Conquest RDA centre - All tack stolen last night

Santa_Claus

Santa_Claus

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Joined
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Wiltshire/Hampshire ish!
www.katiemortimore.com
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/7912615.stm

Bad enough to have £50k worth of tack stolen but to make it worse they are basically solely a RDA centre (i have been there when school hired out to BYRDS etc but most time it RDA only) and even worse they had a strangles outbreak in Dec 06 which meant they had to close for a significant time until they were given the all clear.

Also a lot of the saddles were specially designed/made and will be very costly and timely to replace.
 
Perhaps we can all keep an eye out for the tack on our travels round shops, sales and also Ebay etc? (not suggesting Ebay or any other retailer would knowingly allow stolen stuff to be sold but you get my drift....)
Also, if someone can publish an address where we could send stuff, can we all have a good look for anything we no longer use/need and maybe they might have a use for it?
Just hope they were insured properly but of course, it isn't just that, it's the time and effort to replace everything.
How sad - nicking a bottle of hibiscrub for goodness sake!!!
 
I take my able-bodied riders from The Castle School there for lessons every week.

I can't believe that sick individuals have done this. I have just phoned the yard and they are devastated. A lot of the doors have been kicked in, and the office has been ransacked, but computer equipment and stuff is still there, so must have been "horsey type" people which makes it even worse.

Horsey people should KNOW what riding brings to people, and for RDA riders it might be the only form of exercise, and the only way of feeling some sense of achievement that they have.

Am absolutely shocked and disgusted. Please can people help out by providing some tack or donations? xxx
 
All of the saddles were bespoke (made to measure for every horse).

Debs said that two of the saddles had only come in 10 days ago...
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That's terrible
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They had my pony on loan for a few years when they first opened. He is retired now but I still have his tack I could donate but he just has normal gp and a dressage saddle, nothing special at all and they are pretty old.
 
How low can you go? This is just a dreadful thing to do - even worse because it affects disabled people - so very sorry for you.
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That is just terrible.

I used to volunteer at an RDA centre and have seen the smiles first hand that this sport / therapy gives to those who use it.....

I believe in Karma though and reckon they'll get a come back in some form....

They also must be very thick - what use will some of the saddles be to the normal horse rider????? I bet they just get dumped or burned which is just totally sad....

Bx
 
Will admit to being very shocked at reading this
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I will have a good sort out of my tack room this weekend and take over as much as I can, much better for them to get any use out of it than being wasted in my tack room.
 
Hi everyone, I work at the Conquest centre. Thank you for all your support.

We are all devastated by what has happened. Thank god none of the horses were harmed in any way though.

We have (had) a beautiful, purpose built RDA centre which we kept immaculate. We came in on Thursday to find the office trashed, pictures broken, doors kicked in... they had even stolen our tea bags and loo paper.

We have lost all our lovely tack, most of which was bespoke made and fitted to each horse to ensure their ongoing welfare. A lot of the saddles were funded through individual and company donations which is so hurtful to those who raised funds in the first place. All the bridles have gone, stirrups leathers, irons, girths, devonshire boots etc... we had two saddles that were less that 2 weeks old both of which are gone
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Yesterday was really tough, a lot of the staff and volunteers were in tears. Today though, we have had so many phone calls and visits from people offering to help out in different ways. It has been really touching, we are incredibly grateful.

One of the frustrating things is that we have recently started doing able bodied riding as well as disabled and it is really gutting to have to shut just when we were getting this new side of the centre up and running. We are hoping to start lessons up again the week after next though so fingers crossed
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Once again, thanks everyone for your words of support and any help you have been able to give.
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I have spoken to a few of my friends and hopefully, after the weekend, we will be able to get to together an assortment of spare tack.
 
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