Had to move baby coblet tonight...

Sparkles

Sparkles

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Arrived up his field this afternoon, with a transit van parked up there, with 2 men staring and observing Sparks. I came straight out of the field to where they were parked up, and asked them if I could help them. Asked if the 'red and white was a filly', I said no, then asked if he was for sale, again said no. Didn't make any effort to move, just carried on staring at him and nodding, I just kept where I was between them in a 'Can I help you or are you done' stance, then they asked if the others were for sale, I said no they weren't for sale.
Then said their brother or uncle had 2 lovely cobs and if I'd be interested...which again, said again no thankyou....
Then after about 5 minutes, said thanks and they'd be going. I stayed there, took down their number plate and waited till they'd left, slowly.

Anyway...not the safest field....so have moved him for tonight, as I'd be beside myself if anything happened to him. Rest of the ponies aren't their type so not too worried about them, plus all foals you can't catch mostly anyway.

Our barn is full at the moment, so moved him to a friends yard elsewhere for the night, just so he's in and out of sight, more for peace of my mind than anything else.


There's been so much thefts around lately, not risking it!!!


But bless him, he's now tucked up away on his own, not bothered in the slightest and has the cosiest stable and mountain of hay you can imagine! So he's quite content with life. Walked him back in the dark a few miles to it, and the yard's empty, so thought he might stress at being on his own...but no, straight in, lying down eating the hay yawning!!!

He's had a busy day bless him. Took him out hacking with my lad earlier, leading him off him....then had to go for a walk again tonight. No wonder he's tired!
 
Blimey, I don't blame you. I would be keeping him out of site for as long as possible and then sleeping with him when he eventually does go back!

Are you able to increase the security before he goes back. Maybe look into wireless CCTV, or alarm on the gates.
 
What a worry for you, and how wise to take a precaution rather than end up regretting that you did not.

I am told that in our area the horse theives eye up the animals they want, and when no one is around go into the field and put a small plat in the animals mane, so when the rest of the gang arrive after dark with transport they can easily tell which animal they want - and sadly if they can not box the animals they leave gates open so they run off.

I have always kept geese in my field with ponies, I find that keeps people out of the field during the day time, and as I have public footpaths running past field it has worked well so far!
 
Adopter said:
and sadly if they can not box the animals they leave gates open so they run off.
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Have possibly had that happen already before, when we had 2 very tricky to catch mares kept in the cattle pen at the top one night before they were due to go. Found the gates wide open, and the ponies had been loose on the road. Luckily, they were shooed into the crop field and locked in there and got a phone call early morning when they were found loose.

There's a house right by it, but easy to get if you have a 4x4 by going through the crop fields either side which you can get to miles away from the road/house. Where they're normally ploughed, it's never a problem, bu they haven't been able to plough them this year, so they're still just flat stubble and very easy to drive across.


Think CCTV is the way forward for the barn, though that's padlocked up to the hilt but again, the chain's been cut before [when the diesel and my pony's rug was taken last month]. The grazing we have, is very split between the villages, as we're not a 'yard' as such. We have a big barn where ones are stabled, then various grazing about a mile or so away from there...it's normally a lot of riding or driving each day going round everywhere doing the daily stuff!


Thankyou for your thoughts. If anything happened to him...well...I wouldn't be held responsible for what I'd do to get him back in all honesty. At least he's unusually marked and easy to recognise.


He's chipped, but not freezemarked. Not sure how well that would show up on a grey?
 
I would report this to the police together with the registration number of the van. They may be known to the police so whilst it doesn't help your present situation at least the police are made aware of suspicious activity. Also can you circulate the information to other horse-owners in your area? It maybe that others have noticed these people and you can persuade them to report them too. At least everyone can be on the look out which has to be good.
 
Have done Charm. :)

It's not a 'regular' vehicle round our parts...I'm quite good at remembering 'locals', and definitely haven't seen this one before.
 
Sorry to side track your thread CS.

We often have threads on here RE plaits and horses being stolen. When you finally see a photo of the 'plait' it is a windtangle. My horses have windtangles on a regular basis and I'd be a nervous wreck if I believed that they were constantly being marked by horse thieves.
 
Keep the police informed.

The area I am in has a dedicated rural crime telephone number to a designated police officer. The police have given the number to the farms etc and I have noticed an increased police presence recently, I am in Worcestershire and farm/yard crime has rocketed recently.
 
OMG how scary CS you did exactly the right thing. Coblet is stunning so they may just have been admiring him but take no chances. My old baby lad was coloured and a well marked strapping lad I used to get regular offers for him whilst out hacking but nothing sinister like your experience.
 
Can you put a sign up on the gate saying this vehicle reg no .... Has been reported to the police for lurking, if thats the right word. So if they come back they will see it and hopefully disappear into the distance, he would make a lovely christmas present and for a good price, think about it.
 
Thanks.

He'll be staying in for the immediate future, not ideal, but I'd rather that than the risk of him going missing. I don't have a spare pen for him inside at the moment, which is why a friend very kindly has let me take him to her private yard instead, which has no back entrances, or ways round to get in and is very secure - hench chained gate, tall iron gates, then a few more gates and not even visible from the road. :)

I always feel mean or OCD about jumping to conclusions about people....but where he's concerned....I take no risks!


Unfortunately, the big old carpark always has people parked up in it as it's semi-public as everyone parks there to walk up onto the ridgeway....or boy racer yobbos, who have no interest in the horses, but leave a lovely mess of mcdonalds wrappers behind!!!
 
putasocinit said:
Can you put a sign up on the gate saying this vehicle reg no .... Has been reported to the police for lurking, if thats the right word. So if they come back they will see it and hopefully disappear into the distance, he would make a lovely christmas present and for a good price, think about it.
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They'll have so many other vehicles though...I'd rather not do anything 'obvious' to them to then get anything done in spite in return. My other 2 horses are kept out there...so I have them to think about also.

I know his value, not that that is my interest in him obviously as he's my lifetime horse regardless of this, but do know exactly how much he'd fetch as got him from his breeder as a yearling...trust me...I have no intention of anything happening to him. I would hunt them down like dogs till I found him again.
 
Shivvy - if my friendly post amazes you so much, dont bother to read it.

OP i hope your horse is safe. I keep thinking of tinseltoes gypsy vanner cob that went missing.
 
OP just to clear up any confusion i didnt mean for you to sell him, i meant they would no doubt get a good price for him as he is such a stunner.
 
Would really worry me. Even though you've moved your boy, they seemed interested in whether any other other horses out with him were for sale too. I'd still be concerned they might come back.

What did the Police say when you reported the incident?
 
Nothing much got done via the police with the previous events...so have gone straight to Wiltshire Horsewatch who will be posting it around and have the number plate and have asked them what the best thing to do is.
 
ChristmasSparkles said:
Nothing much got done via the police with the previous events...so have gone straight to Wiltshire Horsewatch who will be posting it around and have the number plate and have asked them what the best thing to do is.
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Good. Glad you are taking action. I can imagine how worrying something like this would be if it happened to me and mine. I'd be sick with worry. Must admit, this has always been the one reason I've always backed off renting a field for mine. Always worried about security. But glad you've managed to move your boy so quickly and to somewhere he's happy and secure for the time being. You shouldn't have such a gorgeous eye catching chap! :)
 
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