Horse stolen in DEVON

[wizoz]

Totally shocking, the police think it's stolen to order! The owner lives in a valley just outside the village but there are 2 houses, 1 either side of her. Her horse was in the field opposite but the gateway is further up the road and noone overlooks it.
The horse is Chestnut, I can't tell you what breed as I have no idea, (we don't see eye to eye) it's about 15.1hh-15.3hh.

Please be aware this is happening here too

 

[sunny123]

OMG I had thought that it was all up North. Really worried now. Could you PM me to let me know what kind of area this was in?? Im so paranoid, I was happy thinking this was a hoax last night!

 

[Spot_the_Risk]

Thanks Wizoz, I'm faitly close to henryhorn, don't think I'll be sleeping too well tonight.

 

[henryhorn]

Well I've counted my lot and some of them were spread far and wide.
We are having problems with poachers at the moment, and they keep climbing over a fence in the corner and breaking the wire.
You don't know about it as it's tucked away until you see several horses (always the same ones) grazing in the bluebell wood where there are lots of badger sets so lots of holes for them to hurt themselves in...
This afternoon most were grazing or sleeping in the Deer park, but five were missing. now I didn't panic because on the basis a thief would struggle to dispose of five really distinctive ones (two coloureds, a black, a chesnut and a spotty) so I started walking. the slope in the area is really steep as anyone who has visited will agree.
Forty mins later there two of them are inside the wood, and will they come out? Will they hell!
I leave the fence down and hope they will come back out to the rest overnight, it's so steep you really couldn't easily lead anything out of there as it's covered in bracken and the only way you can go downhill is by turning your feet sideways so you don't slide.
Walk all the way back and spot William lying down on his own. He looks round at his tummy once so imediate thought is he colicky?
I stand and watch for ages, he lies upright, starts eating lying down (he is a lazy sort) then goes to sleep again. After 15 mins I think I'd best go over and make him get up when he wakes up and starts rolling. Not just the odd roll but over and over again. I walk quicker but am amazed to see him roll over on the hill, then deliberately do three more full rolls until he is at the bottom.. he then got up , stretched and wandered off to the rest.
He reminded me of a little kid playing rolling down a grassy bank!
I'll be out there early tomorrow in the hope of fastening the fence off again, this time with some judicously placed barbed wire, in the hope it digs into them in a vital area when they try to climb over (the poachers not the horses).
I like anyone else will be watching carefully, the lanes here would make it very easy to drive a few horses into a box, but they do have to catch them first, and if they were anything like those today in the wood, no chance!

 

[wizoz]

For a second there I was worried for little William but thank goodness he was just being a cheeky little blighter!

I have posted in NL but just to let you all know, it was all a bl00dy farce!! This woman's horse was NOT stolen, a Dartmoor pony she had went walkabout as it had no grass in it's paddock and a wood next to it. Someone else had received the text that is going around and so 2 & 2 were put together and they came out with 60! There have NOT been any sightings of the vehicles or these 2 men. So please breath a sigh of relief.

Sorry to have panicked you all but I guess you can't be too careful.

 

[henryhorn]

Now you tell me!
I have taken loads of pics this morning including that idle William sleeping again..
it was horrible walking round, really hot and humid and the air felt wet.
It's raining now.
Thankfully the horses had come out of the wood on their own so no need to negotiate mount Everest to rescue them.
They were all so sleepy today checking was easy, though I found a lame one which looks iffy..CCJ will bring it in later and we will see if we can find a cause.
Why is it whenever you have the vet something else always seems to happen a day or so after they've gone? Grrrr..
Glad it was a false alarm..