equus caballus theft , and 55.5 percent said they did not have anemergency readiness planfor their farm .
Equine identification engineering can also be used to manage cavalry ’ wellness . When eyeD decease on the market place in summertime 2011 , horse owners will be able to link their gymnastic horse ’ veterinary record book to their identification numbers and store this data on the eyeD C.P.U. .
Swinker says that in addition to enabling better storage of individual Equus caballus records , equid identification engineering can help track disease outbreak . This is vital because even small - scale granger ’ sawbuck do n’t always stay close to dwelling house , and thus are exposed to other horse cavalry and the diseases they may be carrying while trail horseback riding or at horse show . According to the Penn State study , 48.1 percent of horse owners say their animal pull up stakes the premises of their farm at least once per year , while 25 per centum reported their horses left the premises at least once per calendar month .
“ Even hobbyists move [ their ] horses around , ” enunciate Swinker .
People concerned in eyeD will be able to visit theproduct websitewhen it goes live on Oct. 29 , 2010 .
