MANE PLAITED - CHIRK WREXHAM

[Moomin1]

I haven't read any of this thread other than the last couple of posts, but just to say that odd things can happen. I am not a believer of the old 'plaits in mane' thing at all.

But a few summers ago Cobrastyle and I kept finding our horses (they were out 24/7) with rug straps undone (dog clip ones) - one would be undone, then another an hour later, then the entire neck of the fly rug would be undone and pulled down. We went through all of the options as to what could be doing it - were they grooming each other and undoing straps somehow (this was happening more than once per day), was someone playing a joke etc etc. Then one day Cobrastyle went up to check them and found her pony's headcollar (thick nylon) sliced in two places with a sharp blade. We tried scissors and everything to try and cut it to see what they must have used - and the only thing that managed to cut it was a razor sharp stanley knife. We shifted them straight out of the field for a good 6 months and hid them away in another, and thankfully nothing more happened.

Still a mystery, but most definately did take place...

 

[cptrayes]

Sahara you are not a deluded freak, and if padlocks were cut they were cut and if men were scared away from your field after cutting padlocks and there was no trailer or lorry parked in the field too, then your horses were involved in an attempted theft.

But I would eat my hat if your horse had a clipper mark to show which horse to steal, or if the woman and child seen talking to your horse and the guy seen taking photos were anything but innocent members of the public and completely co-incidental. If I had a horse nicked every time anyone was seen taking photos near my land, I would lose a horse a week in the summer. I'd still lose one a month if a "distinguishing mark" appeared around the same time as a person taking photos.

Yes please to seeing your clipper mark photo if you still have it.

 

[SaharaS]

Sarah you are not a deluded freak, and if padlocks were cut they were cut and if men were scared away from your field after cutting padlocks and there was no trailer or lorry parked in the field too, then your horses were involved in an attempted theft.

But I would eat my hat if your horse had a clipper mark to show which horse to steal, or if the woman and child seen talking to your horse and the guy seen taking photos were anything but innocent members of the public and completely co-incidental. If I had a horse nicked every time anyone was seen taking photos near my land, I would lose a horse a week in the summer. I'd still lose one a month if a "distinguishing mark" appeared around the same time as a person taking photos.

Yes please to seeing your clipper mark photo if you still have it.

gladly-please email me your email address so I can fwd -on the understanding that I do NOT want my email linked to or posted on here or anywhere else on line please-pics happy to but no personal details or email address

 

[pookie]

Or...

Pagan worshippers are suspected of weaving horses’ manes to cast spells on the animals after police investigated a series of bizarre incidents http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/new...cidents-caused-by-Pagans-police-believe.html#

I've yet to see one blamed on aliens or illegal immigrants. I'm holding out hope the Daily Mail will be right on this.



On a serious note, and playing devil's advocate, there's a possibility some thieves have heard the stories and take it on as a thing to do...goes from urban myth to self-fulfilling prophecy?

 

[FionaM12]

Or...

Pagan worshippers are suspected of weaving horses’ manes to cast spells on the animals after police investigated a series of bizarre incidents http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/new...cidents-caused-by-Pagans-police-believe.html#

I've yet to see one blamed on aliens or illegal immigrants. I'm holding out hope the Daily Mail will be right on this.

On a serious note, and playing devil's advocate, there's a possibility some thieves have heard the stories and take it on as a thing to do...goes from urban myth to self-fulfilling prophecy?

But there again... why? If they think the horse community's on the lookout for plaits and "markings" wouldn't it be a daft thing to do, like warning the owners of impending theft?

 

[FionaM12]

Well I am obviously a deluded freak then..thank you all for totally not getting what I'm saying.thank you all fro assuming I imagined it all...and doubting me. I am clearly completely wrong and have ot got a clue about what HAS happened in my own life

No-one has said or implied any of those things. The only one being unpleasant is you, by calling people idiots.

 

[pookie]

But there again... why? If they think the horse community's on the lookout for plaits and "markings" wouldn't it be a daft thing todo, like warning the owners of impending theft?

No one said thieves are the brightest bulbs in the cupboard under the sink You can always rely on some criminals being stratospherically dumb. Maybe that's a reason so few horses are stolen in reality? Stumbling around in the dark, incompetently trying to find the plaits the owners have already removed?

 

[TED2010]

Sahara you are not a deluded freak, and if padlocks were cut they were cut and if men were scared away from your field after cutting padlocks and there was no trailer or lorry parked in the field too, then your horses were involved in an attempted theft.

But I would eat my hat if your horse had a clipper mark to show which horse to steal, or if the woman and child seen talking to your horse and the guy seen taking photos were anything but innocent members of the public and completely co-incidental. If I had a horse nicked every time anyone was seen taking photos near my land, I would lose a horse a week in the summer. I'd still lose one a month if a "distinguishing mark" appeared around the same time as a person taking photos.

Yes please to seeing your clipper mark photo if you still have it.

Sorry but is it not possible that these people seen around before a theft/attempted theft is made are not sussing out how quiet the horse or horses are, whether they are easy to catch/handle etc? It doesn't sound unlikely to me for a theif to send a woman and child who would not necessarily arouse suspicion. I'm not convinced about the plaiting thing being for the purposes of marking horses but if some people are convinced that their horses HAVE been plaited an it's definitely not a wind plait I wouldn't judge them. There are some seriously weird, sick an twisted people out there and I there was anything at all suspicious happening in my area I would rather hear about it even if it is a hoax or false alarm.

Also, isn't it going against the faith of a vicar to make things up? As somebody suggested that Sahara was only going on the word of somebody else. If you can't trust a vicar who can you trust!!?

 

[hairycob]

No one is saying that there weren't dodgy goings on - only that it is far more likely that they were after stuff rather than horses. Even if they had a trailer/lorry it's likely to be so that they can load bigger items like a quad easily or even just so they can fill all the yard barrows with tack etc & load them quickly & quietly.
If I had a sleepless night for every time my cob had a realistic looking plait I would have died of exhaustion long ago. The little blighter even manages to acquire them while he is being ridden. I have had him nearly 2 years & he gets them almost daily, my YO is 78 & deaf as a post, he is the easiest horse in the world to load & the fields are surrounded by easily accessible fields. If anybody was marking him to steal he would be long gone.

 

[SaharaS]

No-one has said or implied any of those things. The only one being unpleasant is you, by calling people idiots.

Please feel free to report me if you are so insulted...I actually feel the tone of the posts was directed at me and ofcourse everyone else is entitled to their own very knowledgeable opinions.

Sits back and awaits for the witchhunt/holiday to begin.

Photos have been forwarded and I have nothing more to prove to anyone who doubts my word so am now walking away.Life is too short to waste

 

[rose bud]

Goodness me!! All this because someone wanted to warn people about the possibility of their horses being marked?? I thought that the op was doing a good deed and if you didn't believe that horses were marked this way before being stolen you probably wouldn't bother reading the post.
I live in the same sort of area as op and this had happened to a friend of mine before a man was disturbed late at night cutting the chain on the horses gate, coincidence maybe, but it doesn't hurt for people to be aware of the possibility of such thing happening.
I feel very sorry for the op having read the first few comments that were made to them, being a new member it hardly gives a good impression of the forum, and if I got this reaction to my first post I don't think that I would be back either!

 

[TED2010]

Goodness me!! All this because someone wanted to warn people about the possibility of their horses being marked?? I thought that the op was doing a good deed and if you didn't believe that horses were marked this way before being stolen you probably wouldn't bother reading the post.
I live in the same sort of area as op and this had happened to a friend of mine before a man was disturbed late at night cutting the chain on the horses gate, coincidence maybe, but it doesn't hurt for people to be aware of the possibility of such thing happening.
I feel very sorry for the op having read the first few comments that were made to them, being a new member it hardly gives a good impression of the forum, and if I got this reaction to my first post I don't think that I would be back either!

Well said!

 

[FionaM12]

Sorry but is it not possible that these people seen around before a theft/attempted theft is made are not sussing out how quiet the horse or horses are, whether they are easy to catch/handle etc?

Also, isn't it going against the faith of a vicar to make things up? As somebody suggested that Sahara was only going on the word of somebody else. If you can't trust a vicar who can you trust!!?

It's not impossible, but unlikely, given that actual horse thefts are extremely rare. I'm not suggesting the vicar lied, it's just that it's a piece of anecdotal evidence and means little in the end. There are so many other reasons why an adult and child might go and have a chat with a horse which are far more likely than that they were part of a conspiracy to steal!

Someone was spotted in Mollie's field approaching her the other week. When challenged he said he was going to save the poor horse which had a carrier bag over her head.

It was her new, bright white flymask.

 

[hairycob]

Rose bud
These threads pop up regularly & cause a lot of people to panic for no reason. The OP was clearly frightened because she had heard these tales of plaiting before theft. If there is no real evidence that they are true how is it doing a good deed to allow them to be perpetuated & for even more people to be unnecessarily frightened. The OP (& some other posters on this thread) is a victim of these myths being spread & has been frightened & no doubt had a few sleepless nights because of it.
Every time people post a pic of these plaits they have been plain ordinary wind plaits.
There have been no recorded cases of a horse being marked & then stolen.

The important messages re equestrian crime are:
Horse theft from the field does happen but it is rare. Most horses that are stolen go missing on loan.
Thefts of tack/rugs etc is extremely common. It is not uncommon for horses to escape because tack thieves have gone across a field to the yard rather than through the yard entrance - darker, maybe screened from YO house.
Freezemarking will not only protect your horse from stolen, but if it escapes/gets seperated from you can be traced back to you quickly. Also if you have an accident & are lying unconcious somewhere & your horse is found it may help the emergency authorities find you more quickly.
Tack/rugs/other equipment can be marked to discourage theft & to enable stolen items to be returned if recovered. Marking can make all the difference in enabling the police to link a recovered item to a crime & being able to press charges.
Marking low value items that get left in general view such as buckets, sweatscrapers will discourage potential thieves from looking further.

 

[FionaM12]

Rose bud
These threads pop up regularly & cause a lot of people to panic for no reason. The OP was clearly frightened because she had heard these tales of plaiting before theft. If there is no real evidence that they are true how is it doing a good deed to allow them to be perpetuated & for even more people to be unnecessarily frightened. The OP (& some other posters on this thread) is a victim of these myths being spread & has been frightened & no doubt had a few sleepless nights because of it.
Every time people post a pic of these plaits they have been plain ordinary wind plaits.
There have been no recorded cases of a horse being marked & then stolen.

The important messages re equestrian crime are:
Horse theft from the field does happen but it is rare. Most horses that are stolen go missing on loan.
Thefts of tack/rugs etc is extremely common. It is not uncommon for horses to escape because tack thieves have gone across a field to the yard rather than through the yard entrance - darker, maybe screened from YO house.
Freezemarking will not only protect your horse from stolen, but if it escapes/gets seperated from you can be traced back to you quickly. Also if you have an accident & are lying unconcious somewhere & your horse is found it may help the emergency authorities find you more quickly.
Tack/rugs/other equipment can be marked to discourage theft & to enable stolen items to be returned if recovered. Marking can make all the difference in enabling the police to link a recovered item to a crime & being able to press charges.
Marking low value items that get left in general view such as buckets, sweatscrapers will discourage potential thieves from looking further.

Seems sensible to me. I do feel the best thing is just being vigilant, considering a bold freezemark and having decent security as above. These "warnings" cause alarm and sleepless nights, when in fact if there are no recorded cases, you might as well lie awake worrying about your horse being struck by lightening!