Registered Australian Standardbreds have traditionally been identified by a unique alpha-angle freeze brand placed on the neck.

From 1 September 2017, microchipping was introduced as an additional form of identification, and the neck freeze brand has since been progressively phased out.

For foals born in 2023 and later, a microchip is now the primary form of identification, although many horses also carry stud brands on their shoulder in addition to the microchip. 

Neck branding has now also been phased out in New Zealand and the United States, while Standardbreds in Europe have never carried neck brands.

As a result, microchipping has become the primary form of identification for Standardbreds in most parts of the world.

Microchips offer a unique and unalterable means of identification for horses. Unlike dogs and cats which are implanted under the skin, horse microchips are implanted in the nuchal ligament deep on the left side of the neck. Once correctly implanted, a special biocompatible coating ensures the horse’s cells readily proliferate around it, encasing it in tissue and keeping it in place for scanning.

No two microchips are the same, having been pre-assigned and coded during the manufacturing process in accord with ISO and ICAR protocols. 

In terms of freezebrands, pre-2023 Australian born Standardbreds and pre 2022 New Zealand born Standardbreds use two slightly different "alpha angle" symbol systems where each symbol on the neck corresponds with a number as per the tables below;