Had to move baby coblet tonight...

God this happened to Shy before Appleby this year - i was followed twice by vans whilst out riding him and asked how much I wanted, whether he was a stallion, another livery was accosted outside his field, and I was asked directly several times. Registration numbers taken, and reports to the police and farmwatch. I was batting it.

Cue getting an emergency freeze brand done, and my YO moved him to a field right by her house, and he was in at night. I sprayed his feathers with purple spray, and then basically kept him in for the week of Appleby.

It was a bad time, but I am so glad I had the brand done, and am much more relaxed about it now. Take it from me, what they want, they will just take, they will just lift the fence poles if there's a chain on the gate. They did that and took a friends trailer a few months ago.

Your lad is such a stunner, and will be very valuable to you know who. I would be wary about putting pics on here if he was mine, as he really is soo unusual (and therefore worth a lot of money). I guess you never can be too careful or know who is looking at your pics.
 
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shysmum said:
God this happened to Shy before Appleby this year - i was followed twice by vans whilst out riding him and asked how much I wanted, whether he was a stallion, another livery was accosted outside his field, and I was asked directly several times. Registration numbers taken, and reports to the police and farmwatch. I was batting it.

Cue getting an emergency freeze brand done, and my YO moved him to a field right by her house, and he was in at night. I sprayed his feathers with purple spray, and then basically kept him in for the week of Appleby.

It was a bad time, but I am so glad I had the brand done, and am much more relaxed about it now. Take it from me, what they want, they will just take, they will just lift the fence poles if there's a chain on the gate. They did that and took a friends trailer a few months ago.

Your lad is such a stunner, and will be very valuable to you know who. I would be wary about putting pics on here if he was mine, as he really is soo unusual (and therefore worth a lot of money). I guess you never can be too careful or know who is looking at your pics.
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God I can't begin to imagine how awful that must have been!!!

I'm well aware they take what they want...it's barbed wire, so frankly, only have to have a pair of wire cutters to get in really.

My theory on the photos, I'd have enough people who would recognise him because of it...so kind of has a positive flip side also maybe?

Been up there now all is ok...we couldn't decide if there were fresh tyre tracks or not up to the new zealand gate, but all horses seemed settled and right down the far end luckily. [15 acre long field with vertical banks either side].


He's well hidden away, away from my yard, so no worries about him tonight...other than him being lonely on his own! [With his mountain of hay that will last him till next week lol...]
 
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What a worry for you :( You've certainly done the right thing moving him.

Is he microchipped or freezemarked ?
Only ask as I had mine freezemarked today and microchipped a couple of weeks ago following a break-in I had a month ago. All the others were done except the sec D I bought earlier this year.
When I initially spoke to Jenny from Farmkey she said take photo's front and side and put on a laminated A4 card clearly stating this horse is microchipped and freezemarked (even if their not at present) and attach to the stable and field gates. Also make it clear if he has any rugs on (with gloss paint).
Horse theft is rare but you need to put your own mind at rest.
 
Mine are freezemarked and chipped, i have a farmkey sign up advertising the fact too. I have painted their TO rugs with freezemark on one side and postcode on another....cant be too careful....
Incidentally my parents noticed two blokes near my yard gate the other day, they took a description and got the reg number....i reported it to police and
horsewatch. Although in reflection i have a feeling i may have reported the bloke who farms the adjoining crop field and his labourer who occasionally park up on my driveway when checking crops.......oops
 
We're quite lucky where we are, not too far away the gypsys own land they keep their broodmares & youngstock on. I've been told they've owned it for generations, & as such the sheer fact its their area puts any would be horse thieves off. Pleasant as they are, nobody would risk taking any of theirs, & if other yards near by had thefts, the local gypsies would fall under suspicion, which they neither want or deserve.
I find the best thing to do if I'm suspicious of anyones questions is to lie, as much as is believeable. Eg cheerfully respond to questions & comments but with a few negatives. Eg 'no, I wouldn't sell, at 25 I don't think its fair'. 'Thanks, I think she's lovely too. I was hoping to breed from her but we've had problems so just a happy hacker' ' yes, I would sell, but on a bute a day I wouldn't get much'. And if its practical, fake treatment scars. Eg closely clipping just the back of one leg like is done for ultrasounds, or a random patch where a sarcoid has been removed etc.
 
what a worry CS,:( good that you have somewhere to hide him out of harms way. my farrier does hoof branding which could be something to consider for coblet, he's on the wilts riders group or pm me if you want his number:)
 
Thankyou. Baby coblet is happy as larry, out with some new friends today. Field was fine, though there were new tyre tracks there possibly. But checked it late over last night and all ponies were fine.

Wiltshire Horsewatch replied referring me to the rural officer and they're running a check on the number plate for me, and sending a text alert round also.


Don't know how good hoof branding would be with all that feather lol!!!
 
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Spyda said:
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.
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An attempt at distracting CS from why they were really there, another ploy, another worry :(
CS, you've done the right thing, though personally I don't think i'd want to put him back there, i'd be too busy pulling my hair out with worry..
 
Thanks.

I'm not putting him back out there...if he has to be kept in to be safe for the time being then he will be. Not ideal, but have a small amount of grazing for him to go out on daily out of sight at the barn, then he's going to have to be stabled over night, as don't want to put friend out who's kindly letting him stay where he is currently :)
 
Nice. Went down the far end of the field off the road near the barn where he's normally kept if he's in, and there's a distinct set of double wheel transit van tyre marks across the field, straight to round the back of the barn.

Could be just a coincidence, but I hardly think so.
 
You might have to have a re-think as to where to go from here :( At least he's safe where he is for now though, but by the sounds of it, they've cased the joint, i'd be very wary of taking him back there this side of Xmas.. have you a plan b?
 
ChristmasSparkles said:
Nice. Went down the far end of the field off the road near the barn where he's normally kept if he's in, and there's a distinct set of double wheel transit van tyre marks across the field, straight to round the back of the barn.

Could be just a coincidence, but I hardly think so.
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God what a worry CS, hope they get bored now he is not in the same field and go away
 
shysmum said:
Oh blimey, they've driven round the field - have you reported in to the police ? Are you getting him branded ? Oh, just awful for you x
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Police are aware, sent them an email to the address the officer gave me with all info earlier.

Sadly, not uncommon to find various tyre tracks across that field lately. When the highway lorries got broken into for the diesel, again, the tyre tracks went across the field.
 
It's just a nightmare isn't it. When all this was going on for me, I contacted Shy's breeder, who actually takes horses to Appleby, and asked him for advice. He thought I was nuts, of course, but at least the word was out.
 
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