New year, new theif

Embo

Embo

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Just a general moan :( why do people steal things? Really brings an unpleasant atmosphere to the yard.

A few things have gone missing - for me, it was my leadrope (in the past a hoof pick, fly spray and rugs tampered with!). Not a big thing and easily replaced, but it's the principle of it. I shouldn't have to replace something because someone else decided they want it for themselves!

It was one with a chain as Tom chews ropes, so I got it especially for this reason. I left the yard at 6.30pm and it was there on it's hook, attached to headcollar (I even hang a haynet over the top on the same hook for the next morning so not like it was left on show), came up next morning at 8am and it's gone. I wandered around asking everyone if they've seen it in the hopes it might find it's way back, but no joy.

I'm not the only one, two other people have had leadropes go, another has lost their shavings fork and someone else a full bottle of expensive shampoo... the list goes on. Not to mention hay being taken from haynets and stable doors subsequently left open - with horses inside!!

I just don't understand it. I suppose it's all being stolen to sell on (apart from hay), but if you go to those sorts of measures then why have a horse? Instead of punishing those of us who can afford it, or work very hard in order to afford it.

Now back to locking absolutely everything away and being suspicious of people you thought you could trust.

Not a good start to the new year :(
 
I remember one poster on here finding out who their thief was by planting a bottle of fly spray or something similar, along with a healthy dose of purple spray - did make me smile at the time, as the poor horse belonging to the culprit looked purple for a bit! However Amymay is right, what is your yard owner/manager doing about it?
 
iconique said:
I remember one poster on here finding out who their thief was by planting a bottle of fly spray or something similar, along with a healthy dose of purple spray - did make me smile at the time, as the poor horse belonging to the culprit looked purple for a bit! However Amymay is right, what is your yard owner/manager doing about it?
Click to expand...

That is a fantastic idea!!
 
I remember that thread, quite effective wasn't it... Will remember it for summer.
I've lost few things this last year, none turned up,
Pot of sudocrem
Spray hippo care
New lead roap
Red face brush
Red hoof pick with light in the end..

I've descreatly looked in others tack boxes, but never found them.. Annoying isn't it.
 
It's sad that it makes you want to lock everything away. I got to the point where everything grooming wise, saddle cloths and tack were all locked away or attached to the saddle rack with long bike locks, and hay was always left in a certain way so I knew if it was tampered with. Really annoyed me so I went to a place on my own.
 
I was at one yard and things started going missing including bute and antibiotics the vet had prescribed my horse. Someone had their book of dressage tests, another a pair of joddy boots, a rug, the list went on. We complained to yo but it wasn't until my benice headcollar went that yo took it seriously as she herself had been last to use it and knew where it had been left. A student from the local agri college had been doing part time work on the yard, we had asked her if she had seen our stuff and she said no. Yo got the police in, turns out student had also been stealing from her room mate. She got charged and chucked out of college. All our stuff was in her room and we got it back from local police station.
 
For me personally the worst is the hay stealing from a horses net..... the worst i ever heard was someone stealing sections of hay from horses stables.... so poor owners thought that they had left their horse with plenty to eat and some toe rag was pinching it from them !
 
I think a lot of the problem is also that people borrow stuff and then get side tracked and don't put it back. Then they forget about it and it goes missing. I don't think it's always malicious but still as frustrating.

I remember the thread about the purple spray too. Did make me chuckle. Think the horse was grey too if i remember rightly ha ha
 
I would agree that it is often people borrowing things and forgetting to return them. However, we had a thief at our yard last year, the YO found it rather difficult to deal with as we had no specific proof as to who it was, plus she owed rather a lot in the way of livery. Thankfully the person in question left, and the problem stopped. There seems to be this problem on so many yards.
 
Part of the problem is that if it's only a leadrope or a hoofpick, nobody tells YO about it. I do as it drives me insane no matter how small the item, it's my stuff! I tell everyone lol.

But in all seriousness, what can YO do if we have absolutely no idea who it is or even could be? Especially as I doubt we will find the items and some people don't tell her when something goes missing.

The theif no doubt knows when the perfect time is to strike and will likely never be caught out... The main barn doors get locked by 9pm latest (earlier if nobody around) but there are ways inside. So easy to go in and take what you like, including the hay from your horses mouth.

So demoralising.
 
I always said it was fine to use my stuff esp medical stuff in emergency but put back or tell me what used from med kit so i could replace. it worked great till new people moved on and sadly i had to start locking stuff up. so sad as previously everyone respected each other :(
 
My OH bought a cameratrap last year, I is designed to film wildlife at night, only activated when it sees movement and has night vision, it was about £50 new from Amazon but you can pick them up on ebay for about £30.

He bought it because he was suspicious someone was coming off the public footpath and tampering with his gas guns and release pens - caught a Parish Councillor no less turning it off every morning - it made for a quite awkward confrontation at the next meeting!

I know it is a little extreme to catch someone doing what they shouldn't be doing anyway, but I think if you honestly want to know who is behind such crime, short of hiding in your horse's haynet all night this is the easiest way to catch them!
 
In my book barrowing without asking is theft. I work hard for my things and go without myself for horse stuff if needs be; I'm certainly not going to let other people waltz off with it. If you can't afford it, you can't have it; simple.
 
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