How many horses are ACTUALLY stolen?

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Oriel

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There seem to be a lot of rumours lately about horses being targeted for theft. The usual 'oh my god my horse has a plait in his mane' thing mostly. Then the are stories that horses have actually been stolen yet are mysteriously found almost immediately.

It seems that these rumours really worry people. There's posts on the local horse community page about all sorts of probably innocent people being sighted near fields and cars parked near fields.

Its got me wondering if any horses are actually stolen as a result of these sightings and targeting?

I've had reports of incidents which were supposed to have happened literally within a mile of our yard. Once I was told that horses had actually been shot and that the police had cordoned off the area! It was supposed to have been happening 'right now' in an area literally 500 yards from where I live but I'd not noticed anything. I made a quick call to the police revealed that nothing had happened at all.

I know that rumours grow with the telling but i'd assumed they must originate from some degree of truth but in all the cases I've heard about in our area they seem to have absolutely no basis in fact at all. How on earth do they begin. Someone, somewhere must start them off. I find it fascinating.
 
My friend's neice's pony was stolen many, many years ago from its field and they never traced who did it. The last they heard was that someone had seen a man riding apony matching the description down the high street very early one morning, bareback with just a headcollar.

I worked in horse insurance for about 7 years though and don't recall any claims being made for a stolen horse. There was one horse we insured though who's owners discovered it was stolen as they had their vet check the microchip. There was also a horse noted here on the lost and stolen section and i recognised the name - turned out the horse was on loan but stolen and the 'thief' insured her but didn't bank on me, the eagle-eyed underwriter tying up the name (she'd used a very similar name for the horse) with the horse mentioned on here!

So, that's 3 I personally know. I think there are more cases of horse on loan being 'stolen' by the loanee or sold on by them illegally than horses actually being taken from their fields/stables.
 
Some people just love worrying others with scare stories that get exaggerated as they are passed on. There's no doubt that it can happen, but in the current climate you're probably more likely to get a horse dumped in your field.

Paula
 
Well Iceburgh is still looking for her coloured cob after about five years!
Toby11-1stolen05.jpg

Toby11-3Stolen05.jpg
 
ladyt25 said:
My friend's neice's pony was stolen many, many years ago from its field and they never traced who did it. The last they heard was that someone had seen a man riding apony matching the description down the high street very early one morning, bareback with just a headcollar.

I worked in horse insurance for about 7 years though and don't recall any claims being made for a stolen horse. There was one horse we insured though who's owners discovered it was stolen as they had their vet check the microchip. There was also a horse noted here on the lost and stolen section and i recognised the name - turned out the horse was on loan but stolen and the 'thief' insured her but didn't bank on me, the eagle-eyed underwriter tying up the name (she'd used a very similar name for the horse) with the horse mentioned on here!

So, that's 3 I personally know. I think there are more cases of horse on loan being 'stolen' by the loanee or sold on by them illegally than horses actually being taken from their fields/stables.
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I find that fascinating... In 7 years working for a horse insurance company you don't recall any claims for a stolen horse. How do these stolen horse rumours start. I'd love to see a written transcript of how the tale evolves in the telling.

The latest on our local horse community Facebook page stated that 3 men armed with crowbars attempted to steal horses and when challenged they threatened violence. They had a horse box hidden in a wood that was found by police. They had a white van full of tack... Everyone should be vigilant !!!! After a few OMG posts someone posted to say none of it was true!!!

Apparently A horse had got loose on the yard and someone had been seen in a field. Strangely though - even after the post saying none of it was true people still posted afterwards telling folk keep a look out - maybe people like to be worried?
 
Is reason people are unlikely to claim on their insurance for a stolen horse is that if the horse turns up after the claim is settled the horse is owned by the insurance company?
 
jinglejoys said:
Well Iceburgh is still looking for her coloured cob after about five years!
Toby11-1stolen05.jpg

Toby11-3Stolen05.jpg
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Thankyou jingle xx Yes Toby was stolen from his field on 1 june 2006 - so it does happen. Im still searching for him.
A lot do seem to be taken on loan etc, and I suppose true thefts are relatively rare, only around 250 the year Toby was taken - but 250 too many !

Its still hearbreaking no knowing where he is.
 
So sorry to hear that your horse was stolen - it must be absolutely heartbreaking.

I just get annoyed when there are so many rumours which make people worry unnecessarily. In our area it seems that even people out walking are perceived as being a threat worthy of reporting. Heaven help anyone who pulls off the road and parks near a field - they are automatically suspected - although how anyone is going to load a horse into a BMW car is beyond me (another post from yesterday on the local horse forum)!
 
There was one rumour going around a few years ago about the same men in the same white van all over the country within hours of each other. If true, they must have had a Chinook helicopter to move them and their van around!

The dangerous rumour is that one about dialling a special number on your mobile phone when you have no reception and it will route via a satellite.
 
A few horses do get stolen by "strangers" for want of a better word but they are relatively few. Many more get stolen whilst on loan. Then there are the "thefts" that are actually domestic (usually divorce) disputes. On top of this there will be the occasional person who reports the horse as stolen when they have, in fact, had the knackerman out!
Also sometimes people get to their field, see no horses & automatically think they have been stolen when actually they should have repaired the fences long ago. Once they find the horses - usually put safely in a nearby field by whoever has found the escapees the rumour is already out of control.
Another thing that happens is that stories true & false get recycled, especially if people pick up threads on google & don't check the date.
Then there are the complete myths like the horse abandoned at Holyhead because is was microchipped/freezemarked.
 
My horse, Ballymoss was stolen in 1981. He was taken with 3 other TB horses from a secluded yard at nighttime and it was definitely an organised and calculated theft (padlocks and stable doors taken off etc). The other 3 horses were freezemarked and were dumped in a field in Malmesbury, Wiltshire within a week, but did not leave my horse with the others.

Three months after being stolen we think Ballymoss, who was approx 12 years old at the time and a fine chestnut TB, 16.2hh gelding, was sighted at a Shrewsbury, Shropshire horse sales in about June 1981.

We were never able to find him though and have always been devastated. I can only hope he reached a good home at the sales and I still want to know what happened to him, although he would be too old to be here now. We were probably among the first waive of horse theft victims back in the 1980s and I know horsetheft has carried on throughout the 1990s and 2000s perhaps in the ratio of around 200-300 horses per year around the country.

A few years ago there was an unrelated attempted horsetheft (trailer with false number plates sighted in driveway) at a farm very near the yard where my horse was stolen from but a passing farmer alerted the owner. Quite a few people thought it was 'heresay' but I spoke to the owner and an attempt to steal had definitely been made on his land.

My stolen horse Ballymoss (stolen 1981)
horsepic4.jpg
 
Sadly as can ben seen from the above sad post about Balymoss a number of horses are stolen or dissapear while on loan each year.

This is fact not fiction.

It is very difficult for people to identify a horse (especially members of the public or police forces) and this is why it is so important to have your horses freezemarked on a part of your horse were it is visible when being ridden. Anyone can read a freezemark.

Also take photos of your horse from all 4 sides so that in the event of your horse being stolen you can immediately circulate photos of your horse and it's freezemark.
 
Obviously horses are stolen, which is a tragedy for their owners, but it would appear that it is rare.

I just wish that those circulating the never-ending stories of horses stolen and suspicious sightings would just check their facts before posting and worrying people.
 
Oriel said:
Obviously horses are stolen, which is a tragedy for their owners, but it would appear that it is rare.

I just wish that those circulating the never-ending stories of horses stolen and suspicious sightings would just check their facts before posting and worrying people.
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Thanks for your kind acknowledgement Oriel.

In comparison to how many horses there are in the country to how many are actually stolen on average, it is a small number. But for the owners affected by horsetheft, it really is a terrible ordeal.

The Stolen Horse Register probably gives the best idea how many horses are stolen (currently and over the years) but not all horses are reported.

The most prevalent problem now appears to be missing horses on loan, and there is a very helpful website under that name for owners seeking help with their missing/stolen horses on loan.

Also Netposse (Stolen Horse International) is a very helpful website based in the USA which also kindly helps people overseas too.

I try to keep a look out for Toby and hope other stolen or missing horses listed on H&H online or elsewhere are also kept a look out for.
 
DebbieCG said:
Thanks for your kind acknowledgement Oriel.

In comparison to how many horses there are in the country to how many are actually stolen on average, it is a small number. But for the owners affected by horsetheft, it really is a terrible ordeal.

The Stolen Horse Register probably gives the best idea how many horses are stolen (currently and over the years) but not all horses are reported.

The most prevalent problem now appears to be missing horses on loan, and there is a very helpful website under that name for owners seeking help with their missing/stolen horses on loan.

Also Netposse (Stolen Horse International) is a very helpful website based in the USA which also kindly helps people overseas too.

I try to keep a look out for Toby and hope other stolen or missing horses listed on H&H online or elsewhere are also kept a look out for.
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Just to add Tracing Equines is another useful/helpful website listing quite a few horse groups etc & other areas and with listings about stolen/missing horses and reference to the Stolen Horse Register
 
hairycob said:
A few horses do get stolen by "strangers" for want of a better word but they are relatively few. Many more get stolen whilst on loan. Then there are the "thefts" that are actually domestic (usually divorce) disputes. On top of this there will be the occasional person who reports the horse as stolen when they have, in fact, had the knackerman out!
Also sometimes people get to their field, see no horses & automatically think they have been stolen when actually they should have repaired the fences long ago. Once they find the horses - usually put safely in a nearby field by whoever has found the escapees the rumour is already out of control.
Another thing that happens is that stories true & false get recycled, especially if people pick up threads on google & don't check the date.
Then there are the complete myths like the horse abandoned at Holyhead because is was microchipped/freezemarked.
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Where are you getting the factual information that your info is based on above? Is there a study that has been done that you are quoting? I would love to read it if you have one.
 
I am not sure how many horses are stolen anywhere anymore but I do believe it is more than you would ever suspect or that we are hearing about because many go unreported and most are not in the news. If it were not for social media we would not be hearing about many of the ones we hear about now.

In the late 90's a study was done in the United States by the state of Texas that estimated 40,000 stolen each year here. I was told by someone on the committee that did the study that it took six years and thousands of dollars to complete the study. I have not seen another study of its kind since and that one I cannot find any more either.

Still, it did give some real numbers that were reached by using law enforcement resources (and more) at the time. I would love to see another study done here and one for the UK as well but it may be to costly to do one.

I get reports of stolen horses by email every day. Yes, some of them are what we categorized as "civil" but just as many are true criminal theft cases according to the law.

We do work with both criminal and civil but we separate them on www.netposse.com so that people who want to help know which type of case they will be assisting. We find that horses missing on loan are a problem but not as big as theft. There are many other ways that horses disappear in the civil area such as bad sales arrangements, boarding disagreements, etc.

I have been watching the UK for years in our attempt to assist victims and to learn more about customs in the country in regards to how these cases are treated. In my opinion from what I see on a daily base theft is alive and well in many countries, especially the USA and the UK.
 
My worst fear is my horses being stolen. Our yard was broken into a few times over the last few weeks. They took everything from jump sets to the last hoof pick. Luckily I dont keep tack there. I keep waking up in the night think tomorrow theyll be gone. Good to hear it doesnt really happen too much
 
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