Food Colouring - Is it horse safe? (Catching the yard thief)

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HobleytheTB

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Hi all,

I'm 99% a fellow livery is helping herself to my supplement. I know who the likely culprit is. I'm not in the mood to be civil about it! I don't have definitive proof, but said person has been suspected of other thefts. It's generally a really nice yard and before this person arrived nothing ever went missing.

Since her arrival, many (small, non expensive) things have disappeared. At the moment it's only circumstantial evidence (although I know she was also caught nicking stuff on pervious yards). I've devised a plan to place a decoy supplement with one colour food dye on the scoop handle, and another colour to match the supplement colour within the powder, thus dying pony's mouth a bright, unnatural colour, to which I will deny all knowledge - but she will know that I know what she's up to.

Is food dye safe for horses? I don't want to harm said horse, obviously, for his owners potential light fingeredness... but I'd like to send a message that I'm not as stupid as she's thinks I am!
 
I'd imagine it is safe, you can probably buy the ones for kids stuff.

But it's a lot of effort. And no guarantee she'll stop taking stuff unless you then confront her and there will be some people who disapprove of your methods.

I cba to lock eveeything away and mine was regularly going down until someone moved off, funny that.

If you haven't already mentioned it in general then do so, not accusing anybody in particular so she knows you have noticed. I do like the note idea above.

You could keep smaller quantities available or bag up a weeks feeds then keep the rest at home if lock away, i swear my stuff gets nicked because I always have a good stash so people think I won't miss it.
 
Hi all, it's difficult to lock things away because yard staff also need access for when they make feeds up! It's difficult to make accusations against a certain person when you don't have concrete proof.

I can leave a note in the tub of course, I just don't get the mentality of nicking stuff and not even covering your tracks properly! If I felt inclined to steal someone else's horse vitamins I'd at least leave the scoop in the same position and shut the lid properly! Just frustrating really, it's such a nice yard overall and it's a shame to feel you need to do things to stop someone taking it when it's never been a problem before. It's genuinely a really lovely yard, most have been there 15 years plus.
 
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Bonnie Allie said:
I’d just talk to her. People who steal have something going on. Take her aside, have a chat and let her know that people are noticing, she has a reputation which is going to make life increasingly difficult for her.

Help her.
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I understand what you are saying and I have a friend who is a kleptomaniac. It's fascinating to covertly watch her steal things she has absolutely no use for, she just can't help herself.

But most people who nick supplements or food in livery yards, in my experience, want that stuff without paying for it and it isn't the duty of the victim they stole from to help them.
.
 
LadyGascoyne said:
I’d get a lock box with a code. The yard staff can have the code.

I think you’ve got to think about how you’ll come across in this stunt - it sounds a little petty to be honest, and whilst it’s annoying when people use your things, you don’t want a prank to reflect badly on you.
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besides which, the thief (if it's who you think it is) will probably deny all knowledge of it and come up with some half-witted excuse for her horse's bright blue muzzle, which will just be annoying.
 
LadyGascoyne said:
I’d get a lock box with a code. The yard staff can have the code.

I think you’ve got to think about how you’ll come across in this stunt - it sounds a little petty to be honest, and whilst it’s annoying when people use your things, you don’t want a prank to reflect badly on you.
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It absolutely is petty! Just fed up with it really. Everyone has their real crap to deal with in life, and someone nicking the vitamins I work hard to pay for just isn't flying at the moment.

It definitely isn't yard staff, they are very trustworthy. Liveries pay for their own supplements beyond basic feed, so it's not in their interest anyway. I've also known them a long time, 15+ years, without outing myself too much I know for a fact it isn't them. Thefts also occur after staff has gone, when livery arrives late/ before staff arrive, when livery arrives early etc.
 
I honestly wouldn't do this. It's awfully petty and more like playing games than actually working at solving the issue.
If you want to catch her, put a camera up. If you want to deter her, leave a note saying you have caught everything on camera.
Personally, I would put a camera up, its straightforward solution and she can't deny video evidence.
 
Have you spoken to the YO and are they helpful?

It’s not your job to help her, this is theft. At the same time you have to be sure and have evidence before you do anything, it would be awful to accuse someone unfairly. It’s also illegal to put up a hidden camera.

Personally I’d be talking to the YO and asking them to sort out a problem which sounds as though it doesn’t only affect you. If they were to have a word with everyone including her, along the lines of ‘thefts have been reported, have you had anything go missing?’ - it wouldn’t be an accusation but may make her aware that the thefts have been noticed and might be enough to make her stop.
 
Just put a note in your supplement tub, telling her to stop stealing as you will report it to YO/police, as it’s on camera. I had exactly the same issue, just a few months ago with a new livery arriving and as soon as I put the note in, it obviously made her think, as it stopped, or just lock your stuff away. I wouldn’t be adding anything to the supplement/exchanging it for something else, it’s not the horse’s fault the owner is a thieving scumbag.
 
Cinnamontoast said:
A note in the tub saying ‘Smile! You’re on camera’ and talk a lot about how you’ve installed/concealed a motion sensor camera.
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I'll retell my favourite story on this issue. I put a note in my dustbin of feed, which was going down much faster than I was feeding it, saying please don't steal my food". The next time I went to get some food out "we don't feed our horses rabbit food"* was written on the note. Which had been inside a black dustbin with the lid firmly on.

So how had they seen it?

I padlocked it then.




*this was very early days for feeding a premixed food, it was made up by a local feed store, there were no branded ones available at the time.
 
We had similar problems almost every time a new person moved onto the yard. Eventually, one of the long term liveries packed up and left, and her 'friend' admitted that she had been the one to do the stealing to make it look like the new person was to blame, so that new person would leave, thus maintaining the status quo on the yard. Person who left was a strange, angry woman who no-one really got on with.
 
If yard staff have access and they feed for you, I’d be wondering whether it’s them? Not necessarily theft, is it possible they have the dosage/ measurements wrong or there’s more than one of them
Feeding your horse?! (Have seen this happen!)
 
I accidentally caught the yard thief by storing turmeric in a treat tub. She was going into my storage in the dark and helping herself to feed to catch her horse. I suspected it, but hadn't got round to locking things at that point. One evening I came up and found turmeric everywhere. She'd obviously put her hand in the treat tub and got a bit of a surprise.😆 I checked her horse's headcollar and sure enough there was an orange print on it. I thought it was so funny I never even challenged her. I did lockup my storage after that, though.🤭
 
If it was only you going in your feed bin I'd recommend fitting a contact alarm, to the bin or even just to the tub. They sound like an attack alarm and would give her a hell of a shock.

You can get ones with a remote so you can shut it off before opening, could keep that somewhere nearby or tape it to the bottom of the tub or something.
 
Fransurrey said:
I accidentally caught the yard thief by storing turmeric in a treat tub. She was going into my storage in the dark and helping herself to feed to catch her horse. I suspected it, but hadn't got round to locking things at that point. One evening I came up and found turmeric everywhere. She'd obviously put her hand in the treat tub and got a bit of a surprise.😆 I checked her horse's headcollar and sure enough there was an orange print on it. I thought it was so funny I never even challenged her. I did lockup my storage after that, though.🤭
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This is hilarious. But also highlights what people think of as theft. I bet she doesn't think that is stealing and would be happy for you to take her treats, if she ever had any.

My neighbour always has carrots outside her stable and I must see at least 3 or 4 people a day come and brazenly help themselves to a carrot often saying something like 'I've just run out, she won't mind'. She does mind and has mentioned it but feels it's petty to make a fuss over a carrot.

I have the same thing with my fly spray and coat shine that are outside my stable, people just 'borrow' a couple of squirts.

I do think supplements are different though, they're expensive and you usually only get a month's worth in a tub. It's definitely stealing if you don't replace it.
 
nagblagger said:
Could you leave a note so when she opens up your supplement say ' hi .. i know you are stealing my stuff, stop or you will be reported to the police- you have now been recorded on my covert camera.'

It would be funny watching her looking for the non existent camera.
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Through lockdown one of my neighbours was taking eggs from my hen house. I left a note in the nest box asking them to not eat the eggs they had taken as we were worming the hens (its a feed you give for about a week every now and then). They stopped taking the eggs and (i believe) starting buying eggs from another neighbour soon after.

Write on the tub calling it 'rat poison' or similar and see it that deters them.
 
Jambarissa said:
This is hilarious. But also highlights what people think of as theft. I bet she doesn't think that is stealing and would be happy for you to take her treats, if she ever had any.

My neighbour always has carrots outside her stable and I must see at least 3 or 4 people a day come and brazenly help themselves to a carrot often saying something like 'I've just run out, she won't mind'. She does mind and has mentioned it but feels it's petty to make a fuss over a carrot.

I have the same thing with my fly spray and coat shine that are outside my stable, people just 'borrow' a couple of squirts.

I do think supplements are different though, they're expensive and you usually only get a month's worth in a tub. It's definitely stealing if you don't replace it.
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She was taking actual feed, daily. I can only assume on this occasion that she'd been unsuccessful with her usual strategy and was trying treats as well. She was using more than I was feeding my own ponies at the time, so it was very noticeable. I was particularly irked as at the time one of mine was very ill and I was rather cash poor with all the vet bills and of course sensitive as I knew I would have to make that call at some point. By chance I discovered recently that she still does this regularly - shoves her scoop into somebody else's feed bin (she's on another part of the yard, so I hadn't realised). She's been seen doing it. I wonder how much money she's saved over the years.
 
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