THE CHIP LINK SYSTEM

HOW A SIMPLE MICROCHIP BECOMES THE KEY TO UNLOCKING SAFETY & TRANSPARENCY FOR PERFORMANCE HORSES

hen Brad Bolen started training horses over 30 years ago, he never would have guessed the challenges horsemen face on a day-to-day basis. “You have to keep track of sometimes four pieces of paper for each horse as you travel, and when you have over 120 horses in your care like I do, it is easy to forget one of them, or let one expire and not know it,” said Brad Bolen, CEO and founder of Lip Chip LLC.

Challenges such as this one are the reason that the multiple grade winning stakes racehorse trainer founded Lip Chip LLC.

“Everyone just complained about how we couldn’t keep everyone from either forging paperwork or cheating in other ways, but no one cared to do anything about it,” said Bolen.

This was the catalyst that started the journey that has now become the Chip Link System, powered by Lip Chip LLC. The system starts with a simple low frequency microchip placed in either the superior upper mandible (or lip) placement, or the nuchal ligament. Once a horse is microchipped, the Chip Link System includes a superior Bluetooth integrated scanner that reads the microchip, and easily links to your smartphone, tablet, or computer.

The unique 15-digit identifier assigned to each microchip becomes a key to unlock data stored for each horse on the user’s smart device. When a horse is enrolled in the Chip Link System, the authorized user enrolls each horse with ownership information, markings, emergency contact information, photos of their current health paperwork, and four identification photos. This information is accessed from a smart device each time a horse’s microchip is scanned.

Other features of The Chip Link System include a daily health check for horses implanted with a thermal microchip, pre-registration for upcoming shows, rodeos, or race meets, and faster check-ins for equine venues, making long trailer lines a thing of the past.

Four-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier Ty Harris recently experienced the process of The Chip Link System for his horses.

“Getting the chip put in was really easy and my horse barely moved. I was really impressed with how simple it was to get him chipped,” said Harris.

Harris knows firsthand how complicated it can get trying to keep track of each horse’s data while competing at the top levels of rodeo in tie down roping.

“We move through many states and hit rodeo after rodeo, and it can be a lot to keep up with. I like the fact that my horses have all their paperwork and contact info ready and on my phone. It is much easier to keep track and to know when I need to have a new coggins or health certificate pulled,” said Harris.

Harris returns to Las Vegas for the 2022 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, this time as a Lip Chip Ambassador.

“I’m excited to not only be able to use the technology, but also be a part of the Lip Chip team. We are both West Texas based, and we have the same concerns for our industry. It’s nice to be part of something that is working to solve some of our industries problems and make life better for the horsemen and our horses,” said Harris.

The Chip Link System will be available in a barn near you in 2023. For more information visit www. lipchipllc.com.