How secure is your tack room?

[chocolategirl]

With the dark nights approaching, and the inevitable increase in risk of theft, I’m wondering how many of you on DIY yards, or others ftm, are happy with the security? To make a tack room secure enough for insurance purposes, isn’t cheap I imagine. Plus the yard having to cover everyone’s saddles etc on their yard policy I imagine would be a chunk of money? Then there’s trailers/Horseboxes etc. What are the arrangements on your yard? On ours, everyone keeps valuables at their own risk, which is made clear from the start, which most do, but in the event of a theft, who would then be liable, you or the yard? Thefts of these kind are on the increase year on year, without spending a bucket of money, what can be done to increase security? We already have cctv everywhere btw ?

 

[Red-1]

I have window bars, padlocks on very solid doors, alarm (window shake detector and pir), saddles locked in a cabinet which is chained to the wall, cctv which I can check by phone if there is movement, the tack room is about 20m from my bedroom/kitchen etc.

The exterior is ring fenced with a moat (dyke really, but I call it our moat) and Hawthorne hedge, and the gate has a concrete bridge to it, is solid wood and locked. All exteriors have PIR lights which wake me up if they go off, we have 2 dogs, plus the house is occupied most of the time, and the neighbours also look onto the yard and work from home.

I still worry about security.

To do more would mean reinforcing the roof of the tack room I guess. My tack is insured through the house insurance.

I think that if they pick on you, there is little you can do.

 

[blitznbobs]

Yale plus dead lock, bars on windows; monitored alarm on doors and windows and monitored cctv... same as the house (apart from we don’t have barred windows on all the house - just the kid’s bedrooms(joke).

 

[poiuytrewq]

Well, I was going to comment very secure as it’s in out house... then I read Red-1’s ?
I guess in comparison mind has a double glazed door and a few dogs, which now sounds a bit rubbish

 

[chaps89]

I actually tend to find most horse insurance policies don't have massively high requirements when it comes to tack room security?
I personally think insurance and security of tack, trailers etc should be the owners responsibility. If the YO can assist in any way within reason then lovely but not essential in my view.
Most yards I've been at have had very basic security (Padlocked stable door on the tack room and that's it)
I've only left my tack at two yards, both had alarms, 5 lever notice deadlock and either no windows or bars over them, thus satisfying my insurance requirements and feeling secure enough for my own peace of mind to feel comfortable to leave it there.
Where I am now, my tack lives in my car. My old insurance covered this, new one doesn't, my choice but there's no security on the yard so feels safer there.
As a word of warning for those relying on home insurance, if your tack is permanently kept off site at the yard, it may not be covered. It's intended to cover it primarily when it's kept at home but does make trips away from the home, ie keep it at home and take it with you each time you ride to the yard.

 

[Auslander]

MIne is a converted shipping container. Someone would have to be pretty keen to scale the electric gates at the other end of the property, carry an angle grinder all the way up to the stables, seek out the power point on the yard, and then cut their way into the container!

 

[Summit]

I have window bars, padlocks on very solid doors, alarm (window shake detector and pir), saddles locked in a cabinet which is chained to the wall, cctv which I can check by phone if there is movement, the tack room is about 20m from my bedroom/kitchen etc.

The exterior is ring fenced with a moat (dyke really, but I call it our moat) and Hawthorne hedge, and the gate has a concrete bridge to it, is solid wood and locked. All exteriors have PIR lights which wake me up if they go off, we have 2 dogs, plus the house is occupied most of the time, and the neighbours also look onto the yard and work from home.

I still worry about security.

To do more would mean reinforcing the roof of the tack room I guess. My tack is insured through the house insurance.

I think that if they pick on you, there is little you can do.

blimey I thought this was a joke

we just have a key lock door. As far as I’m aware there have never been problems, hiwever There are only 3 of us so not much to steal I guess

 

[Shay]

Tack can be covered on a household policy as "all risks" which can be easier than complying with a horse based policy. (And cheaper!) I have a converted shipping container with one of those recessed paclocks you can't cut. The container is alarmed - and there are staff sleeping 10m away. The saddles are in bulldog clamps as well.

 

[dogatemysalad]

We have good relations with the permanent travellers site nearby. Nothing happens locally without them knowing about any unusual activity. They tip off local farmers and yards if they see or hear visitors prowling around, so YO advises us to take tack home. If one place gets hit, the rural community knows before they can get to the next farm.
I was at one yard where the access lane had cctv, the tack room had iron bars on the windows and doors, but the thieves cut through the hedge, drove through the fields and took the roof off. They were seriously determined.

 

[dorsetladette]

MIne is a converted shipping container. Someone would have to be pretty keen to scale the electric gates at the other end of the property, carry an angle grinder all the way up to the stables, seek out the power point on the yard, and then cut their way into the container!

You can get small battery powered grinders (OH is a builder and has every battery powered tool as works in remote places a lot)

I have a shipping container and an old site office (shipping container with windows). The weakest point of the shipping container is the padlocks. A security man we know told us years ago ' padlocks only keep honest people honest' The average lock takes less than 30 seconds to pick and a pair of bolt cutters makes the job on a padlock even quicker.

We have a camera up now and noisy neighbours (I love them) and I still take my saddle home when its not being used.

3 weeks ago someone broke into my chicken run and stole a dog kennel we had converted to a turkey house - if someone can put that much effort into taking something of very little value I'm not willing to risk my tack.

I keep my everyday stuff (except saddle) at the yard but the nice 'showing' bridles etc stay at home. I know someone who has a 6 x 4 shed packed to the rafters with very expensive stuff with only a chain and padlock through the door. I just wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

Sorry for the long post - is very close to my heart at the moment after a late and then sleepless night from having a call from the neighbours (of the horses) saying they could see touch lights in the field last night. Some very strange goings on at the moment.

 

[BBP]

We had a shipping container inside a ‘secure’ metal fenced compound at work (not horsey). Overnight visitors came with angle grinder and blowtorch and removed the whole chunk of metal that’s meant to stop people getting at the padlocks to cut through them, then straight through the locks on both the gate and the shipping container. Easy peasy. If people really want your stuff they will get it. Maybe I’m paranoid but I’m not sure id be telling the internet what security features I have, as some of you might be quite identifiable as to where your yards are.

 

[buddylove]

I have a solid metal tack locker, the ones that can only be lifted by a machine, which has barrel locks so nothing external that can be cut, squeezed into the corner of a normal tack room. Plus it's right outside my bedroom window!
I used this as well when I was on a livery yard, on the basis that if the tack room got broken into, they would steal the other saddles rather than go to the trouble of trying to get into a secure locker!

 

[dorsetladette]

We had a shipping container inside a ‘secure’ metal fenced compound at work (not horsey). Overnight visitors came with angle grinder and blowtorch and removed the whole chunk of metal that’s meant to stop people getting at the padlocks to cut through them, then straight through the locks on both the gate and the shipping container. Easy peasy. If people really want your stuff they will get it. Maybe I’m paranoid but I’m not sure id be telling the internet what security features I have, as some of you might be quite identifiable as to where your yards are.

You make a good point! and I either need coffee or sleep

 

[Quadro]

Horses are at home, and that tack room is an extension to the house that is attached at the end, effectively next to our bedroom so very secure. We have the tack on the house insurance but have but on extra for the value of the saddles etc

 

[Littlebear]

I keep my saddles in my garage (attached to my house) at home. The most secure yards i know (cameras, people on site, locked and locked again security) have been done over and robbed and the tack never seen again so now mine just goes home, the only stuff that stays at the yard isn't worth peoples effort to steal.

 

[humblepie]

I think three yards I have been on over the years (talking many years here hasten add) have been broken into and it is important to know what your insurers require by way of locks, alarms etc since if you are a livery you have to go with what the yard has. At a yard that had a break in and the tack room emptied, it wasn't alarmed at the time so my tack wasn't covered due to the number of horses on the yard. I then got a bulldog saddle rack which was bolted and glued into the concrete floor and it has a very complex arrangement to keep the saddle locked in. One of the yards I was at, some people called in saying they were looking for a lost dog. I was suspicious of them and escorted them out of our side of the yard but unfortunately someone in the other yard had not been so vary. That part of the yard got broken into that night They had had a good look around at what was in place.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I have window bars, padlocks on very solid doors, alarm (window shake detector and pir), saddles locked in a cabinet which is chained to the wall, cctv which I can check by phone if there is movement, the tack room is about 20m from my bedroom/kitchen etc.

The exterior is ring fenced with a moat (dyke really, but I call it our moat) and Hawthorne hedge, and the gate has a concrete bridge to it, is solid wood and locked. All exteriors have PIR lights which wake me up if they go off, we have 2 dogs, plus the house is occupied most of the time, and the neighbours also look onto the yard and work from home.

I still worry about security.

To do more would mean reinforcing the roof of the tack room I guess. My tack is insured through the house insurance.

I think that if they pick on you, there is little you can do.

We keep our valuable saddles/bridles in the house, since a neighbour had her tackroom broken into and items removed. It's a nuisance but not so bad as losing good tack.

 

[Muddywellies]

Many years ago at a livery yard which was situated on a main road just outside Preston (not a lovely remote country lane) , the tack/feed room was a rickety old building and the door tied shut with rope/baler twine. And yes, there were saddles in there. Wonder if there was less theft back then or if we were just lucky? Wonder if all these hi tech security measures entice thieves, and a bit of baler twine holding an ill fitting door shut would fool a thief into thinking there's nothing of value in there? Who knows.....
(wouldn't rely on baler twine now tho)

 

[Hallo2012]

ours has no windows and a solid door and tbh isnt obviously a tack room, looks like something totally different from the outside.

to get to it you would either have to walk under our bedroom window and set off the PIR and the dog, OR come across floodlit fields at the back (floodlit as they are part of the dairy industry so their yard floodlights stay on all night, all year.....cows dont like the dark maybe?!) and be seen clear as day and set off their dogs!

and theres no quick get away you're either trapped in our garden or trapped in the middle of a lit up field!

 

[HashRouge]

I don't have tack as my two are both retired, and I just keep everything else in a spare stable with no locks. Quite a few rugs so probably not the best idea, but there you go! I know that on my sister's DIY yard the tackroom has an alarm system and is padlocked.

 

[Auslander]

I have a shipping container and an old site office (shipping container with windows). The weakest point of the shipping container is the padlocks. A security man we know told us years ago ' padlocks only keep honest people honest' The average lock takes less than 30 seconds to pick and a pair of bolt cutters makes the job on a padlock even quicker.

MIne has proper locks, instead of padlocks. Still - if someone's determined enough to get in, I'm sure they'd find a way. They'd probably be pretty disappointed if they did - no mega expensive tack, a small selection of first aid stuff and a modest collection of matchy!

 

[Red-1]

blimey I thought this was a joke

we just have a key lock door. As far as I’m aware there have never been problems, hiwever There are only 3 of us so not much to steal I guess

Sadly no joke, and I still don't believe it is safe. But, I have made a good effort!

 

[dorsetladette]

MIne has proper locks, instead of padlocks. Still - if someone's determined enough to get in, I'm sure they'd find a way. They'd probably be pretty disappointed if they did - no mega expensive tack, a small selection of first aid stuff and a modest collection of matchy!

Have a look at 'lockpickinglawyer' on you tube. Lock manufacturers send their designs to him to see how quickly he can pick them. Its quite scary to watch how quickly he works it out.

Yep - I think they would be disappointed if they ever broke into ours. Spare face masks, old (but used regularly) grooming kit, a few numnahs, couple of bridles and head collars - thats about it. Would be a pain to replace, but worthless to anyone else really.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

The saddlers I used to go to had a lovely secure shop with the house on site just across the yard. Thieves went in through the roof. Often a weak point on most buildings.
My BIL is fanatical about security but can't seem to grasp that if people seriously want your property you have very little chance of keeping them out. Security locks and chains will only deter opportunist thieves.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

I have own yard, my tack commutes daily. On very rare occasions I might leave it at yard for a few hours tucked behind hay bales at the very back of the barn, but very rarely do I do this.

Having had a few bales of hay stolen one winter from the front of the barn, a rug and my little gas stove, I'm pretty prudent. It's just bloody irritating!
I have 2 notices up to say: No tack kept here, nothing of value and all equines are easily identified and microchipped. Horsebox has immobiliser and tracker operating.

The roof or back wall seems to be the usual method of choice for many thefts, if not a brazen walk in.


Ref crooks having determination, a friend who is a motorbike dealer had just 1 bike stolen one night early this year from the showroom, obviously taken to order. Thieves broke through the wall...... literally hammered it out. Caught on CCTV at 4 in the morning pushing it out.
It was traced via tracker 5 hours later to the docks, waiting to be put in a container along with other high value bikes. That bike was a top of the range model and one of only 6 in this country.

 

[PeterNatt]

Quite allot of stolen tack is recovered but the problem is identifying who the owner is. The best way of marking tack is by getting it micro-chipped (data tagged) or post code stamped so that it can be identified. As regards lorries and trailers post code the roof in large lettering and have the windows etched with the vehicles registration number or your postcode.

 

[pansymouse]

Mine lives in the cloakroom at home and my house is fully alarmed. I just keep feed and low value bulky items in the my yard tackroom.

 

[janem_g]

our yard has 2 entrances in brick wall secured with a padlock which owners have keys to. Inside is a key box with code and inside that is key for tackroom padlock. Once door is open there are metal shutters inside with more keys and tack inside that. No windows etc and yard is on a farm estate with the big house right next door so fairly safe I hope.

 

[Polos Mum]

Tack lives in my house, other low resell value but annoying to replace is behind metal doors with 2 padlocks. Motion sensor battery alarm with code and metal roof.
If they want stuff they'll find a way in but I hope they'd make enough noise doing so to wake us up and my 6'4, 16 stone policeman husband would make sure they knew it wasn't worth coming back.
Also have noisy dogs and curtain twitching neighbours (love them - as also spot escaped dogs and un done rug straps)

 

[Farmer Chalk]

I work in the construction industry as a head of security...previous to that I spent thirty years in the Police...

I did a series of programmes with a reformed thief who taught me so so much...

The biggest lesson he taught me was to shut the gate! He stated that he hated being caught behind a closed gate...he had no excuse if confronted...

He would use just total front otherwise and would drive in to any site to scope it out for later...
if confronted he would just make up an excuse...got any scrap metal?, I”m looking for Pond Farm etc etc...

The moral of the story its all very well securing the place up at night but please don”t leave the place wide open during the day for all to see! Once they have clocked what you have got it won’t be long before they come back....

unfortunately with the advent of power tools especially small power angle grinders padlocks are of little use unless they are the enclosed type but even then a grinder will make small work of a cheap padlock...

Reduce the opportunity in the first place... keep valuables whether they be saddles or trailers lorries etc out of sight of the occasional visitor...lock machinery especially quads in a barn and use ground anchors where possible...don’t leave keys in tractors, or hide car keys under the sun visor or rubber mats! This is the first place they look!

Use things like driveway alarms..these are cheap as chips and will give you an alert in the house that someone is moving around your yard...they are battery powered and wireless and less than £35!
Mark your property!! Engrave it, stamp it, use an indelible pen...whatever...you won’t believe the amount of property that police seize from criminals but have to return it to them because they are unable to identify it... trust me it’s the worse feeling ever when they go off smirking with someone else’s property! There are lots of security kits out there many of which do specific farm kits or tack room kits... they may be the only chance of getting your stuff back...
Most importantly shut that gate! Don’t let them in...