need some suggestions for catching a feed thief or thieves

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jackbobs

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i have had a few weeks off from the stables because ive just had a baby so my horses are being cared for by the YO on full livery and my friend sophie, Since ive been away sophie has noticed that my feed seemed to be going down fast... and she was right. I buy my feed for the month ahead and what would usually last me 4 weeks lasted 10 days!!!! so angry as one of my boys has some very expensive stuff, hes your typical lean thoroughbred with gastric problems so his food bill alone is about 100 pound a month. My boyfriend said he would get me some big lockable boxes which will instantly solve the problem but im that angry id take great pleasure in catching who ever it is. anyone got any ideas?
It makes my blood boil. as far as im concerned if you cant afford to feed your horse dont keep them! or move to a cheaper yard, the yard is quite expensive but lovely, ive been there a year now and this is the first time ive had a problem. My yard owner is aware but as we cant prove who is stealing she cant really do much about it. Has anyone ever caught a thief... love to hear your stories
 
i think it would be very difficult to find who is doing it, how frustrating, especially when it's expensive and they must be taking at least half of it! you need hidden cctv really, but the cost of that probably isnt worth it. or keeping an eye on who never fills up their feed bin or doesnt seem to buy it often.
 
What is your feed kept in now? Could you coat the underside of the handle/catch with sheep raddle/sheep marker/purple spray or hoof oil and get your YO to lift the lid off by holding it each side of the lid so they dont get it on themselves?

Or maybe give your YO your weekly feeds in bags and then put mousetraps in the bin, you wouldnt necessarily catch anyone red handed but you'd make it clear you know there is a theif

Or maybe divide sacks of feed in to potions labelled Mon, Tues, Weds and fill the bin with the filled bags

Or the classic 'buy your own feed you cheapskate' note in the bin is always a good one!
 
its so annoying, think im still hormonal from the pregnancy also so im even angrier ha ha, maybe i could hide my video camera? never even thought about a camera...

omg the mouse trap thing is really funny ha ha... it could work as a deterant, people would think id lost the plot if i went round checking for red fingers though haha
 
Get some bright green food dye, mix with a little oil and coat the inside of the handle. :)

Does the yo live on site and have interenet? if so hook up a webcam. :)
 
WelshD said:
What is your feed kept in now? Could you coat the underside of the handle/catch with sheep raddle/sheep marker/purple spray or hoof oil and get your YO to lift the lid off by holding it each side of the lid so they dont get it on themselves?

Or maybe give your YO your weekly feeds in bags and then put mousetraps in the bin, you wouldnt necessarily catch anyone red handed but you'd make it clear you know there is a theif

Or maybe divide sacks of feed in to potions labelled Mon, Tues, Weds and fill the bin with the filled bags

Or the classic 'buy your own feed you cheapskate' note in the bin is always a good one!
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HA, really bugs me.. im the kind of person too that if someone was short i would happily help them out, they only need to ask. who ever is doing it isnt even being sneaky, Sophie pre soaks the speedy beet the night before, she said she did a new bucket full only to find an empty bucket the day after!!
maybe some hoof oil or something might be a good one, something that will stick to them so when they go back to messing with there horse the horse will be covered in it then YO can go out when everyones gone and have a look. Another girl on the yard said today that she had 2 bags of shavings swiped last week!!
 
Holzdweaver said:
Get some bright green food dye, mix with a little oil and coat the inside of the handle. :)

Does the yo live on site and have interenet? if so hook up a webcam. :)
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im not good with modern tech lol but thats a brilliant idea... theres no denying it if they are on camera. she does live on site, is it simple to set up?
 
I so hate people who steal things. Several years ago I had the same thing happen to me, to catch them is very hard so what I did was just leave a note inside my bin saying .......

I can afford to feed my horse, but not anyone else's so keep your thieving mits off of my horses feed, and buy your b...dy own.

I just let them know that I was aware they were stealing my food and guess what it very soon stopped. I hope you can sort this out, why should you have to lock things away makes me sick.
 
ebonyallen said:
I so hate people who steal things. Several years ago I had the same thing happen to me, to catch them is very hard so what I did was just leave a note inside my bin saying .......

I can afford to feed my horse, but not anyone else's so keep your thieving mits off of my horses feed, and buy your b...dy own.

I just let them know that I was aware they were stealing my food and guess what it very soon stopped. I hope you can sort this out, why should you have to lock things away makes me sick.
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way

yes it makes my blood boil!! its as if someone has clocked that im not there much and that different people are looking after my boys so wont notice its gone! its really annoyed me. I really want to catch who ever it is, YO said if there was any way we could catch them they will be asked to leave
 
If you've just had a baby do you have a baby monitor with a camera you could manage without for a day? If you left the monitor with the YO they would be alerted to who is stealing first hand.
I hate it when people take things that don't belong to them and things like hay and feed are hard to prove unless you catch them in the act. I hope you get it sorted as it's very stressful and upsetting to have people steal from you.
 
If you want a dye that lasts for days, the blue stuff for your loo won't come off no matter how much you scrub. I discovered this when giving my loo a thorough clean the afternoon before a dinner date with OH at a posh restaurant. Rub a damp block of bloo on the handle and tell YO to watch for the person who looks like a smurf.
 
It is annoying and upsetting. I had the same a few weeks ago
I left notes in the scoop one said leave my feed alone thief!!
Other said hands of. Buy your own feed
So far so good.
 
SadKen said:
If you want a dye that lasts for days, the blue stuff for your loo won't come off no matter how much you scrub. I discovered this when giving my loo a thorough clean the afternoon before a dinner date with OH at a posh restaurant. Rub a damp block of bloo on the handle and tell YO to watch for the person who looks like a smurf.
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is that the little blue round blocks you put in the cistern ?
we have a thief at our yard and my feed is going missing too, although mine has been left alone this week after i told the thief in question (we all know who it is but can't prove it ) that i had been chucked off my last yard for breaking someones fingers for stealing my feed :D
its so annoying , our thief has a well covered cob who doesn't even need feed :(
 
Can the person feeding your horse tell if feed is disappearing daily or in large amounts at one time?

I'd be furious, I agree about a dye or something similar on your bin handles, that way there's no way they won't be caught unless they wear latex gloves round yard.

A note in bin 'someone is stealing my feed' might make them feel guilty and make them aware that the yard and you know. :)
 
SadKen said:
If you want a dye that lasts for days, the blue stuff for your loo won't come off no matter how much you scrub. I discovered this when giving my loo a thorough clean the afternoon before a dinner date with OH at a posh restaurant. Rub a damp block of bloo on the handle and tell YO to watch for the person who looks like a smurf.
Click to expand...

I'm going to remember this one :D

Hope you catch the thief OP.
 
I accidentally caught a feed thief. We couldn't understand why my good doer was dropping weight, checked all the usual teeth etc... Then one night I had left but had to go back for my jacket that I had forgotten and lo and behold in my stable one of the other liveries was emptying my girls feed bucket into hers!!!! Surprisingly it stopped after she bounced across the yard. :-)
 
SadKen said:
If you want a dye that lasts for days, the blue stuff for your loo won't come off no matter how much you scrub. I discovered this when giving my loo a thorough clean the afternoon before a dinner date with OH at a posh restaurant. Rub a damp block of bloo on the handle and tell YO to watch for the person who looks like a smurf.
Click to expand...

I have to say that there is no way I would put chemicals anywhere near my horse's feed.
 
Well to be fair my comment was meant to be tongue in cheek. However if it's on the handle of a bin, it's nowhere near the feed itself. Wouldn't worry me but to each their own!
 
I'd suggest you sitting in the feed bin. Ideally wearing a policeman's outfit. As soon as the lid lifts pop up and start blowing your whistle. At this point they'll probably start running. Give chase, whilst screaming 'STOP, thief' and call for back up.
I'd probably follow up with circulating the suspects pictures via social media.
Hope this helps.
 
We keep our feed at home in a shed because my ponies live in a rented paddock with no storage. When my sister moved diy livery yards she stopped keeping separate feed at yard and just takes individual feeds for her horse from our shed. She uses 3kg feed supplement tubs with lids, labelled for each day. It's for convenience really, as he has medication in sachets, but it incidentally stops thieving! She always makes sure, she has at least one at yard, v useful when snowed in and YO fed horses instead.
If it doesn't stop might be worth taking away quantity of feed to make it harder for thief to help themselves while you're on maternity.
 
Elsiecat said:
I'd suggest you sitting in the feed bin. Ideally wearing a policeman's outfit. As soon as the lid lifts pop up and start blowing your whistle. At this point they'll probably start running. Give chase, whilst screaming 'STOP, thief' and call for back up.
I'd probably follow up with circulating the suspects pictures via social media.
Hope this helps.
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LOL :D
 
Elsiecat said:
I'd suggest you sitting in the feed bin. Ideally wearing a policeman's outfit. As soon as the lid lifts pop up and start blowing your whistle. At this point they'll probably start running. Give chase, whilst screaming 'STOP, thief' and call for back up.
I'd probably follow up with circulating the suspects pictures via social media.
Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

rofl! :D
 
Get an empty feed bin and put the feed in there - if it was me, i'd hide it in my trailer. Leave the original feed bin where it is, empty. Inside said bin, leave a note saying "THANKS FOR PROVIDING YOUR DNA TO A STERILISED BIN - the police will be in touch"

Ooooooooooooo if ONLY !!!!!!!!! I once told a male YO/farmer (who was high up in farmwatch) that my feed was being stolen, but unfortunately i think she happened to be a "livery with benefits" for him. :rolleyes: I left asap.

I can't stand anyone touching ANY of my stuff now - and can't wait to have my own land.
 
twobearsarthur said:
I accidentally caught a feed thief. We couldn't understand why my good doer was dropping weight, checked all the usual teeth etc... Then one night I had left but had to go back for my jacket that I had forgotten and lo and behold in my stable one of the other liveries was emptying my girls feed bucket into hers!!!! Surprisingly it stopped after she bounced across the yard. :-)
Click to expand...

Stealing feed from someones feedbin is bad enough, but this???!!!! :eek:
At the last yard me and my friend were at, it was just us two, YO and 1 other woman. Friend caught YO in other liveries stable in the evening, taking out the hay from the horses haynet and stuffing it into her own haynet for her horse :mad: we left very quickly :)
the blue dye on handle is a good idea and wont be expensive :)
hope you manage the catch the thief OP :D
 
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