Absolutely gutted - WWYD?

FestiveFuzz

FestiveFuzz

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So today I arrived at the yard to discover an empty peg where my dressage saddle normally is. Nothing else seemed out of place so I went off to ask the YO if she'd moved it, she hadn't! Upon further searching I discovered my bridle, breastplate and a bunch of matchy matchy stuff had been taken too.

I'm absolutely gutted. I only got my dressage saddle a few months ago and saved for well over a year to buy it in the first place. To make it worse only my things have been taken so it feels incredibly personal.

YO is aware, police have been notified and I've posted on all the local facebook pages and tomorrow morning I'll be calling all the local tack shops/saddlers but is there anything else I should be doing?

We've put up notes on the yard just in case someone's accidentally taken it home (say a sharer decided to clean tack) asking for it to be returned but honestly I'm not holding out much hope and worry insurance won't cover it as it's clearly been taken by someone who either has a key to the tack room or someone has wandered in whilst the tack room was open.

Just feeling really sad that someone I know could do this.
 
God, that's awful. I'd be devastated. Is there any chance someone thought they might take your stuff home and clean it? What is the YO doing about it? I dang think of any think else you could do, other than visiting any local sales/ equine car boots etc. You could also do a little note to give to all the liveries, maybe with pictures of your stuff on to see if it jogs any memories?
 
YO has been really helpful. Wrote notices for both tack rooms, has spoken to all the liveries and is looking into getting the locks changed. I'm not really sure what else she could do.

To be honest, even though I'm gutted to lose several thousand pounds worth of tack I'm more upset that someone I know could do this.

I'm giving the benefit of the doubt and hoping it's just a simple case of someone borrowing it without asking or it being picked it up by mistake. I doubt anyone has taken it to clean as I'm the kind that keeps myself to myself and either rides out with my little group or cracks on with schooling. Plus as I only tend to use it for lessons and comps it tends to be spotless anyway.
 
I'm sorry to hear you have been targeted, it's rife it really is, I've spent ages in the past repairing saddles in tack rooms only for the whole lot to get nicked a short time later, it makes me so angry.
Keep an eye on ebay, preloved, gumtree etc it could have been an opportunist thief walking in so try not to take it personally, they just grab what they can carry, usually the best one there and scarper.
Ask your YO if she'd consider cctv in and out of tack room including covering the car park.
 
I'd definitely get a 'no questions asked' message out personallyno matter how much you want to batter the culprit in to the ground - someone may cave with some info.

Does your YO have insurance to claim on? I realise a yard may be 'at your own risk' from the point of view of tack storage so its probable that there isnt any
 
It does seem a personal attack; possibly a jealous livery? Why else would someone take secondhand pads/bandages except to deprive you of your lesson/comp stuff.

Is there anyone at the yard that you might suspect? Also keep an eye out on ebay/preloved in case anyone tries to sell it.

How horrible; check out your insurance I think they are more concerned about what kind of security is there in the first place.
 
cremedemonthe said:
I'm sorry to hear you have been targeted, it's rife it really is, I've spent ages in the past repairing saddles in tack rooms only for the whole lot to get nicked a short time later, it makes me so angry.
Keep an eye on ebay, preloved, gumtree etc it could have been an opportunist thief walking in so try not to take it personally, they just grab what they can carry, usually the best one there and scarper.
Ask your YO if she'd consider cctv in and out of tack room including covering the car park.
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Yeah I've had a few liveries mention that it's not personal and that it's just because I have a lovely saddle but if that's the case I don't understand why they'd take my tatty old bridle and some old pads and bandages. I actually had some new pads in the top of my box that haven't even left their plastic yet so can't understand why they left these and took the old stuff. Will definitely ask about cctv as understandably a lot of the liveries are now worried.

WelshD said:
I'd definitely get a 'no questions asked' message out personallyno matter how much you want to batter the culprit in to the ground - someone may cave with some info.

Does your YO have insurance to claim on? I realise a yard may be 'at your own risk' from the point of view of tack storage so its probable that there isnt any
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I've been open from the start that I don't care who took my stuff or their reasons for taking it and that if everything is returned that'll be the end of it. I haven't asked about yard insurance but I suspect if I dug out my contract it'd be tack left at your own risk.

CBAnglo said:
It does seem a personal attack; possibly a jealous livery? Why else would someone take secondhand pads/bandages except to deprive you of your lesson/comp stuff.

Is there anyone at the yard that you might suspect? Also keep an eye out on ebay/preloved in case anyone tries to sell it.

How horrible; check out your insurance I think they are more concerned about what kind of security is there in the first place.
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Yes it does seem very personal. Particularly as the only thing of any real value taken was the saddle. Also I always keep my bridle and breastplate with my gp saddle so whoever took it either knew which bits were mine or got incredibly lucky. Strangely myself, my YO and one of the staff all had the same inkling as who to it may be, but without any evidence there's not a lot we can do.
 
that's awful. Is there no-one who could talk to that person? would they be likely to give the stuff back do you think?
 
CBAnglo said:
that's awful. Is there no-one who could talk to that person? would they be likely to give the stuff back do you think?
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It's tough as there's absolutely nothing to indicate it was this person and none of us want to point fingers without proof. That said I think it was an opportunist moment and that now the alarm has been raised they'll hopefully have second thoughts and return it. I'm away with work this coming week so hopefully that'll reassure whoever has it that they can return it without repercussions.
 
Keeping fingers crossed they return it

To those that say keep tack at home. It isn't always possible. I live above shops, am disabled so couldn't possibly carry tack upstairs. Not safe or insured in my car either
 
oh no - so sorry to see this. what a horrid thing to have happen to you. will police be called? will they do fingerprints? if someone had to rummage through to get to pads etc perhaps there willl be some. or maybe even just say that this will be done and hope it scares the culprit into returning the item. can you keep an eye on the suspects fb page and or ebay account in case they turn up there?
has made me think about having my tack marked somehow with my id too.
so sorry OP, really hope u get it back xx
 
Our tack got stolen on a big yard once along with 20 others. We managed to claim off our house insurance. Its insured up to 28 days out of the house under sport equipment. We left it at the yard because we were going riding early the next morning and didn't want to lug it home that night then back again :( the bridle I got for my birthday was stolen in that lot I was gutted.

Hope you get it sorted.
 
Agree try your house insurance. I once claimed off my parents contents for a saddle that was taken during the day from the stables (but that was at the bottom of their garden) Definitely worth enquiring
 
Actually the YO can do more, they can get everybody who has a key to come see them. Someone has broken the trust of the yard and they need to be flushed out. This isn't someone who has come in the dead of night and nicked the lot this is one specific set of tack stolen by someone on the yard who knew how to find your stuff. I would have the drains up on this one. Let the police know about your suspicions, the person my even have previous form for this sort of thing. It is a terrible thing to happen, poor you. B. awful.
 
So was the tack room itself broken into? Or wasn't it locked? If it wasn't locked then you won't get a penny from the insurance. If it was locked but no sign of a break in then it has to be some one on your yard. In which case your yard owner should have all liveries in for a meeting and get it sorted.
 
Sorry to hear that someone has done this to you -its an awful feeling to have your personal stuff pinched. Many years ago we had a light fingered member of staff - she got my side reins and later my girth - I got my side reins back because they were so easy to identify - One of the brass clips had broken so I had had them both replaced with Stainless Steel clips. The Buckles etc were brass.

Some months later she gave me a lift to the yard and asked me to hold her saddle and laying over it was my girth, a beautiful three fold that had been spoilt by some Stockholm Tar, leaving a dark stain on the leather. I swiped it back and as I was going to a show, took it with me and dropped it off at home. Well the hue and cry and the accusations were thick from her. Then a few months later all her gear was stolen from the tack room which contained around 40 sets of livery tack (all great quality) and only hers went! We think an inside job as nothing but her stuff was taken.

Something that a friend did when her tack room had been broken in to was to go and look at every saddle advertised in the local area. Her friend also did the same and spotted the saddle at someones place, asked if she could think it over, left and called the police - the police uncovered a whole room full of stolen gear.

Be vigilant and you might just be lucky and get it back.
 
I feel desperately sorry for you and hope your stuff turns up. On our yard, I always make it clear to everyone that they are welcome to keep their tack in the tack room, which has a coded door on it, however, it is not secure enough for insurance purposes so they do so entirely are their own risk. This covers me as if they decide to keep it here as I have warned them of the consequences if it goes missing. In 20 years we have never had an incident, but I'm very aware of how widespread tack theft is.
 
I know how it feels. My grandmother died and left me a small amount of money which I bought a second-hand but barely used Lemetex saddle. 9 weeks later the yard got robbed and it went. It was an inside job, a livery who had been chucked off by the YO for dealing horses which was strictly forbidden. A witness saw a man and a woman wheeling tack out in a barrow but assumed it was the YO's son loading up to go showjumping. The description matched the suspect and his aunt perfectly. He also robbed just one of the people he shared a tack room with because she was a family friend of the YO. The other girl's stuff was left untouched (including a Stubben bridle). The tack room was opened with a key which he then left out in plain view - it was the emergency spare key they kept in the top gutter and even I didn't know of its existence and I'd known the girls really well for years. We found out after he had been on and chucked off just about every yard in the area and had been named as the suspect in at least one other tack theft.
 
Your suspicions are probably right - and don't forget, people are dumb as rocks.

I recently saw my "misappropriated" stuff on Facebook - being worn at a show by my chief suspect's horse.
 
Yes, tell the police about your suspicions and that they are backed up by two others.

Share it everywhere and go to look at any tack that matches the description.

What a horrible thing to happen, especially being so targeted. :(
 
I think I saw your post on the Surrey Horse and Pony group last night :(

I feel so awful for you, it's such a worry that tack thefts seem to be increasing so dramatically. It's terrible that people feel the need to take precious items that hold such sentimental value just to sell on, or out of malice or spite. I know it's not much of a consolation but as others have mentioned, definitely investigate whether your house insurance would cover the cost of a new saddle for you.

Please keep us updated, I really hope the culprit of this awful act is found.
 
I am really sorry your tack (and by extension you) has been targeted. And I hope you get it back. It's easy to come up with marking suggestions etc in retrospect but all the anti-theft in the world won't prevent some people being horrid lowlife types. I've had a custom made bridle pinched the same day I bought it.

For those who can't remove their saddles there is a lockable saddle rack from stubbs.... yes not perfect, could be removed from wall etc. However it might make that critical difference to an opportunistic thief. You can also get a blacksmith or metal fabricator to make an x, specific to the curve of your saddle, coming across the seat and down either side of the flap with holes on the end of the legs to feed a chain or bike lock through. If you take the saddle and a rack and explain the problem I've found most willing to help. (Apologies for poor descriptive skills). Bridles are trickier and short of locking them away are very hard to secure.
 
charlie76 said:
So was the tack room itself broken into? Or wasn't it locked? If it wasn't locked then you won't get a penny from the insurance. If it was locked but no sign of a break in then it has to be some one on your yard. In which case your yard owner should have all liveries in for a meeting and get it sorted.
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All the liveries have a key to the tack room and there's a spare key that's hidden but I suspect it's more widely known about than it should be. There's no sign of a break in so it'll either be one of the key holders or someone has left the tack room open and unattended. I don't for one moment think it's an outsider for two reasons. The first being that whilst they took the most expensive saddle they then also took my old bridle, cheaply breastplate and a bunch of old matchy matchy stuff when there was also brand new stuff still in packaging. And secondly my bridle was kept with my day to day saddle so it seems odd that someone who doesn't know me would get lucky and just happen to swipe a bridle that goes with the saddle.

RebelRebel said:
Actually the YO can do more, they can get everybody who has a key to come see them. Someone has broken the trust of the yard and they need to be flushed out. This isn't someone who has come in the dead of night and nicked the lot this is one specific set of tack stolen by someone on the yard who knew how to find your stuff. I would have the drains up on this one. Let the police know about your suspicions, the person my even have previous form for this sort of thing. It is a terrible thing to happen, poor you. B. awful.
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I think that'll be the next step once we've given the person who "borrowed" it a chance to return it.
 
GG2B said:
All the liveries have a key to the tack room and there's a spare key that's hidden but I suspect it's more widely known about than it should be. There's no sign of a break in so it'll either be one of the key holders or someone has left the tack room open and unattended. I don't for one moment think it's an outsider for two reasons. The first being that whilst they took the most expensive saddle they then also took my old bridle, cheaply breastplate and a bunch of old matchy matchy stuff when there was also brand new stuff still in packaging. And secondly my bridle was kept with my day to day saddle so it seems odd that someone who doesn't know me would get lucky and just happen to swipe a bridle that goes with the saddle.



I think that'll be the next step once we've given the person who "borrowed" it a chance to return it.
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You could also make it "known" that your tack has been treated with Smartwater and is eminently traceable. Doesn't matter that it isn't true. If people think it is too hot to handle, it may miraculously reappear.
 
A lot of stolen tack is recovered but it is impossible to identify the owner as it is not marked.
Please make it as easy as possible to identify all your items of tack by having it 'Tack Marked', Applying 'Smartwater' and micro-chipping it. That way if it is recovered the owner can be identified.
 
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