Interesting conversation with police about 'plaits'

Its obvious.....first you find a horse you fancy nicking.

Then....you go chase the bugger round the field

Corner it.

Spend a while braiding an intricate plait without

a)getting your head kicked in
b) being discovered.

Go back at a later date having alerted the owner to the chances of said horse being nicked.

Or....turn up with trailer and nick horse.

Decisions, decisions....:cool:
 
Hippona said:
Its obvious.....first you find a horse you fancy nicking.

Then....you go chase the bugger round the field

Corner it.

Spend a while braiding an intricate plait without

a)getting your head kicked in
b) being discovered.

Go back at a later date having alerted the owner to the chances of said horse being nicked.

Or....turn up with trailer and nick horse.

Decisions, decisions....:cool:
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Exactly, what a load of tosh the police seem to have been persuaded by.
 
FfionWinnie said:
I saw an article on a police website about an intricate plait that "couldn't have happened by its self" and worryingly my horse has one just about every day.


It was a wind plait absolutely no doubt about it.
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I've seen a very good plait in a horse every single night. Not a wind plait, normally 4 strands not 3.

Took weeks before realising it was pony in field. She has a habit of rolling food in her mouth to pack out between teeth and had done the same to the horse and plaited a section neater than I could!
 
Does anyone actually know of a horse with one of these plaits that had subsequently been stolen? You see so many frantic warnings of impending mass thefts but never of it actually happening. I'm often staggered by the number of livery yards who must completely fail to notice their fields full of horses standing obediently while strangers plait their manes!
 
blackandwhite said:
Does anyone actually know of a horse with one of these plaits that had subsequently been stolen? You see so many frantic warnings of impending mass thefts but never of it actually happening. I'm often staggered by the number of livery yards who must completely fail to notice their fields full of horses standing obediently while strangers plait their manes!
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People here say there are no recorded incidents. :D
 
Dee O'Dorant said:
The trouble is that the police, who are in most cases non-horsey, have been rung up so many times by hysterics banging on about plaits that they now believe it and pass it on as gospel.
There are NO recorded cases (or weren't last year, I suppose it might possibly have changed) of any horses being stolen after having been "plaited."
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Could this not be because owners who see a plait in there horses mane and are suspicious of it take action? While horses that have been stolen could of been plaited and either owner has not checked on horse or it hasnt been noticed. :confused:

Just I doubt if someone saw a suspicious looking plait in there horses mane they wouldnt exactly think to themselves - 'I am going to leave that plait in and see if someone steals my horse' lol :)
 
Nope - I can't catch my oldie to take his plaits out - but then again no-one else could catch him to put them in. Just in my little patch I have three valuable looking horses, one broodie, one rather smart coloured foal and one obviously very elderly Welsh. The Welsh is the only one who ever gets plaited, he's also one of two that's very obviously freezemarked. So you're seriously trying to tell me that a thief decides that the only one he wants to nick is the elderly obviously freeze-marked Welsh and has brought along a dart gun (yes, the vet has threatened to dart him as he is SO difficult to catch) or has removed all the other horses from the field in order to be able to catch him, has then plaited him, ignoring the expensive horses, and after all the effort has then let him go?

There is no need to plait a horse to identify it - just take a photo on your mobile!
 
Archina said:
Could this not be because owners who see a plait in there horses mane and are suspicious of it take action? While horses that have been stolen could of been plaited and either owner has not checked on horse or it hasnt been noticed. :confused:

Just I doubt if someone saw a suspicious looking plait in there horses mane they wouldnt exactly think to themselves - 'I am going to leave that plait in and see if someone steals my horse' lol :)
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Okay, so where's the evidence it happens then? :confused:
 
But then the example your giving makes it obvious the plaits are wind knots and your welsh isnt marked to be stolen. Plus is not so easy to identify a horse in the dark by taking a pic even if your camera phone has a flash, you could probably get a clear picture of the horses face but you wouldnt get a clear one of the whole horse.

Dont get me wrong, Ive found my horses with plaits in there manes many a time and know they are just wind knots but this method was used widely in the past, the thieves are clued on so dont use this method because they know horse owners are aware of it but there will be the odd few who will still mark using a plait. Its just so rare we never hear of it. Just my opinion. :)
 
ameeyal said:
Surely theses plaits will need securing with an elastic band to keep them in, as they will just slide back out again ??
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That's the difference between a man-made plait and a wind plait, I think. If these "plaits" are never secured by bands, why not? Oh, that's right... because the wind doesn't use bands! :p
 
Archina said:
Well thats the thing, there is no evidence because the plait was never noticed! ;)
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So of all the hundreds of horses that have been found with plaits, you are suggesting that only a small number are actually stolen? Why would these supposed thieves go to the trouble then not steal the horse?
It's a nice little idea but it's just not likely at all.
 
FionaM12 said:
Soooo.... why does anyone think it happens? :confused:
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I dunno, there must have been evidence when it was more widespread. :p

HeatherAnn said:
So of all the hundreds of horses that have been found with plaits, you are suggesting that only a small number are actually stolen? Why would these supposed thieves go to the trouble then not steal the horse?
It's a nice little idea but it's just not likely at all.
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You missed my point entirely! Only a small number where actually marked to be stolen but cause of the hysteria of it all people who find wind plaits in there horses mane assume its been marked by thieves.


P.S. I am not saying thats the gods honest truth, its just my theory! :p lol
 
i have never understood the idea of marking a horse to be stolen, be it by plait or any other means, why go to the trouble of possibly notifying an owner that their horse is going to be stolen when it is easier to just load the horse and go, no messing about with plaits or paint:rolleyes:.
 
Ok on Monday my little bumble had what appeared to be a plait in his mane, pointed out to me by my 8year old. who said "who did that?"
hahahaha.

Well its still there today, as I havent bothered to sort it yet, half term tomorrow... let the kid do it. haha. so think these are some slow criminals, as they have not returned to get their plaited.

Anyways heres 2 pics of it.

IMG-20121022-00969.jpg

IMG-20121022-00970.jpg
 
Ibblebibble said:
i have never understood the idea of marking a horse to be stolen, be it by plait or any other means, why go to the trouble of possibly notifying an owner that their horse is going to be stolen when it is easier to just load the horse and go, no messing about with plaits or paint:rolleyes:.
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I always thought this too, its not that hard to distinguish between horses if you know what your doing. :rolleyes: lol
 
Archina said:
Just I doubt if someone saw a suspicious looking plait in there horses mane they wouldnt exactly think to themselves - 'I am going to leave that plait in and see if someone steals my horse' lol :)
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I have an incredibly ugly 2 year old filly who always has 'plaits' in her mane - she's out with 9 other 2 year olds in a field 3 miles down the road and I keep HOPING someone might steal her. :rolleyes: It would be easy too - as she's the easiest to catch and load! So I left the plaits in for MONTHS.

Had to pull her mane and plait her properly when she went for grading - then chucked her back in the field down the road and within a week she had 'plaits' in her much shorter, thinner mane! Leaving them there just doesn't work - horse thieves can spot a fugly horse when they see one!:D
 
I was always relieved to find that out of a field of 5, where two were fit active horses, and three were wobbly older horses, it was always the 20 year old Standardbred mare with an obviously healed break in her fetlock joint, evidence of pin firing and COPD severe enough to need an inhalter who had the plaits :D

(And yes, they all had long manes...)
 
Hi ... just responding to a message I had from someone and noticed yours. Believe it our not its true. I didn't believe my mum for several years until it happened to our ponies. They are usually hidden under the mane and are two twisted strands intricately looped and knotted at the end so that they don't come loose. They're clearly not for marking for theft as after all these years the ponies would have been long gone. The closest I've come to an explanation (halloween admitted it is almost so excuse timing!!) is that horses have magical powers in white witch craft and it could be connected. To be honest who else would get up at the crack of dawn (typically happens at Spring Equinox for example) and fiddle around plaiting ponies manes? The odd one became very head shy after being clearly disturbed over a while by who ever the visitors are. We were unable to get anywhere near his ear, so whether he'd been twitched to plait his mane and keep him still I'm not sure. I do think its unusually and it usually takes a good year or two to bring yourself round to it really being a plait and not the wind or other horses rubbing each others manes, but its true. I had three pieces as samples from different ponies and photos to prove it. Curious all though it may be! Best wishes.
 
They must really want my ancient old pony - as not only have they plaited him, but added some rustic looking burrs as well......clearly so many ponies in the area are being 'marked' that mine was singled out for special treatment!
He would happily trot off with anyone who rustled a paperbag at him - let alone a bucket of grub........! (greedy, not starved, I hasten to add)
 
dressedkez said:
They must really want my ancient old pony - as not only have they plaited him, but added some rustic looking burrs as well......clearly so many ponies in the area are being 'marked' that mine was singled out for special treatment!
He would happily trot off with anyone who rustled a paperbag at him - let alone a bucket of grub........! (greedy, not starved, I hasten to add)
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Hi ... he sounds very sweet! I think the main concern is if they are cruel to the ponies. Some of ours have been quite traumatised by the experience and then prove difficult to catch. Others don't seem too bothered. The native that had an extremely long mane and the one often meddled with the most I've put out on loan two hours away from home and who ever it is/was don't seem to be as attached to the other ponies (thankfully!). You just don't know when it will all end. Hopefully nothing more that a plait or two. It is also a little worrying who might be hanging around the property late at night!
 
WYorks said:
Hi ... he sounds very sweet! I think the main concern is if they are cruel to the ponies. Some of ours have been quite traumatised by the experience and then prove difficult to catch. Others don't seem too bothered. The native that had an extremely long mane and the one often meddled with the most I've put out on loan two hours away from home and who ever it is/was don't seem to be as attached to the other ponies (thankfully!). You just don't know when it will all end. Hopefully nothing more that a plait or two. It is also a little worrying who might be hanging around the property late at night!
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Who's cruel to the ponies? :confused: The consensus of this thread is the plaits are made by the wind. I think Dresseskez was joking. :)
 
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