Ottawa, ON – April 1, 2025 – As the National Sport Organization for equestrian sport in Canada, Equestrian Canada (EC) works closely with a diverse group of stakeholders and members, including National Breed Associations.
Equestrian Canada and the Canadian Warmblood Horse Breeders Association (CWHBA) are pleased to announce their partnership in EC’s Breed Association Horse Recording Program, a newly developed pilot program to recognize future competition horses, their breeders and associated breed registries.
Through this program horses and foals registered annually with CWHBA will receive Horse Recordings in the EC database (MyEC). Horses registered by the CWHBA will be identified on all EC online national ranking lists with the CWHBA logo and/or breed name. Performance horses will be tracked for the life of the animal based on their participation at EC sanctioned events. The data provided will be used to promote Canadian-bred sport horses and to rank the top breeders and sires.
horses, their breeders and associated breed registries.
Through this program horses and foals registered annually with CWHBA will receive Horse Recordings in the EC database (MyEC). Horses registered by the CWHBA will be identified on all EC online national ranking lists with the CWHBA logo and/or breed name. Performance horses will be tracked for the life of the animal based on their participation at EC sanctioned events. The data provided will be used to promote Canadian-bred sport horses and to rank the top breeders and sires.
“We are excited to participate in this program with EC that is bringing sport and breeding closer together for Canadians.”
– Janice Tyndall, Chair CWHBA
As part of the agreement EC will also recognize CWHBA as an Official Reseller of the nationally recognized 124-000 microchips. The resale of these chips is limited to Canadian Breed Associations affiliated with EC as well as licensed veterinarians. The 124-000 microchips are part of the Canadian Horse Identification Program (CHIP). This is a second important initiative by EC for identification and tracking of all equines in Canada to bring to this industry the same capability as other countries regarding foreign animal disease and disaster response and mitigation.
About the Canadian Horse Identification Program (CHIP)
Equestrian Canada has been allocated a series of identification numbers for equines under an international standard beginning with ‘124-000’ by the CFIA in order to ensure the uniqueness of individual microchip numbers used in the CHIP traceability program. ‘124’ is the country code for Canada, and the ‘000’ indicates the number is in the series allocated by CFIA. The ‘124-000’ microchip follows ISO 11784/11785 and ISO 3166 standards to ensure uniqueness, using the CFIA allocated number range for equine identification, 15 digits in total.
Choosing the unique ‘124-000’ microchip ensures global recognition and growth for Canadian breeders. It also allows for accurate tracking and pedigree verification, which is essential in maintaining breed standards. The CHIP program will capture cradle-to-grave information, equine uses through its life, length of life, medical information and much more beyond just a traceability program. Such data captured is very much valued by vets, Breed Associations, research groups, etc. As more equines are registered, industry will have a clearer picture of the equine herd population in Canada, a statistic that has been only estimated to date.
Canadian Breed Associations affiliated with EC will benefit from the CHIP program by:
- Free account setups with the CHIP exclusive distributor, EIDAP, for purchasing microchips and scanners
- Access to purchasing 124-000 microchips directly from EIDAP at wholesale prices (packs of 10 or 50) for their members’ registered equines, and associated breeders
- Access to purchasing microchip scanners through EIDAP for their members and breeders
- Access to support services from EIDAP (ordering, platform use, etc.)
- Access to the traceability platform for initial registration of equines and owners
- Registration in the CHIP platform is free for breed registries, breeders, and owners.
For more information, please contact:
Jean Klosowicz
Manager, Equine Traceability Business Development
Equestrian Canada
jklosowicz@equestrian.ca