A cut tail- how worried should i be?

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emmaln

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Hi guys, when checking and feeding my naglets tonight i noticed that my tb's tail had been cut, about half her tail and half way up! I'm fairly sure that it is something to do with the 2 yr old Gelding in the field next door but i have searched everywhere in both fields for the missing section of tail (i say section its more like half the tail!) and it is nowhere to be found. I'm a little worried as i know horse thieves mark horses in some way, am i being stupid? Advice please! Thankies x
 
No you are not being stupid. Report this to the police. Thieves, however, are unlikely to mark by cutting off half a tail as this would look unattractive for selling and make the horse easily identifiable.
Could be perfectly innocent explanation but no harm at all in reporting it to be on the safe side. Have you asked around to see if any other owners in the area have had anything similar?
 
If no sign of hairs anywhere.But you think 2 year old chewing the tail, I'd worry about the 2 year old having a blockage. But if the tail has been cut with knife or scissors, you would know as the hairs would have a straight edge.
 
I did speak to all other owners at the yard and two yr old's owner to keep an eye on him, problem is She's a bit of a madam so i'd be surprised if he had managed to get near her back end with out getting a kick although she is in season! It looks like its been cut roughly with a knife. The thing is although She's worth a million to me a 19 yr old nut job tb is not really a thieves first pick but then i started thinking maybe they've marked her meaning to indicate my 3 yr old welsh who is quite flashy and share's her field! Have asked people who live in cottage opposite to keep an eye out ugh evening!
 
Does it look like its been cut like a pair of scissors, or chewed i.e. ragged? I'm not sure how easy it'd be to confuse the two... unless something had drastically changed in the horse's diet X amount of time ago where the tail hair suddenly went brittle, I can't see how a youngster could chew off a straight line, if you know what I mean?
 
When Gypsy was at her old yard, someone had cut chunks out of her tail .. in the end I think they put it down to them "pagans/witch belief" or something because apantly they like to have horse hair in spells or something.

Im not sure on how much I believe of it to be honest .. but thats what police came to a little while ago about them "plaits" in horses manes and tails etc.

I hope it all sorts out soon! x
 
I am worried now, decided not to bring them in as felt it would be safer in the field as there are houses opposite whereas the yard although Gated is not locked and is out of sight from everyone, will definitely be looking to get them freezemarked asap! Its just so strange! Thank you gypsy girl maybe thats all it is! Fingers crossed!
 
"It looks like it has been cut roughly with a knife." Well, to comfort you a bit, chewing can look just like that. Maybe up your security a bit, but really I wouldn't panic. I'm pretty sure there are no cases of horses being marked to be stolen by having a little chunk cut from their tail. Think about it, what sense would that make when horses tend to be stolen at night?
I still can't get my head round the plaiting manes to mark horses for stealing thing. Last time we checked the police said that there were no known cases of this happening. The story of the mare left at the docks with a plait in her mane was found to be fake wasn't it?
If I wanted to tell someone which horse to steal I'd send them a photo on their mobile.
 
Thanks tinypony, i heard the same about theplaiting thing i guess hysteria has a huge part to play, they are still happily munching in the field this morning so no horse napping in the night! Still concerned about where the tail has gone as it is definitely not in the field and literally half her tail is missing! Seems very very strange!
 
I think the rocking horse idea could be a clue. Maybe not a rocking horse, but someone who is making a toy, or even a horsehair bracelet.
Where I keep my horses there has been mass panic caused by someone who thought her horses were being lined up to be stolen. Plaits, "gypsy signs" in hedges, the works. I didn't see the plaits, but they gypsy signs were just heaps of branches that people had thrown into the hedges when they were brought down in the snow. The owner in question, who was to be fair very worried, did tell my friend that one of mine had been plaited though, and it was definitely just a wind tangle. I contacted the police and they said there weren't any reported cases of horses that were known to have been plaited and then stolen.
When my pony was plaited it looked like plaits I am pretty sure it was local kids playing with her, and when her tail was banged (!!) I think it was them as well.
 
I know it sounds a bit odd, but birds could have taken it for their nests this time of year. While i was pulling my boys mane the other day, the blackbirds were taking it as fast as I could pull it! Just an idea.
 
Ditto what Tinypony said. One of mine was chewing the others' tails last summer but he only liked doing it when they were clean and conditioned! I actually caught him at it one day, little sod. The WB's looked exactly as though it had been cut in layers (and it's taking ages to grow out!)
 
On closer inspection this evening i have found a few small scrapes at the top of her bum so think it is likely she has caught herself on something?? still can't find the tail and 2 yr old has shown no signs of any tummy trauma so think most likely explanation is that birds must have taken it! Very dissapointed as she had such a beautiful thick tail for a tb :-( never mind though so long as she's safe nothing matters! Thank you again for all your suggestions you are all very lovely peoples!!!!!
 
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