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Greenfields1

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Hi everyone,


I am new on here, I was wondering if anyone could offer me some advice on security ideas for my horse field.

I have 1 horse and 2 ponies all of which are rescued 2 was from Bodmin moor totally untouched at the time they were a 12 year old mare and a foal at foot.They have been in the same field for 8 years now and up until early last year we had no problems, until one of my rails was pulled off n the edge of the field, my field runs along side of a A road one side and a wood and a field the other, at first we thought it must have been one of the horses pulling the rail off but a week later another rail was off and behind the post and rail is a wire fence 3 strands of the wire was cut.

The rails was being pulled of and wire strands had been being cut for over 6 months roughly 3 times a week, each time the police was called, we sat in the field most of the night on several occasions but did not catch anyone. One morning on arriving at the field one of the wooden gates that was on a fence dividing the field was pulled off, we looked for hoof marks in case one of the horses had ran into it but there was no marks on the ground. We decided to replace the post and rails that divided the centre of the field with wooden posts and electric just in case it was the horses as they hopefully wouldn't go through an electric fence, the electric unit was locked away and hidden my lights for the stable and fence was run off this, sadly it lasted about a fortnight before the electric box, the lights, the electric fencing was stolen.

One night a large bale of hay was stolen from the field while it was being eaten. The field is not near any housing estates and is not where you would walk by unless you wanted a good walk. The police have been called endless times and all they can suggest is planting a Hawthorne hedge, which my partner happens to do for a living and we both know it would take several years to establish.

Two weeks ago five fence posts was pulled out of the field but it was next to a stream so the horses did not go through.

Then last week I got a phone call at 7am from the farmer saying my horses were on her back garden!!!! I am sure the car broke the sound barrier as we went to get them. On return to the field five posts including a straining post had been pulled out of the field and the horses went for a wonder luckily over the fields.

I am really at my wits end now I am pregnant and am so so stressed, We have been looking for somewhere to move them to but at the moment have not found anywhere suitable where all 3 could go together, the little old pony is not the easiest in the world to do, she has never been boxed apart from getting her to me, I am so worried about trying to load them at the side of the road but the field is so muddy at the moment we could not get a trailer in to load them if we did find somewhere for them to go. She will lead short distances but she has never been on the main road before she is just basically a companion for the other 2.

We are not allowed to put a caravan in the field as I would stay there to see if it would put them off. We have signs up saying police aware and all they seem to be good for is for the ponies to lick! and now with all the rain the field is like a wetland reserve but I dare not lock them in the stables where dry as I hate to think what would happen.

Sorry for such a post and if anyone has any ideas please let me know. I have plenty of ideas for if we catch them and the police is not one of them!!!

Again sorry for the long post.
 
Completely understand why you are so upset and worried. I can't think of anything very constructive right now but wanted to offer moral support. I don't know where you are based but it might be worth contacting your local parish council and putting some notices up in local shops asking for people passing to keep their eyes open and contact you if there is anything unusual or amiss - round here, everyone seems to keep an eye on everyone's land (usually for lampers or people stealing crops) so it works like an informal neighbourhood watch system.
 
Dig a ditch & pile up the earth on the ponies side, with a fence still between ponies & bankings? The bankings if steep will stop ponies getting out to ditch. And by the sounds of it whoever is doing it clearly wants ponies to escape, if that's physically impossible they might not bother. And/or a few metres thickness round the perimeter loads of big stones or broken bricks, on the outside of the fence. If ponies rarely do roadwork, chances are walking over broken bricks & stones would be unpleasant enough to keep them in even if fence is removed.
 
I agree with the security company, does not have to cost alot but would scare the person doing it! We have security at my yard, someone tried to steal stuff from our tack room, had a nasty shock with two blokes and a huge dog on their arse!!! Also helps we have armed response next door so if anyone tried to touch my horses I'd want them shot!!!!

Good luck op. I know it's not alot but if they wanted the horses they would of had them by now xx
 
What horrid people, sounds like they don't want to steal the horses, just cause you some major hassle! Any way you could put up camera's? I guess with the gate you can concrete in the posts, and padlock at both ends, but you can't do that all the way round!
Like littlelegs' idea of a ditch.
 
Thank you for your replies I will try them, onto making posters now.

I think they would have stolen them by now, even though they would bring them back in an hour! The police said to me if my horses get on the main road and are going to cause an accident they can shoot them!!!! I don't leave an head collar on them just in case someone leads them out, I don't think they would go to people they didn't know, Jack my horse was rescued from road racing in a Sulki and the slightest thing upsets him, even a change in a rug it took me 4 days to get his new rug on this year as it was a different colour :confused: In a way its good they wont go to someone they don't know but at the same time its a bad thing. I am based in Carlton in Lindrick, Nottinghamshire. Again sorry for the long post
 
If you can't actually catch them damaging the fencing is it worth trying to find out why from a different angle?

Does someone else want the land? Either for themselves as grazing or as access to a building site for instance? Might be worth looking at any planning applications in the area and/or any new sales in the locality...it's amazing what lengths people will go to get their own way.

The other thing to do is to spread the word far and wide about what is happening - talk to schools (in case it is kids), local RCs, the local paper and radio stations. Also contact walking clubs (extra pairs of eyes) and any off roaders/greenlaners around plus your farriers, feed merchants and vets. Basically anybody who'll stand still long enough to listen just to make hanging around your field too hot to handle.

I would also ask the police to drive (and slow down) by your boundary on the A road regularly - this would be crime prevention at it's best due to the potential of a serious accident on the road if the horses are let out!
 
At the animal shelter where I used to work they had a similar issue of people breaking in and freeing the animals causing havoc as some of the dogs were aggressive :-(

What they did was buy dummy cameras ff e-bay rather cheap and put them at the gate and then bought a sign saying " say cheese for the camera"

Low and behold it never happened again :D
 
www.trail-camera.co.uk/Scoutguard .htm
Expensive but may be away to find out who is doing this, you will have to make a hidden secure camera box. The photos are sent direct to your mobile phone. The police will not prosicute from this but may be able to warn someone off. Also I know it seems extreme but how about a private detective they may have all the equipment and expertease. This seems more than just vandelism as you have to have alot of intent to shift a straining post.
Read this,if nothing else it will make you feel you are not alone, there are before and after pics. I could not beleave my eyes.
http://horsegossip.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=120013&page=1
 
cbmcts said:
If you can't actually catch them damaging the fencing is it worth trying to find out why from a different angle?

Does someone else want the land? Either for themselves as grazing or as access to a building site for instance? Might be worth looking at any planning applications in the area and/or any new sales in the locality...it's amazing what lengths people will go to get their own way.
Click to expand...

This was my first thought too.

Do you own the land or rent it?

If you rent, I would suggest speaking to the landowner to a) find out whether they have had any enquiries from other people about the field and b) to see whether the landowner would help with any security measures.

If you decide to stay there (and I wouldn't, I'd have chickened out and fled by now)
I think my next thing to do would be to try to set up some CCTV that you can link to your house in real time.

I don't know how that works or how much it costs but I know one of my friends has their yard/school/stables inside and out linked to a screen at their house.

At this stage I would'nt advertise the fact you have CCTV - hide the cameras (otherwise they will be stolen!) and have them on night-vision if possible.

it all sounds really scary, and I have been driven out of 2 fields by nasty people doing things so I know how hideous the whole thing becomes.

Good luck to you
 
Do you go up roughly at the same time everyday?another suggestion would be to carry on as normal with your routine in morning and go up maybe during the day at different times and of an evening if possible as this deters people sometimes,as your times will be unpredictable.Has the land owner seen any strange activity with horses/ponies at any points of the day?Is it morning or afternoons they are let out as could be a pattern as to what time they are letting them out?Really hope it gets sorted for you OP and hope neddies are ok.You got my sympathy and hope it all stops and the ******s are caught!
 
Is the fencing being left or taken? Some people steal wooden fencing. If it was only one person they may not be able to take much in one go and keep coming back for a bit more. I ask because it seems the places the fence is down is where the horses are least likely to escape? They could have decided the gate was too heavy to carry, so left it. A horrid situation whatever the cause. I hope you find a way to put a stop to the vandals/thieves.
 
Sorry to hear the troubles your having, people can be vile, have pm'ed you contact details for a good friend who is in your area, they might be able to help you find other grazing or simply give you some local support x
 
What a nghtmare...very petty people with way to much time on there hands! I used to live in Carlton when I was growing up, Bamburgh House opposite the green...my dad built it!
Is there anywhere you could take them for the short term...is the riding school on the way to worksop still there? What about getting some geese...they are great guard dogs and will make plenty of noise if they are disturbed. I have had a similar situation...not with my horses but with idiots who for about a year were shouting abuse everytime they drove past and pinching thngs from the garden and dumping them down the road. I did a stake out and caught them red handed...gave them a load of verbal and funnily enough we have never been bothered since, my kids said I sounded like dog the bounty hunter!
Very difficult when you are pregnant, and not a great time of year but is there any rough tough blokes you could pay to camp over...I am guessing they are going to be young lads thinkng its really funny rather than horse thiefs so probably wouldnt take alot of 'scaring'!
 
Please don't take this the wrong way ,but have you upset some one or is there some one who has a grudge against you or your family.

Also it could be some one after your field for some reason , worth looking into.

I really feel for you ,it must be quite a worry.

I hope you get to the bottom of this.
 
Just to point out that if you do have CCTV put up I believe you legally have to have signs stating that. I would put up CCTV have rape alarms attached to things they may try to open or steal and have two fences or the ditch. Know it's a pain but at least your ponies will be safer :( hope things get sorted x
 
Similar thing happened at a friends yard. Gates kept getting lifted etc so they installed lasers that trigger an alarm although this may not be possible in a field and probably quite expensive :/
I hope you get it sorted!
 
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