Attempted theft of 3yo coloured cob

[glamourpuss]

Whilst it might seem crass at this point Mitchyden & I'm sorry for what you are going through but bonny does raise some valid points that I've often wondered about. Stealing horses always seems like a high effort & risk way with not much return.

It does seem that these men had some sort of intention with your horse....but then as it sounds like they didn't have transport for her they must've been intending to tether or turn her back out nearby? Or possibly ride her?
Either way it suggests that they are fairly local perhaps?

 

[ycbm]

Whilst it might seem crass at this point Mitchyden & I'm sorry for what you are going through but bonny does raise some valid points that I've often wondered about. Stealing horses always seems like a high effort & risk way with not much return.

It does seem that these men had some sort of intention with your horse....but then as it sounds like they didn't have transport for her they must've been intending to tether or turn her back out nearby? Or possibly ride her?
Either way it suggests that they are fairly local perhaps?

Or shut her in a barn until their very conspicuous lorry came to pick her up. Or ride her a mile down the road to their lorry.

To the earlier doubters, she's a highly desirable filly in the right (or wrong!) circles. It's the colts that aren't wanted. Very few horses are stolen these days, except while on loan or because of a broken relationship. Those that are seem to me to be mainly female coloured cobs, or is that something I'm imagining?

I don't think Herts people need to panic, but I do think it's mistaken to think this wasn't an attempted theft.

 

[fatpiggy]

Without wanting to be contrary, how many coloured cobs are there in the UK? Sometimes people on here are worrying about theirs being stolen and other times there are long threads about what to do with them all as they are unwanted ! Culling seems to be the usual answer put forward ! Are there not 100's or maybe 1000's of coloured cobs that are semi feral, in huge herds with no one claiming to own them ? So why would someone attempt to steal yours in the middle of the day by walking across a field in view of others ? Did they come with a horsebox/trailer and intend to load her and then what ? Something about this smacks of paranoia to me, could the farmer maybe be mistaken ? Is it maybe someone you know ? The majority of so called missing horses seem to have wandered off under their own steam or be the subject of disputed ownership.....

Look on any stolen horse site and you will see the two common denominators are coloured cobs and small enough to put in a van. When I bought my mare 20 years ago I told the dentist that I was having her freezemarked immediately and he said that she wasn't likely to be stolen as she was neither of the above. So it has been going on a long time.

 

[Premierequimark]

The best thing to do is get the mare freeze marked as soon as possible, and yes before someone else says, I do the freeze marking. If you want to get it done look me up, waiting times depend on whereabouts you are, but are 2-3 weeks. Everyone's entitled to their opinion on freeze marking, but if you've ever met anyone who's had their horse stolen and not got it back, you really don't want to be that person. I'm not scare mongering, horse theft happens, accept it and deal with it. Be thankful horse theft isn't at the level of dog theft in this country!

 

[Mitchyden]

I will be making the call today to get her freeze marked! The reason I haven't before is because I put a horse out on loan and the lady bought her off me. I forgot to give her the paperwork and she never asked so I've still got it! The pony has been sold twice since and obviously nobody bothered to query the fact she was freeze marked so it made me wonder if it was worthwhile.

 

[Premierequimark]

Lots of people buy freeze marked horses and don't bother registering the details into their name. They seem to think Farmkey will some how know who's horse it is! I always point out to anyone they need to keep their details up to date, just in case the horse gets out, let alone stolen. It's like the micro chips if people don't actively contact the chip companies with their details when they purchase the horse, no-one knows who it belongs to.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Two males tried to steal Megan yesterday afternoon at 2.15, they had a headcollar on her and were leading her across the field when they realised they were being watched.

I am obviously terrified for her safety now and wondered if they wouldn't be quite so keen to take her if she was hogged and had her feathers removed? She is stunningly beautiful with her shoulder length mane and huge hairy legs so am considering removing them so she doesn't look so attractive. What do others think?

ethnic minority of the mobile kind strike again
1 get her freezemarked
2 inform the police and move yards

 

[sidewaysonacob]

Contact your local Horsewatch and Safer neighbourhood policing teams, I googled you a link https://www.herts.police.uk/hertfordshire_constabulary/about_us/neighbourhood_watch/horse_watch.aspx

I'd also enlist friends/relatives/neighbours etc on a short-term basis to drop by the field for 5mins at irregular hours so anyone with dodgy intentions can't guarantee that they'll be undisturbed.

 

[fatpiggy]

Whilst it might seem crass at this point Mitchyden & I'm sorry for what you are going through but bonny does raise some valid points that I've often wondered about. Stealing horses always seems like a high effort & risk way with not much return.

It does seem that these men had some sort of intention with your horse....but then as it sounds like they didn't have transport for her they must've been intending to tether or turn her back out nearby? Or possibly ride her?
Either way it suggests that they are fairly local perhaps?

Stealing mares does give a return though. In the dog-theft world, many are bitches. My friend lost hers, disappeared from a secure rural front garden when she was put out for a wee. Never seen again and sadly, useless for breeding since she had been spayed.

 

[bonny]

This mare is owned by a charity so I'm guessing was a rescue in the first place, an easier way if someone wants a coloured mare for breeding is to go to a charity and get your own ! There are lots of them there .....

 

[Queenbee]

I wonder if the doubters would be quite so quick to dismiss this as an attempted theft if it were their own horse in question? It is right to say that there are so many unwanted horses out there, so why would they bother stealing... Why indeed? The answer is one that only the horse thieves of this world can provide. The fact remains that regardless of how many unwanted uncared for horses there are out there... there are still those that are being stolen. My impression is that this was an attempted theft. While you would perhaps expect that transport was onsite to steal the horse, I am sure there have been plenty of times when horses have been stolen from a field without transport to load them up.

Also, lets take the very small possibility that two 'unknowns' walked into a private field, put a head collar on a horse with the intention of what? Riding it, petting it, grooming it, admiring it??? Then intended to release it and walk away.... In what world is this appropriate behaviour? It simply is not! They are not in any way within their rights to do this, to handle someone elses horse, on private property without permission. I ask the doubters again... would you be happy if this was your horse? Oh and there's that tiny point of false number plates... because that doesn't shout sneaky thieving gits either does it?

OP, I really feel for you, you must be beside yourself with worry. I think the paint is an excellent idea. Can you move fields on the farm, or even arrange to move her temporarily for her safety and your peace of mind, Im sure the yard owners would be understanding in this case. Also, I see from your above post that she is owned by a charity. You must inform them of what has happened if you have not already, they may want to look at moving her to a more secure location temporarily, they at least need to be informed since they own her

 

[Mitchyden]

It's not an easy way to get a horse, in fact it's actually quite difficult. I had to have references and a home check to see if the yard was suitable to keep her at. Don't believe for one minute that horse theft doesn't happen. I know someone who had their miniature stolen but luckily she managed to get her back after a couple of days.

 

[Mitchyden]

I've pm'd you Queenbee.

 

[PeterNatt]

The advantage of Freezemarking is that anyone can read a Freezemark so it is easy to identify the horse even if it is miles away from where it was stolen from.
It is conceivable that their transport was parked out of sight and they were going to walk the horse to it and load it up.