44 SIDELINES OCTOBER 2012
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
By Lauren R. Giannini
The eye of a horse inspires poetry and creates sublime images
in art and photography. It can range from a molten pool of
timeless wisdom to a white ringed harbinger of explosive power.
Knowledgeable horse people talk about a horse having a good
eye.
Thanks to this uber-technological age of instant communications
and constant global contact, the equine eye now will serve as a
means of identifying horses beyond the shadow of any doubt.
About 20 years ago, microchips joined the traditional methods
of freeze-branding and tattoos. About the size of a grain of rice,
microchips use passive Radio Frequency Identifcation technology
(RFID). Animal control, rescue shelters, vet offces and auctions,
to name just a few, routinely scan horses and small animals for
microchip implants.
The premise behind eyeD™ is even more cutting edge, in its
own right, than microchipping was at its conception and provides
a non-invasive option of horse identifcation for owners, vets,
associations and event staffs. The technology of eyeD™ offers an
easy alternative to known methods and has already garnered rave
reviews for being more accurate than tattoos or markings. As for
hard copy documentation, visit NetPosse.com to see the numbers
of stolen horses whose papers have been “lost” or falsifed.
The science behind eyeD™ utilizes the indisputable unique
iris pattern of the equine eye to establish an identifcation code,
which has already been perfected in humans and has proven to
be more accurate than a fngerprint. A digital photo of the iris,
called an eyePrint™, is taken of each eye with a special camera
that is equipped with infrared illuminators (deep red light at the
edge of the visible light spectrum which the naked eye can see),
an essential component of eyeD™. Interestingly, clones have
uniquely different iris patterns from their genetic donors: this adds
great support to eyeD’s claim of total and reliable accuracy.
The process itself is as simple as taking a digital photo of each
eye. Of course, steady hands and moments of stillness on the
equine’s part help to attain a sharp image. The digital images are
electronically stored along with pedigree registrations, medical
records and other information in the eyeD™ processor, which is
password protected and highly secured.
In the event that a horse’s identity is in question, e.g. at an
auction or rescue or even during a pre-purchase exam (caveat
emptor craigslist!), the equine’s eyes can be scanned and quickly
downloaded with results attained within minutes from the eyeD™
data base.
In this age of computers-to-go and smart phones with web
access, eyeD’s applications and uses are mind boggling.
Launched in November 2011, you are invited to take advantage
of a special introductory offer to join the eyeD™ Futurity Club,
with an annual renewal fee of only $2 per horse for its lifetime,
a huge savings for anyone who leaps into this cutting edge
method of horse identifcation. Your national enrollment fee of $50
includes the initial iris scan and activation of the equine’s 15 digit
alphanumeric ID number.
“We are still in the early stages of discovering all the possible
capabilities of eyeD™,” said David Knupp, marketing manager for
Global Animal Management. “I’m excited to watch this new form
of identifcation grow and become the standard for horse owners
globally.”
For more information, visit www.eyeD.com
The Live Oak
International Combined
Driving Event in Ocala,
Florida, provided a great
stage for eyeD™ scans,
performed by eyeD™
representative Summer
Dunaway. Live Oak Stud
and eyeD™ served as
co-title sponsors of the
driving and jumping show,
with eyeD™ sponsoring
the $15,000 Welcome
Stakes and Live Oak
sponsoring the $50,000
Grand Prix.
Photo by Amalia Castro
The Eyes Have It
eyeD™ – Horse Identification Goes High Tech