Horse thieves in the area - what would you do??!

ImmyS

ImmyS

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Well two nights ago there was an attempted theft of two horses on the same road where ours are kept, the two horses got loose and luckily there was no injuries and the horses were safely returned. However the thieves were back last night and were caught again in the same village.

We literally have 5 padlocks on the main gate, every thing else is locked up but I'm still so worried? What extra measures would you guys take? Please help?! The police have been told, but they don't seem interested as the gypsies around here are often out trying to steal horses or their rugs!

Any help or experience welcome!!
 
Too close for comfort. I'd be sleeping in my yard. Probably not that helpful. Signs saying hoursewatch, freezemarked, cctv, microchipped. Fit a dummy camera it better a real one.
 
If you think they may cut the locks on the gate then a rape alarm fixed to it may be a good idea, even if there are no houses near it will hopefully spook your horses so much they won't want to be caught.
 
ImmyS said:
Well two nights ago there was an attempted theft of two horses on the same road where ours are kept, the two horses got loose and luckily there was no injuries and the horses were safely returned. However the thieves were back last night and were caught again in the same village.

We literally have 5 padlocks on the main gate, every thing else is locked up but I'm still so worried? What extra measures would you guys take? Please help?! The police have been told, but they don't seem interested as the gypsies around here are often out trying to steal horses or their rugs!

Any help or experience welcome!!
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can you say the area?
 
If turned out, remove any headcollars, and any from the field/yard, also bridles, anything they can be caught with.
 
Get your horses freeze marked, its the only sure way to stop them being stolen. One thing we used to do was get a rape alarm on our equipment but obviously you cant do that with rugs. Mark rugs with your postcode in paint. Weve had alot of things stolen over the years, it would be nice if these "people" went to work for what they want!
 
We are in south east Kent area, Canterbury way for those who are interesed! There are houses all around and we can just about see the field entrance from our window but obviously blind at night! One horse is definitely microchipped, not sure of the other as he was abandoned on our land. Thanks for the suggestions, will look into the rape alarms for the locks... Maybe I could then get a wink of sleep! All windows open to listen for anything suspicious!!
 
If possible video CCTV/Freezemark and probably would spend the odd night tucked up in sleeping bag with a burly mate! Camera fully charged and phone at ready. If the gate can be alarmed too even better.

Where are you too? What area good to let everyone be on their guard, let everyone know even non horsey people.
 
Sounds very scary. Can you put security lights on the entrance and around the property, I think they are a good deterrent?
 
Not practical I know but a donkey is the best noisiest form of security...you would wake the whole world up! Nothing sneaks up on one of those.
 
It's just the cost of installing things right, another worry we coud done without!! Will definitely look into some more safety measures though!
 
Would it be worth sending a letter (post by hand) to all the houses in the area surrounding the fields, saying that there are horse thieves operating in the area, and could they please contact you with any suspicious sightings of vans/people in the field with the horses... There will be dog walkers and the likes around later at night that may notice something. I would also blow a copy of the letter up, laminate it, and put it on the gate, so that potential thieves know people are looking out. You could also add that owners will be doing regular checks on the fields throughout the night.. I would try and organise a rota with fellow owners to drive past at some point throughout the night - one at 2am, 4am etc. I know its a pain, but hopefully would only be for a couple of nights and would be worth it if it made potential thieves think that it would be too difficult to steal from your fields...
 
All suggestions are good so far, nothing is fail safe, but would definately say rape alarms on gates and/or stable doors, headcollars off horses, freezebrand and/or microchip with signs stating this is done, alert all neighbours and leave your contact number with them, security lights, cameras, and if their is a mobile security firm that operates in your area, see if they do signs stating patrolled by........ and see if they'll sell a sign or 2 without paying for an actual patrol? Good luck, must be very very scarey.
 
Sorry but a micro-chip is not good enough. Get your horses freezemarked where it can be seen when being ridden as a freezemark can be seen and read by anyone. Padlocks are a waste of time as they can be cut off. Make sure that your gates have their hinges reversed so that they can not be lifted off and have a lock box welded on them to make it difficult to cut the locks off with bolt cutters.
Also ensure that your horses record on www.nedonline.co.uk has the freezemark and microchip added to it.
Keep all tack at home and make sure that it is tack marked with your house number and postcode.
 
Again get ponies freezemarked. Only real visual deterant. We had stable building equipment stolen last year and ever since I've been paranoid that they want the horses. For a few weeks after we had stuff taken I would do a couple of checks say at 1 and 3 ish give or take. We have a lot of tiny country lanes around, and tho I'm not sure anything was connected I did come across the same car around the area a few times parked up kept telling police and they sent patrols out and havnt seen them since. If you see anything dodgy do tell local police number, I always had the opion they were useless untill we had our break in and I found local policeman in unmarked car camped out a few lanes away. Sorry for ramble
 
Are they living outside, or is it more of a yard? - trying to think of what things you could do! Definitely agree with putting alarms on the gates if possible, along with CCTV (real or fake). Also agree that freezemarking is the best form of protection against theft, freezemarks are a visible deterrent and you can write the mark on their rugs etc which will also help prevent those being taken as well. The problem with microchips is that they can't be seen, thieves are a lot more likely to avoid a horse with a unique code stamped onto the side of it than one with an invisible chip. Even if the freezemark people can't come out straight away, freezemark signs on the gates would be a deterrent.
Depending on where you are / if its your land etc, maybe consider geese?? I know it sounds ridiculous but they make the BEST guard animals, could wake the dead! There's a field down the road from me with horses but no house nearby, they have some geese and they make a hell of a racket and come out to chase you away, would definitely put people off if that's at all realistic! I've also heard of quite a few people attaching (switched on) electric fencing to metal gates to deter people but not sure how much of a good idea that is... I'd also be spreading the word among the horsey community if you can, local equestrian centres/feed places, facebook groups etc, just so everyone can be aware and keep an eye out of any weird behaviour.
Hope some of this helps, you've got some great ideas to go on - must be very scary for you.
 
We had a spate of incidents earlier this year and we took it in turns to leave a vehicle parked across the field gates, parked so close up that a horse couldn't fit through. Don't know if its practical in your area but made me feel less worried. Also the thieves don't know if someone might be sleeping in it!
 
Our yard using fake cctv cause the real stuff is expensive, simple £10 cctv cameras that run on AA batteries that flash red and move so people think they're real :)
 
jcoombs said:
Our yard using fake cctv cause the real stuff is expensive, simple £10 cctv cameras that run on AA batteries that flash red and move so people think they're real :)
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I am not convinced by CCTV to be honest. I personally know of two very secure yards, CCTV, electric gates, alarms etc and they were both done. All tack etc stolen. No horses but just goes to show that doesn't really work as a deterrent.

To be honest i find it odd that people steal horses as they are not worth a heck of a lot these days and are harder to sell than they used to be so there must be a specific reason they target some horses?

The only thing i would suggest as others have is freezemarking. However, having said that, none of ours are freezemarked either.
 
Would it be at all practical to put up a few signs along the lines of suspected strangles, keep away, not directed towards possible thieves but as though you're a responsible owner warning other local horse owners? Obviously no good if you're regularly seen competing locally or you regularly ride to other yards, but maybe an option.
 
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