Fairy Plaits, or horse markings??

[Serenity087]

Mine came back from stud with some awesome dreadlocks/plaits!!

I have since taken all precautions against theft and pulled her mane, so now no one can mark her...

Seriously, it's such a stupid scam that hoodwinked so many horse owners. And no doubt about 100 users will now post "but my auntie's neighbour's second cousin's horse was stolen after being 'marked'"...

 

[Tinseltoes]

I am a bit fed up of this myth,it keeps going around and around.Theres NO EVIDENCE that plaits etc have any connection to thefts.

 

[rupertsmum]

i'm probably being thick.....but what are fairy plaits??

 

[Kallibear]

Wind plait. In long manes you can get the most amazing 'plaits' - you get one small tangle then it starts to flip round and under itself and you get a 'wind plait'. Some are very impressive and look like they are man-made. But they don't looks like the standard '3 strand' plait used for plaiting up.

I have a traditional who had (until I chopped 18" off ) the most amazing mane and could delvoped 4 or 5 very impressive wind plaits over night.

 

[rupertsmum]

oh! thank you

 

[PapaFrita]

I would get a can of that bright sheep paint and mark her myself. Better painted orange and screamingly noticible than stolen! Its pretty easy to spot the horse with the big orange circle on its bum (or something similar). Not quite so easy to slip it through a market unnoticed!

Do you not think a freeze mark is visible enough?

 

[CarrEquestrian]

My mare is Freezemarked and we found her plaited unnervingly. She is a coloured cob with pretty markings and looks a lot youthful than her 23 yrs. As a knowledgable friend of mine always tells me - make a note of it and don't hesitate to send an email to your local riding clubs and yards even if you are not involved as the equine word always travels fast! I am going to get my girl microchipped too.

 

[Tinypony]

CarrEquestrian, have you read this thread? There have been NO cases of horses or ponies being stolen after being found with these "plaits". No cases at all. So if you email your local riding clubs etc you are surely just spreading the unfounded panic again?
The best deterent against theft is Freezemarking.

 

[Tinseltoes]

CarrEquestrian, have you read this thread? There have been NO cases of horses or ponies being stolen after being found with these "plaits". No cases at all. So if you email your local riding clubs etc you are surely just spreading the unfounded panic again?
The best deterent against theft is Freezemarking.

Agree with above!!!

 

[Serenity087]

Or hogging...

 

[Jake10]

Surely it would be worse if random people took photos of your horse rather than random plaits in their mane?... Hey look at this gorgeous chestnut mare/gelding ...hh ...yrs old great allrounder sold as seen from field. There are a few horses in out of the way fields around here I do wonder if anyone would notice this happening if they weren't looking for it.
Just to add to the panic

 

[Onyxia]

Surely it would be worse if random people took photos of your horse rather than random plaits in their mane?... Hey look at this gorgeous chestnut mare/gelding ...hh ...yrs old great allrounder sold as seen from field. There are a few horses in out of the way fields around here I do wonder if anyone would notice this happening if they weren't looking for it.
Just to add to the panic

I agree.
Personaly,I would be more worried about non horse people trying to be kind,they could be feeding them anything
Give most horses a full groom then chuck them out for a bit and they will have tangles everywhere.

I brush my hair before bed but still wake with the most god awfull knots in it-am I going to be stolen?

 

[TheEquineOak]

People that are intent on stealing horses walk in, and walk out, horse in tow (along with anything else they can get their hands on)

someone is scare mongering....AGAIN!!!!

 

[QueenDee_]

They say that 'Gypsies' put the plait in the horse's mane so that the transport people know which horses to take. However as people have said before, not many cases of theft after 'Plaits appearing' have been reported. I, however, would still be cautious if I found on in my horse's mane.

 

[Kaya_08]

i recently returned from holiday to find that my beautiful cob mare had been plaited whilst i was away thankfully she was being kept a close eye on by friends and has been moved to hopefully safer quaters, however i am assured that this plait was put in on purpose and could not be accidental as mane and tail were brushed and conditioned daily.

Also was put on red alert by horses behaviour to suspicious looking men walking down road, we went past sideways whilst she snorted like a dragon, she has never done this before nor did she do it at anyone else we saw whilst out on a hack and she has also been edgy when out on hacks very unusual for her.

Just a warning to people in burnham, taplow, maidenhead and surrounding areas please keep on the look out for anything strange and plaits as a few have been found close to us

 

[Kaya_08]

my mare is also freezemarked and chipped however this has not been a detterent

 

[hairycob]

Not a deterrent to what - plaiting or stealing?

My 21 yo arthritic, sarcoid laden mare used to get fairy plaits all the time as does my other long maned cob (actually I often leave his mane plaited to avoid them!). All the far more valuable warmbloods etc on the yard with short manes don't. It's wind, simple.

I'm getting a new long maned cob at the weekend. Today I will be arranging for him to be freezemarked asap as it's the only immediately visible, permanent deterrent & it works.

 

[Tinseltoes]

My section A pony,she is brushed one day,next day can be full of wind/fairy plaits. and she is UNTOUCHABLE By strangers!!!!
Its RUMOURS AGAIN.

People out to cause a panic!!!!!

 

[Kaya_08]

if plaits are simple wind plaits then please explan horses unusual behavior as she has never done this before and i have owned her around 2 and a half years now.
i would like to emphasise that she went sideways down the road snorting at three o four different men however did not do it at others.
one of theese men also stopped and stared watching my horse go down the road and it wasn't just a look of what a pretty horse or i wonder why the horse is acting like that...
please could you also explain to me the trampled down grass paths going into the back of the field where my horse is kept as we back onto a field that no one ever goes into

 

[G&T]

The fairies put them there! DON'T UNDO A FAIRY PLAIT it's very bad luck. Horseshoe on stable door/field gate should deter the pesky blighters

 

[Kaya_08]

funny enough we have horseshoes on door so far not a deterent as i said explain about the paths that have been made going into the field where my horse is kept

 

[G&T]

Sorry, I may have sounded a bit facetious (sp) - but seriously it could be gypsies I suppose but the theft marking idea seems so pointless and unlikely - if the plaits are man-made I think it's more likely something like this 'Knot majick' (see link) is the reason behind it:

http://boingboing.net/2009/12/07/magickal-horse-tail.html

 

[Kaya_08]

i'm glad someone finds it funny!
but for those of us who have had horses tagged its a serious matter.
maybe you just arent as bothered about your horse/horses as i am but when you have waited 10 years to get a horse then you cherish that horse and will do whatever it takes to look after it and keep it safe

 

[G&T]

I was serious actually - I thought statistically not a single horse 'marked' this way had ever been stolen??? It is more likely some oddball pagan type (if you are convinced it's not just the wind..)

If you are worried then freezemarking is a good deterrent.

FYI I have utmost concern for my horse's security, thank you

 

[Kaya_08]

you clearly need to read my post more clearly as i have already said that she is freeze marked and was wary of strange men

 

[G&T]

If I was as panicked about my mare's security as you are about yours I would be moving her somewhere I knew she was 100% safe. My horse is in at night in a yard like Fort Knox (2 locked gates) with dogs and YO overlooking yard - all day TO (but nowhere near road) but again with YO and dogs on site all day.

Sorry if my posts offended you but surely if you are genuinely concerned you should come up with a solution rather than just conjecturing and panicking about umproven theories..

 

[Kaya_08]

my horse has been moved to safer quaters as i mentioned earlier again you need to read a little more carefully, and i am not trying to create panic just alert people so they keep an eye out as this way any suspiscious behaviour can be picked up on quickly and dealt with so as horses will be safer
and horse is nowhere near road when turned out you have to go through other fields to get to her.

 

[Serenity087]

I pulled my mare's mane and tail - she hasn't been 'marked' for theft since.

Really, this thread is moronic.

Also, Pagan's respect animals and the sanctity of others, so don't go blaming them either!

It's the wind, or it's fairies, but no one is stealing your horse!

 

[G&T]

Not really, I managed to read your posts accurately - I said freeze-marking was a good deterrent, as in you have done the right thing - not advising you to freezemark. And I said to move her somewhere she was 100% safe - if you've done so already why are you still worrying?

Unfortunately, though, the only way to save your horse from these plaits is to shelter her completely from the wind

 

[G&T]

I pulled my mare's mane and tail - she hasn't been 'marked' for theft since.

Really, this thread is moronic.

Also, Pagan's respect animals and the sanctity of others, so don't go blaming them either!

It's the wind, or it's fairies, but no one is stealing your horse!

WARLOCKS, not pagans!

My phrase 'pagan oddballs' was merely an ignorant slip and meant no offense to any of a pagan persuasion