Can someone please help ?

[dar10381710]

Does anyone know anything about strange knots being tied in horses manes?
I went to see my mare last night and found her with a knot in her mane which could only have been put there by a human. I am really worried about horse theives as it could be a method of 'marking' her. Please could someone tell me what to do or let me know if they have every had this before? Thanks x

 

[highlandponygirl]

I'v never heard of anyone tying nots in a horses mane. Do you have any photographes? It seems such a strange thing to do. Where do you keep your horse, Home, livery etc, It might be worth keeping an extra eye out for your horse.
If you are in a livery situation it could be someone winding you up, sadly you come across a few of those 'nice' people.
A few years ago where i am a few horses had their tails hacked of and were slashed with a sharp object. Aparently it is something that happens around this month approaching halloween by pagans who do stuff like this to horses as part of some sort of ritual. Everyone in our area started worrying about leaving their horses out over night and upped their security.
Don't want to worry you though.:-/

 

[Black_Horse_White]

I wouldn't worry too much as I don't think a horse thief would risk being seen putting a knot in your mares mane, and then go back and steal her. Sometimes my gypsy cob has knots in his mane, caused by the wind or being groomed by another horse. If you are really worried and you are on a livery yard mention it to your YO and they can up their security.

 

[MurphysMinder]

Its probably a wind plait/witches plait. Does it look like the images in this link

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=342923

 

[essex_rider]

It is said to be a sign that gypsies have marked your horse to steal. I didn't used to believe that this was true, but we found some ribbon tied round the gate to our yard (another gypsy marker), we increased our security - more padlocks etc, but a few weeks later our yard was broken into and cleared out (except the horses thankfully). The police man agreed (in a very PC way) that the ribbon was a definite marker from a "certain group of people".
I will also say that I have also known a few horse to have their manes plaited in the field and nothing has come of it.
I wouldn't worry too much but I would just make sure that the field/yard is secure.

 

[skyejosh]

We had police community support officers going around local yards (wiltshire and Somerset) about 6 months ago warning that plaits/ knots were being put in horses manes as a marker to steal them. If horses were hogged there was a strange colour mark left on near side shoulder.

 

[lhotse]

Utter tosh, yet again. Halloween is nearly here!!! Lets bring out the rumour mongerers again shall we.

 

[SophieLouBee]

Wind knot/Witches plait perhaps? Can we see a pic?

 

[dar10381710]

This is an image of the internet but it is very similar to the one in my mares mane.http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgu...0350093995145826049&page=1&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0

Big hyperlink

She is in a field with not alot of things around.. We have put another padlock onto the main gate so a vehicle cant get to the field unless they cut the chain. She lives close to the house so were are checking on her every half hour. Round us are fields of gypsys horses so we are even more worried that they could have 'marked' her.

 

[lhotse]

Why do people think that anyone would stand around in a field plaiting horses to order? If they want your horse, they aren't going to warn you about it, the first you will know is that the horse isn't there.
I find it pretty amusing that suddenly lots of newbies are posting about this urban myth, and that it what it is, an urban myth about wind tangles.
Oh, and that one looks a lot like the one my pony had in her mane, and as I said in my other thread, it occured whilst I was actually at the yard, so there is NO WAY that anyone could have done it as I could see her the whole time!!!

 

[dar10381710]

Its just some of the gypsy horses in the field next to us have knots in their mane.. different gypsys horses have different types of knots not all of them have them though only the friendlier ones which you can get close too. I cant help but be worried especially when you see some things on the internet about horses being marked.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

As I said on one of your many other threads on this subject...


... it's a wind tangle! If you are worried about your horse being stolen, get him/her freezemarked. Simple.

 

[highlandponygirl]

Utter tosh, yet again. Halloween is nearly here!!! Lets bring out the rumour mongerers again shall we.

I can honestly say those things did happen ( yes it was probably rumour mongering by the people who spoke of it and the local paper that it was in because of when it happened etc) It was probably someone playing a sick joke but no one found it very funny.

 

[dar10381710]

Faracat, I didnt mean to post so many times as i have never used this forum site before.
As I was so worried about my horse being stolen, I have done alot of research on the internet and police sights. It seems about 50/50 about pagans or whitchcraft and the other 50 is people who know of horses being stolen. I cant help but be worried as I would never want my horse to be stolen which is why I asked on here for some peice of mind.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I understand the worry RE your horse being stolen. I don't mean to sound flippant in any way, but we've had alot of these threads (people worried because there horse has a wind tangle).

I honestly think that you should get your horse freezemarked. I did and it really has made a difference to my piece of mind.

http://www.farmkey.co.uk/farmkey/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=78&Itemid=54

•Santa's Patch R8C1


•Stolen 7th October 2004


•Re-united with owner for Christmas.


•Owned by Miss W Chamberlain


"Santa's Patch has been with us since he was six-months old, so it was devastating to find him missing. We were delighted with his safe return for Christmas. Thank Goodness he was freezemarked, otherwise we would never have got him back. I only hope this encourages others to have their horse freezemarked".

•Lollipop OY4A
•Stolen 29th September 2004.
Lollipop was taken at night from his field in Huddersfield. Lollipop had been missing a few weeks when the Family received a call from a young girl who had purchased the shetland a few days ago and had just seen the poster in the local village.

Lollipop was safely re-united with the Family days later.

•Cameo 6DS8
•Cassie T2D4
•Stolen 19th January 2005
The two horses were taken from their stables in Bedfordshire on 19th January 2005. Miss Doe & Miss Bonfield were devastated to find the two mare missing.

The horses were located by a customer of Farmkey, She had noticed two new horses in a field near-by, and recognised them off the internet. She called Farmkey straight away.

Miss Doe & Miss Bonfield were both delighted to be reunited with their horse safe & well.

•Millie 6DP8
•Owned by Pauline Barnes
Millie was one of 4 horses taken from a field in Peterborough on 13th June 2003. She was the only horse freezemarked and the only horse recovered. Found in Lincoln on 30th June she was returned to Pauline safe and well.

"We drove straight to Lincoln to see her. It was just amazing, I was so relieved it was her and that she had been looked after. I can't thank Farmkey enough for finding Millie, all horses should be freezemarked".

 

[Fairynuff]

may i point out that 'pagans' are peacable people and certainly do not go around hacking off tails and cutting horses with sharp implements Those who do are normally people with massive mental problems. Thankyou. FN
PS, plaits are found in horses here in Italy and we don't have a problem with 'certain people'.

 

[highlandponygirl]

may i point out that 'pagans' are peacable people and certainly do not go around hacking off tails and cutting horses with sharp implements Those who do are normally people with massive mental problems. Thankyou. FN
PS, plaits are found in horses here in Italy and we don't have a problem with 'certain people'.

Really sorry, didnt mean to offend anyone. Just going with what was said at the time. Ignorance on my part for not knowing much about this faith other than the stereotypes. i truelly believe that you can't pin wrong doings on any one group of people and agree with you that the individuals who do these things have issues. x

 

[lhotse]

Faracat, I'm going to come and steal your chestnut!! Could you stick a couple of plaits in her mane so I know which one when it's dark!! She's georgous!!

As to the OP's question about the gypsy horses with plaits, that's because they don't get their manes brushed, because why the hell would they mark their own horses?

Stop panicking about what you read on the web, mostly written by teenage girls who spend too much money texting their friends with this urban myth.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Would you believe it, but I just removed a wind tangle from her mane this afternoon!

Shall I put it back?

 

[lhotse]

Well, I've got a spare stable waiting!!

 

[dar10381710]

I dont know what goes through some peoples minds, there are some pretty sick people about who would do stiupid things.. Marking their own horses, it might be someone marking someone elses I really dont know!! I would rather find a second opinion on here than just leave it, i feel like i should appolgise for being concerned with my horse. And with people taking the mic.... I was really upset and worried cause i had no idea what it could be.

 

[Black_Horse_White]

My horses mane is full of dreadlocks, I do hope he's not going to be stolen tonight by Rastafarian ;-)

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Don't feel bad. You care about your horse.

Well, I've got a spare stable waiting!!

I can't guarantee that you'll be able to catch her. She has quite strong opinions about who she likes and doesn't like. Unfortunately when she was on part livery, she decided that she didn't trust the entire staff or the YO, so none of them could catch her.

 

[the watcher]

To put this subject to bed..there is no connection between wind tangles and theft of horses. Freezemarking is the very best known visible deterrent.

Things that you read on the web, even on official sites have been put there by well meaning people, but they are just urban myths.

There is some suggestion that certain factions of the community may mark premises to identify them for a return visit..but not specific horses.

 

[FionaM12]

I dont know what goes through some peoples minds, there are some pretty sick people about who would do stiupid things.. Marking their own horses, it might be someone marking someone elses I really dont know!! I would rather find a second opinion on here than just leave it, i feel like i should appolgise for being concerned with my horse. And with people taking the mic.... I was really upset and worried cause i had no idea what it could be.

You've nothing to apologize about. You were worried and did the sensible thing, ie check it out.

I don't think anyone means to take the micky, you'll find this forum's full of people sparking off against each other. But it's mostly good-natured and also really, really useful for advice and reassurance.

 

[BlizzardBudd]

Agree with Fiona above

 

[indie999]

When mine who lives out 24/7 I did wonder "how on earth did that knot/plait get in his mane"? However he does get knots and plaits from rolling around I presume? or he is very clever at night time.

I think my horse gets them when I dont brush his mane every day and after a few days of non brushing they will appear.

But there is always no harm in uping any security anyway. All the time be vigilent.

 

[jhoward]

for all of the thousands of horses found with one of these plaits in the mane can i just point out that no one has ever reported seeing a strange person in the field tampering with the horses mane..

logical thinking and all that.

 

[Ibblebibble]

my chestnut gets wind plaits in his mane all the time and he's freezemarked! He just happens to be the only one with a long mane , and unless they brought him back the same night he's never been stolen
If you think logically it would be very unwise of any potential horse thief to 'mark' a horse with such a well publicised marker ie a plait, why would someone wanting to steal a horse give the owner such a big hint to increase security??!

 

[Nollaig Shona]

If any group of people are plaiting horses manes to identify them later, then I'm pretty sure it happens where a lot of horses who have different owners are in one big herd.
Plaits in manes then allow the owners to determine who's horses are whose. This custom has leaked into the public consciousness as a minority group marking people's horses for theft.

Don't wild ponies on Exmoor, Dartmoor etc have their manes or tails trimmed to show who the owner is?