horse thieves caught in act??? should i report to police?

Yuletide_Gal said:
Nice one! up the anti for the "Wind Plait" scam by claiming you caught them in the act!

Don't bother calling the police, they don't care about your plait fantasies.

For the record, Surrey Police also don't care if you actually are reporting a break-in in process. We were told to stop wasting police time.
So we called the local gypsies instead, was like a freaking action movie!!!
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Wow, you are a tool arent you?

Yorkshire pud, its people like ^ who are a hinderance, ignore it, she wont be so cocky if it were her in your position.

I'd report it, having been hanging on to my mobile for dear life the other week when some "travelling community" poachers decided to turn nasty. Always at least report it or make it known to others in your area so they can be vigilant.
 
Report it. If the blokes were innocent walkers, no harm done. But the plait thing is a myth. Give BHS a ring and ask for their fact sheet/response to this so-called issue. It's nonsense.
 
Without sounding rude.....no..Its going to come out in a rude way...:o


PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE someone find me a man who can not only plait,can approach a horse and steal it and load it without getting kicked in the head and send him my way??? :D:rolleyes:;)
 
Agree that the "plait" is a complete red herring - HP even manages to get them with a full neck on from the action of the neck cover against his very full mane. If the men were dodgy it's far, far more likely that they were after rugs/tack/other equipment than horses. That's why I said to make sure everything is marked with a specific mark like post code/freezemark. A weatherbeeta without a mark (other brands may be substituted here) is just any weatherbeeta rug. With your postcode/freezemark on it's YOUR rug and not only do thieves not like risking being caught with something that can be identified as stolen it will be much harder for them to pass on. Further food for thought is that if the police recover stuff & can't positively identify it to a crime it would be handed back to the thief.
 
Moragulous Mulled Wine said:
Without sounding rude.....no..Its going to come out in a rude way...:o


PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE someone find me a man who can not only plait,can approach a horse and steal it and load it without getting kicked in the head and send him my way??? :D:rolleyes:;)
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LOL - absolutely! Sorry, actually think this is a pretty silly post - of course you should report it and of course you should carry your mobile phone - what is the point of having a mobile if you don't carry it - there are hundreds of waterproof phone pocket/bag/carriers on the market - go and buy one. As for the plait - sorry - these plaits are and always will be something out of a story book.

I'm not saying you are lieing about the plait but if you did find one then it has nothing to do with stealing your horse.
 
Initially I thought this post must have been made by some imaginative 13 year old but reviewing previous posts by the OP it would appear this is not the case.

1) Carry your mobile phone at all times, you never know when you might need help or the vet.

2) Keep credit on your phone, if you can't afford to do this I would question whether you really should be keeping a horse

3) If you catch somebody in the act of committing a crime then call 999 - it is a free call

4) One or two have commented on a lack of sympathy or concern by the Police or others when these things are reported. Sympathy and concern do nothing except bolster your mental state, practical preventive measures are what you need (freemarking, tack marking, rug marking, random checks)
The role of the Police is to respond to crimes in progress, investigate other matters and collate information..they can't do this if you don't tell them but in the overall scale of things isolated thefts are pretty low on the priorities.
 
When someone let my two out on thanksgiving,I reported it on the\ friday,police contacted me on the sunday.
MAKE sure you ALWAYS have your mobile with you at all times. Then you can call someone quickkly.
Wouldnt worry about the plait tale as thats a MYTH.
 
No question about it - Report it. Carry a mobile phone with you always at the yard. You never know if/when you're going to need it. I've been saved countless times with my mobile phone for vet calls/YO calls etc and feel so much safer out hacking with my phone. Something like you've experienced would've really shaken me up so I can understand why you're worried about the plait in the mane. Have your horse freezemarked/microchipped for your own peace of mind as well as your horses safety and mark your things (rugs/tack etc) with your postcode. Please report it, and well done for contacting other yards.
 
Yuletide_Gal said:
Oh it happened, did it?

Every other plait in a horses mane has been a wind plait. There has been nothing reported to police about plaits and thefts being linked.

So why on earth does a new user feel the need to post about finding men putting plaits into a horses mane?

There is not a man alive who plaits other people's horses as a prequal to theft. So either it's a coincidence, or you're making it up.

Either way, my post about the police still stands. They don't give a damn about rural theft!
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you really have got a bee in your bonnet havent you ! actually it did happen and if you dont believe me i dont really care tbh:)
this is a real post. im sorry to burst you little bubble that you live in but it really does happen.
how can it be a coincidence? a man just happens to be in my fillies paddock late at night knows what an appaloosa is (how many normal men no what an appaloosa is? my partner still calls her a dalmatian!)
and she just happens to have a half finished plat in her mane when he has left the field, (which btw WASNT there at 6pm when i went to feed her) so either pixys have magically plated her up in the 3 and a bit hours that i wasnt there.
people that steel horses are very prepared for what they are going to do. they take calmers ect with them ect. if you would like to pm me i will gladly give you the number and the ref number for the police who came out and the name of the inspector who has been dealing with not just my complaint but a few others and one whos horse was stolen a few weeks ago.
im not just sat here day dreaming thinking "hhhhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmm what random crap can i write today?" if i was going to do that i would just go on other peoples threads and accuse them of being full of s*** and making things up or whatever or i would write about something that i actually want to learn ect like, has anyone got a horse with a third eye lid showing ect ect not "make up" about people being in MY HORSES PADDOCK and she magically has a new plat (man made not done naturally) and they know what an appaloosa is ect ect, as before i dont care if you believe me, and i really really hope it does not ever happen to you or anyway you know as it is very gut turning. so if you are just going to criticise me why dont you just not read this post and go be rude on someone elses thread. xx:)
 
i am sorry to disappoint the people that say it is all a myth or rummer or whatever but actually yes it does happen and has happened in our area too. YD it is good that the police have been helpful as sometimes they are not when it concerns horses ext. and it is aslo good you have called around other yards to let them know to keep there eyes open.

plaiting is still used all over the country and probs other countries too. it is NOT just a rummer that was started one day. i know a few people that used to be involved with it, (they put a few of there horses on the yard) and they told me all about how they and their family/friends used to do it,
they would plait a horse/s that they liked the look of and go back the next night to see if the plait had been taken out or not. if not they knew the owner or whatever had not checked on it/them, they would carry sedation and ropes so they could quickly and easily load the horses. they had done it for years and never got caught.:eek:
when the YO found out she asked them to leave the yard, lets face it you wouldnt want them there if they had admitted to stealing horses!

i really think those who dont believe should really check there info because althought you may think it is not real i can very much say it most certainly is.

good luck with your yard YD and i hope you dont have anymore probs with the magical picksy plaiters:D lol and please please take your mobile with you from now on. :rolleyes:
 
No response to anything else apart from PLEASE take your mobile with you, both for your safety and your horses, just in case you get there and need a vet asap or whatever.

xx
 
santaboooogypie said:
i am sorry to disappoint the people that say it is all a myth or rummer or whatever but actually yes it does happen and has happened in our area too. YD it is good that the police have been helpful as sometimes they are not when it concerns horses ext. and it is aslo good you have called around other yards to let them know to keep there eyes open.

plaiting is still used all over the country and probs other countries too. it is NOT just a rummer that was started one day. i know a few people that used to be involved with it, (they put a few of there horses on the yard) and they told me all about how they and their family/friends used to do it,
they would plait a horse/s that they liked the look of and go back the next night to see if the plait had been taken out or not. if not they knew the owner or whatever had not checked on it/them, they would carry sedation and ropes so they could quickly and easily load the horses. they had done it for years and never got caught.:eek:
when the YO found out she asked them to leave the yard, lets face it you wouldnt want them there if they had admitted to stealing horses!

i really think those who dont believe should really check there info because althought you may think it is not real i can very much say it most certainly is.

good luck with your yard YD and i hope you dont have anymore probs with the magical picksy plaiters:D lol and please please take your mobile with you from now on. :rolleyes:
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omg!:eek: i think if someone told me that i would run a mile and take my horse with me! thank you santaboogypie me neither. and i will keep my eye out for pixys lol;) lol:rolleyes: those little monsters cant leave them for 5 mins without them turning into horse thieves lol what they like... :rolleyes::D
 
but in all seriousness i AM going to start taking my phone down and my partner has also started coming with me when it is dark, just to make sure im safe. thank you all for your comments and ppppppllllllleeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaassssssssseeeeeeeee keep your eyes open and check your neddies! xx
 
Please get your horses freezemarked immediately on their shoulders. A freezemark can be seen and read by anyone making it possible to identify the horse.

Report the incident to the police and ak them for a crime number to ensure it is logged in to the system. At the same time ask for the contact details of your local rural police officer and also inform him/her as they will be able to keep an eye out.

Always carry a mobile phone. Dialling 999 costs nothing.

Ensure that all gates have their hinges reversed so that if they are locked closed they can not be lifted off the hinges.

Ensure that any property kept at the yard is postcoded so that in the event of it being stolen the owner can be identified.
 
santaboooogypie said:
i am sorry to disappoint the people that say it is all a myth or rummer or whatever but actually yes it does happen and has happened in our area too. YD it is good that the police have been helpful as sometimes they are not when it concerns horses ext. and it is aslo good you have called around other yards to let them know to keep there eyes open.

plaiting is still used all over the country and probs other countries too. it is NOT just a rummer that was started one day. i know a few people that used to be involved with it, (they put a few of there horses on the yard) and they told me all about how they and their family/friends used to do it,
they would plait a horse/s that they liked the look of and go back the next night to see if the plait had been taken out or not. if not they knew the owner or whatever had not checked on it/them, they would carry sedation and ropes so they could quickly and easily load the horses. they had done it for years and never got caught.:eek:
when the YO found out she asked them to leave the yard, lets face it you wouldnt want them there if they had admitted to stealing horses!

i really think those who dont believe should really check there info because althought you may think it is not real i can very much say it most certainly is.

good luck with your yard YD and i hope you dont have anymore probs with the magical picksy plaiters:D lol and please please take your mobile with you from now on. :rolleyes:
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Why would they go through all this? All it would prove is that the owner hadnt brushed the mane, hardly unusual! it wouldnt prove that the owner wouldnt arrive at any time while they were (supposedly) doping, roping and stealing the horse. Common sense says that a thief is unlikely to do anything that will alert the owner. Why did they not just turn up and steal the horse???
Get real........ its a MYTH
 
Have to say I am with OP on the Appaloosa thing. To most people it would be spotty and also how did they know she was that with a full neck rug on?

As for the plaiting, I really know nothing about that apart from a pretty little coloured mare on my yard who lived out by a very quiet lane was found with a plait one morning. I saw it and it did indeed look very tidy.

I was once told that cattle prods are employed for anything difficult to load as obviously they need to get away quickly.

Glad you are taking your partner with you and your phone.

Pleased the police are taking an interest.
 
santaboooogypie said:
i am sorry to disappoint the people that say it is all a myth or rummer or whatever but actually yes it does happen and has happened in our area too. YD it is good that the police have been helpful as sometimes they are not when it concerns horses ext. and it is aslo good you have called around other yards to let them know to keep there eyes open.

plaiting is still used all over the country and probs other countries too. it is NOT just a rummer that was started one day. i know a few people that used to be involved with it, (they put a few of there horses on the yard) and they told me all about how they and their family/friends used to do it,
they would plait a horse/s that they liked the look of and go back the next night to see if the plait had been taken out or not. if not they knew the owner or whatever had not checked on it/them, they would carry sedation and ropes so they could quickly and easily load the horses. they had done it for years and never got caught.:eek:
when the YO found out she asked them to leave the yard, lets face it you wouldnt want them there if they had admitted to stealing horses!

i really think those who dont believe should really check there info because althought you may think it is not real i can very much say it most certainly is.

good luck with your yard YD and i hope you dont have anymore probs with the magical picksy plaiters:D lol and please please take your mobile with you from now on. :rolleyes:
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I think this is exactly the case. I've heard this exact thing through loads of people aswell. The abuse I got on this forum for generally asking for an opinion of my pony's plaits was rediculous. People calling me all sorts of names for suggesting this is an actual horse theft method, you wouldn't believe.
 
And im sure the people doing these plaits have internet access and be spreading controdictory messages against it. These people do plait the manes of horses they like the look of, this thread proves just that.
 
Nigsha said:
Why would they go through all this? All it would prove is that the owner hadnt brushed the mane, hardly unusual! it wouldnt prove that the owner wouldnt arrive at any time while they were (supposedly) doping, roping and stealing the horse. Common sense says that a thief is unlikely to do anything that will alert the owner. Why did they not just turn up and steal the horse???
Get real........ its a MYTH
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i think the point santabooypie was making is that, they plat the manes to see if the owner has been down, they do it in an obvious enough place for someone to see it. if you see it you are going to take it out! if the owner hasnt been down to check on them or just that when they return and the plat is still there then they will take it. they do it at night because being realistic how many people go to check on a horse at 10, 11,12,1, 2 ,3,oclock in the morning? not many.
common sense would be if you see one take it out!
i check my horse twice a day and while she eats her feed i check her over for cuts and stuff like that and if i have time give her a brush. at least check her for cut ect anyway, so it would be very hard to miss a plat in her mane or tail! some people dont check there horses for cuts ect and wonder why they are lame ect when they could of checked them every day and seen a cut and treated it before infection and lameness sets in. that is why i ALWAYS check mine xx and i am very glad i do!
 
Please don't underestimate the cunning and also barefaced cheek of these people. They probably know it's appaloosa because they've been subtly passing by/checking things out several times before they actually physically went onto the yard. Don't make the mistake of thinking these people aren't highly organised and good at doing what they do. I had 50 sheep stolen from the field next door to my house the other day - not a whisper was heard!! They are very good at what they do, thorough, methodical, coordinated and calculating.

Please note that a 999 call is free from any mobile so you don't need credit.

Please also note that you should report anything suspicious like that the very second it happens. Time is of the essence. Calling the police could be the difference between someone's horse or tack being stolen and it not happening in the first place. And even if people say "the police aren't willing to help" they can't help if they haven't been notified. I know which chance I'd rather take.

I am not very far from YD and we are lucky, the police in our area our pretty good. YD, I would suggest you and the other owners on your yard join your local Farmwatch or Neighbourhood watch scheme on behalf of your yard so that people such as this have a stronger likelihood of being tracked once they disappear. Also agree the CCTV is a great idea real or not! I really hope this is the last you see of they thieving B.*ds.
 
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dray123 said:
And im sure the people doing these plaits have internet access and be spreading controdictory messages against it. These people do plait the manes of horses they like the look of, this thread proves just that.
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This has got to be the funniest post of the year so far.

psst, did you know that the word "gullible" doesn't appear in any dictionaries?
 
You should report anything that you think is suspicious. My Hubby is a Police Officer and he said that they will record it but you must NOT call 999. If you log onto your area Police website it will have an 0845 Number you need to use this.
 
*hic* said:
This has got to be the funniest post of the year so far.

psst, did you know that the word "gullible" doesn't appear in any dictionaries?
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you must be the high light of every party as your sense of humour is totally amazing :D:mad:
how is YD or any other person that has posted about it happening to them or someone they know making you laugh so much you shallow minded person? i dont think it is funny and i some how do not think that the people whos horses/ and sheep and tack ext think it is funny either! do you not think you inane comment is a bit pathetic?!
gullible? no cautious? yes
i dont think anyone that found a neat little plait in a horses mane would think "wind plait" they would think oh S*** because only an idiot would not take it out just incase.
so no one in the world can prove people do it???????? eeerrrrm well actually if you did a little research or even asked around the right people you would be able to find out things like i did. if it that much of a joke to you why comment and get a little offensive by saying people are gullible. and as i and others have said , i really hope it never happens to you. dont you ever read the stolen and missing part of this forum?????? do you think horses grown wings and fly away with the "picsys" that plait there manes???? no some are stolen who knows how and others are stolen via the plaiting method FACT. i think you should do your research before making jokes and remarks about a post. better yet if you find a real plait in your horses manes leave it in! and wait and see if it grows wings and mysteriously flys away:rolleyes:
 
santaboooogypie said:
you must be the high light of every party as your sense of humour is totally amazing :D:mad:
how is YD or any other person that has posted about it happening to them or someone they know making you laugh so much you shallow minded person? i dont think it is funny and i some how do not think that the people whos horses/ and sheep and tack ext think it is funny either! do you not think you inane comment is a bit pathetic?!
gullible? no cautious? yes
i dont think anyone that found a neat little plait in a horses mane would think "wind plait" they would think oh S*** because only an idiot would not take it out just incase.
so no one in the world can prove people do it???????? eeerrrrm well actually if you did a little research or even asked around the right people you would be able to find out things like i did. if it that much of a joke to you why comment and get a little offensive by saying people are gullible. and as i and others have said , i really hope it never happens to you. dont you ever read the stolen and missing part of this forum?????? do you think horses grown wings and fly away with the "picsys" that plait there manes???? no some are stolen who knows how and others are stolen via the plaiting method FACT. i think you should do your research before making jokes and remarks about a post. better yet if you find a real plait in your horses manes leave it in! and wait and see if it grows wings and mysteriously flys away:rolleyes:
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and breathe

Yes I do read the stolen part of the forum, together with the posts by the sensible people, including those involved with the police force who state that there has never been a theft following plaiting of the force.

What I found so amusing was that someone was suggesting that people who steal horses are spreading rumours that plaiting doesn't happen because they want people not to worry about it. Just go back to the stolen forum and look at the relative newness of those panicking about plaits, and then check the posting history - ie content of posts - of those saying not to get so het up its only a rumour spread by hysterical idiots. Note that those posters tend to be pretty sensible.

But I'll say to you as I've said to so many others, I have five horses turned out together. Three are valuable and have short pulled manes and tails, only one of them is freezemarked. None of the valuable horses has ever been plaited. They are all friendly and will come over to strangers for a fuss. One of my ponies is frequently plaited - nice well-formed plaits. The problem with suggesting he might be about to be stolen is that in a field of expensive-looking horses he is the elderly ugly Welsh Cob, he's 25 now, he's also very visibly freezemarked and the one that really puts the mockers on the story you seem so much to want to believe is that he is utterly unapproachable by strangers. We can't catch him unless we take all the others out of the field, someone unknown entering the field would be unlikely to get within 20 feet of him. His quirks mean that even when you've got him at home and stabled you can't plait his mane unless you have plaited his tail first. Hell, when he's at home and got upset - like you've tried to put someoneelse's headcollar on him - you can't even catch him in a 12 x 12 stable.

So you would suggest that somewhere out there is a person who values an elderly Welsh Cob over three much more valuable horses, has got him to trust them so much that they can plait his mane and then doesn't come back and get him even though the plait might stay in for a couple of weeks - and they do it repeatedly without being seen by the people who are on 24 hour watch at a business by the access to our field.

Do your research, talk to the people who actually have to deal with stolen horses not the poor blighter on the Police desk who is rung up by yet another hysterical person reporting a wind plait and panicking and can only confirm that there are many such calls. Check back through those threads on the stolen forum.


Perhaps you could quote the crime numbers, not for horses reported plaited but for horses reported stolen after being plaited. I'll be waiting with bated breath as will others.

Ah, and happy new year, perhaps if you haven't already done it you should make your most important resolution to get your horses freeze-marked.
 
sorry guys i really didnt want to start a debate about it. :rolleyes:
im sorry some people dont believe that i dont have anything better to do than write "rummers" on a forum. and i do take everyones points and comments seriously (unless they are just plain rude) and your opinion is welcome. all i will say is, she had no plat in her mane at 6-6:30 when i fed her and at 9pm while man was in her field who called her an appaloosa with a full neck rug on a plat turned up? coincidence maybe, hence the title of my thread horse thieves caught in act??? with question marks! can i prove they did it? no i cant. but it does seem rather strange that my horse has never had a plat in her mane before and on the night 3 strange men are in a private field she just happens to get one.
 
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