Font for TB Tattoo?

[Arelle]

Does anyone know what font or if there’s a website where I may be able to see examples of tattooed numbers on TBs?

I’m trying to decipher my horse’s tattoo – but without knowing what it SHOULD look like, I’m not having much luck with three of the characters. It’s more of a “well… it could be… but it could be…”.

It doesn’t help that I have absolutely zero information on where this horse came from (actually, I was told he was bred by a H/J trainer and never raced… HA!) and he has zero white markings.

:no:

Also, has the font changed at all? My horse is allegedly a 2000 model, making the first letter a “D”. I can kind of see that, but then I’m confused between whether digits 4&5 are a 3/5/8 and if digit 6 is a 4/9.
Poor Quality Photo – WHY I need examples if they exist…

**I have tried just filling in pieces of the tattoo on the JC website, but again – a bay gelding with no white results in multiple possibilities.

[Laurierace]

I don’t know anywhere that you can see a sample but basically they are a dot on each side of the letter or number that makes an outline. The tattoos have been made the same way as long as I have been in the business which is 20 years.

Found a video that shows a very clear tattoo. https://www.registry.jockeyclub.com/registry.cfm?page=dotRegistryHelpDeskTattoo&CFID=22469273&CFTOKEN=93619386

[Arelle]

I saw that video, so thank you for reposting it! I’m just basically having trouble deciphering between similar numbers (3 and 8 for example). I can’t seem to find any photos of “fresh” tattoos so that I could at least hazard a probable guess.

I’ll have to head out and take more photos in a little while.

[skippy60]

What about appendix quarter horses?

[Simkie]

It looks like Stone makes the digits for the tattoos, or, at least, is one manufacturer.

They have their catalog online, with photos of the individual pieces here:

http://flipflashpages.uniflip.com/2/5279/101223/pub/ (on page 10)

The 3, for example, appears to have a flat top, while the 8 has a curved top…

[caffeinated]

If you take more pictures, take them from farther away - too close = poor focus and makes it harder to see

[halo]

If you get a bit more specific with face cowlicks and neck cowlicks, and make sure the horse has absolutely no white markings, its likely someone here can decifer that.

[sk_pacer]

All tattoo numbers and letters are the same, except for scale. Same shaped figures are used on everything from household pets to livestock. My uncle had a set and it looked identical to the set the track tattoo man had.

[BeverlyAStrauss]

Looks like D2486? to me…
D24861 matches a plain bay gelding with no white, cowlick at median eye level

Dr. Darkai

[TB_Fan]

I’ve been told that if you can put the horse in a dark(er) environment and use a black light, it’s supposed to help make the tattoo easier to read. I haven’t had the need to try that yet, but its a pretty easy test.

[Hunting_Creek]

The Jockey Club can help with hard to read tattoos - form to submit here:

https://www.registry.jockeyclub.com/registry.cfm?page=tattooResearchProcessBreakdown&init=Y