Can you tell a Tbs age by the letter in its tattoo?

Question
Hi stephanie, I was told previously that you can tell a horses age by the letter in its tattoo.  I recently bought a Tb and can get a good look at his tattoo, but I think it ends in an "L" on the right and starts with a "3" on the left.  Is that true?  Is there a strategy to the tattoo or are they picked at random?

Answer
When a Thoroughbred is first registered, they are assigned a registration number that is printed on their papers.  This number is 7 digits, the first two being their year of birth. A foal born in 2007, for example would have  "07" as the first two numbers.  When the horse gets his/her tattoo, those first two numbers are replaced by a letter that has been assigned to that year.  The letters cycle every 26 years, since there are 26 letters in the alphabet.  For instance, the tattoo for that same foal born in 2007 would begin with the letter "K", followed by the same 5 numbers that follow the "07" on the registration papers.
Here is a link to some further info on tattoo's:
http://www.exracers.com/keely_article.htm
A Thoroughbred tattoo always starts with a letter, and is followed by 5 numbers, and never the other way around.  When I say starts, I mean reading from left to right as you are facing the horse.  If the tattoo doesn't follow this format, then it isn't a Thoroughbred tattoo.

Good luck with your new friend!

Stephanie Frost
www.alchemybloodstock.com