Plait found in horses mane, does it mean it will be stolen?

[CALMEquestrian]

Lots of speculation in the Dorset area at the moment, lots of horses being found with a mane plait. Some say they are being marked to steal later, others believe it is some sort of Pagan ritual. Have you had any experience of this? Heard anything? Would love to know. Thanks Miranda.

 

[Blue-bear]

up here there has been a spate of plaits being found ending in ponies being stolen (Bucks area )

 

[Cliqmo]

Oh golly thats terrifying! Fortunately my horse is on holiday in Wiltshire with my Folks at the moment but I will let the others at the yard know

Out of curiosity I wonder whether hogging might help? (sorry couldn't resist)

 

[RuthnMeg]

Oh don't. Too scary. Iam Shaftesbury too and my 3 live out 24/7. Who knows what/who might strike - just hope no-one can get near them in the first place.
It was mentioned in the BV mag a few weeks ago but haven't heard much since.

 

[Cuffey]

Having been to horse sale yesterday with a lot of horses 'straight off the hill' many had what looked like a plait but was probably just a tangle
If a regularly brushed mane acquires a plait--please take pic, take it out and report suspicious activity to your local Horsewatch

 

[gypsyhugh]

I have seen this in ungroomed horses though I would say its more like a dreadlock than a plait

 

[Vicki_Krystal]

I have been sent this email today.

On Monday (2 Nov) night my friend’s horse was stolen from a field in the Guildford area. The people who took her sawed through a wooden post and rail fence to get out and this happened between 3pm and 6pm in the afternoon.

The police were informed and so were the microchip company who circulated her details to all the ferry ports etc.

As you can imagine the owner was completely distraught.

Late Tuesday (3 Nov) afternoon she received a phone call from the police to say her horse had been found in Hollyhead, Wales. She was tied to a railing at the ferry port and the ferry to Ireland had gone without her. So today she is driving to Wales to pick her up.

Several things have come to light in this story:

1. A week ago her horse had a small plait in its mane when she went to get her in from the field. She describes it as very small, almost like a tangle. She disregarded it as kids messing about (her horses are out in a field with others). However, this is how people mark horses to be stolen later. Ie. One person marks them, another then comes later and knows which one to take.

2. The ferry port at Hollyhead do not check horses passports or microchips. This horse was travelling without a passport.

3. The police believe the reason this horse was left behind was because she was microchipped. Although the UK is lax about passport and microchip checking, it is apparently more common for horses to be scanned on entering Ireland. The people who take them will scan them and dump them if they find a microchip. This horse also had a large obvious scar so this may have been a contributing factor.

The police told her that horses being dumped at a ferry terminal is not uncommon and they usually turn out to be stolen. They have had horses left in a lorry on the actually ferry!

This story has a happy ending for H and E, but it makes you wonder how many other stolen horses were on that ferry to Ireland.

The owner has asked me not to give any more details because of the police investigation that is on going, but has given her permission for me to relay this story, mainly to highlight:

1. If you find your horse with a small plait in its mane or tail please do not ignore it. I thought it was common knowledge that people knew about this, but several people I've spoken to since were not aware of it.
2. If your horse isn’t microchipped please consider doing it. The owner of this horse describes her as ‘nothing flashy, just a normal 14.2 bay mare’ so please don’t think it couldn’t happen to you.

Please do not ask me to provide more details regarding the horse or owner as I can’t, but please spare a happy thought today for H and E who should be having a (probably very emotional) reunion in Hollyhead later on today.

Please forward this email onto any other horsey people you know. The more people who know about plaits and microchips the better...


I got this via facebook so thought i woud share.

 

[lhotse]

This is all starting to sound like the 'eastern europeans taking photos' saga of last year. If this many horses were being stolen, I think it would be in the press a little bit more by now, rather than relayed through txt and email.

 

[rocketdog69]

Other signs that your horse may have been marked for theft are small piles of ash by the gate, markings on the road and plastic bags tied to the gate. Has happened in South Wilts recently, there was a spate of it prior to Stow Fair in October.

 

[CALMEquestrian]

Many many thanks for your responses, i think there is a distinct lack of communication about these types of crimes throughout the country and we think something is common knowledge here but it is not in another part of the UK. i would like to raise awareness of this and need as much information as possible to get the publicity out there. Do let me know in confidence if you have anything to tell, pointers, stories.

Thanks again Miranda.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

also dont think that 14.2s are not of interest to these people, ecially mares. They can be used for breeding and can be hidden in a van rather than a big box and are thought easier to handle.

They dont take many big stroppy 17 hand geldings!

If you have a mare or a minature of 15.2 or under, especially a coloured please do get them freezemarked, microchipped or both.

 

[CALMEquestrian]

That is a really good point, thanks for that.

Most tb's are microchipped and have been for years due to the Weatherbys passport process, again they do not usually seem to be taken either. Interesting, we did have a case of plaiting in Dorset recently, the only horse not plaited was the one with a chip!!!!

 

[hairycob]

I got that story by email, my first 2 thoughts were:

1) sounds like last years photo taking hysteria

2) If it was freezemarked they wouldn't need to scan it - they would only need their low tech eyeballs!

 

[inapickle]

horse stolen near weston super mare.ower had call to say it was at the docks.lucky for her it was microchipped and got left behind.the others were shipped to ireland.how can they be aloud to be shipped with no passport?there has been reports in weston area of mane twisted

 

[spaniel]

Not much point in pinching horses given the bottom has dropped out of the market.

 

[bailey14]

There is an email going around at the moment, not sure if its an 'urban myth' but apparently the ones with plaits are being 'marked' to be stolen. I'm afraid I ran out of patience with the email moaning about the gist of which was how sad it was that horses were being earmarked to be stolen. GET THEM BL**DY FREEZEMARKED and you wont find a plait in your horses mane, much less your horse missing! I'm sorry but microchipping should be an addition to freezemarking and not instead of. Whilst I appreciate that the very small majority or horses are unable to be freezemarked due to their colour, this is only a very small minority and really there is no excuse. My energies are saved for those heartfelt thoughts and best wishes to owners of horses that are stolen that are freezemarked (a very small number) because they really have tried their hardest to protect their beloved horses, I have very little sympathy for the owners of those that are stolen and only chipped. Each horse I've owned has been freezemarked as a matter of course within a week to a fortnight after purchasing them as a matter of course. Sorry for the rant, but it is ridiculous shutting the door after the horse has bolted.

 

[inapickle]

JMO7.AS THREAD STARTED ASKED FOR ANY OTHER NEWS.ITS NOT CHINESE WHISPERS.DONT kNOW WHERE YOU GOT GUILFORD FROM.THERE HAS BEEN QUITE A FEW STOLEN IN SOMERSET AND IM QUITE WORRIED AND SAD FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD THEM TAKEN.HOWEVER I DO AGREE FREEZEBRANDING AND MICRO CHIPPING SHOULD BE DONE MORE

 

[bailey14]

Its made up like the story of the baby girl taken from the trolley in Asda whilst the mother turned her back, taken to the ladies toilets and dressed in boys clothes. As the security guards searched the loos they found the couple in the middle of shaving the baby's head to look as if it was a boy.

Or the fake perfume sample that you sniff from a salesman in the tescos car park and it contains ether and knocks you unconcious so they can steal your car.

They are very interesting but fortunately all urban myths.

 

[wombat]

My cousion yard which she had just left was hit by this , her friends ponies were plaited but luckly they saw the man doing it , whilst one person phoned the police the other did silly go and ask what they were doing (as you would do lest be houset), but as soon as they saw them they shot off , but they were in a white van. The ponies have been moved, but have been told they are hitting the old ponies too to sell them for meat..
This was in the Hampshire area, near andover- just out side off goodworth clatford.

 

[wombat]

[ QUOTE ]
Its made up like the story of the baby girl taken from the trolley in Asda whilst the mother turned her back, taken to the ladies toilets and dressed in boys clothes. As the security guards searched the loos they found the couple in the middle of shaving the baby's head to look as if it was a boy.

Or the fake perfume sample that you sniff from a salesman in the tescos car park and it contains ether and knocks you unconcious so they can steal your car.

They are very interesting but fortunately all urban myths.

[/ QUOTE ]

ITS NOT AN URBAN MYTH... i thought that untill my cousion yard was hit..

 

[bailey14]

Maybe your cousin will think about getting her horses/ponies freezemarked in future then.

 

[Hedgewitch13]

Oh don't! Only last night I had to unintentionally embarrass my second cousin on Facebook cos she posted the child kidnapped in Asda thing on her profile and in caps too. A couple of her friends were all 'thanks for posting we'll pass it on'. Burst their bubble a bit I think but I'm sure they still don't believe me. Siiiigh.

 

[wombat]

[ QUOTE ]
Maybe your cousin will think about getting her horses/ponies freezemarked in future then.

[/ QUOTE ]

they are already...

 

[bailey14]

Well why would they have stolen or made the first steps by plaiting the horses with the intention of stealing them if they were freezemarked when there were horses on the yard that weren't freezemarked that would have been easier to get rid of

I don't understand

 

[mollypops]

I have a confession, whilst chatting to people at the field, I absentmindedly plait the horses manes, oh man! I may be responsible for starting a whole bout of paranoia in South Wales :-O

I'll stop, I PROMISE! *bites knuckles furiously*

 

[MagicMelon]

Yeah, there's been cases of this in my area - quite a few actually and always round this time of year (near Halloween). Its meant to be some pagan ritual thing. Sometimes they plait the mane, sometimes they add things to the mane like twigs etc. and other times they will cut bits out!

Sounds horrifying, I would totally freak out if I found my horses plaited up!! However, its better than finding them slashed like has happened around here in the past... I remember not that long ago some poor horse was beaten to death in its stable with an iron bar

 

[grandmaweloveyou]

Mmm I plait my boys tail in about 4 plaits to try and keep it cleaner - maybe I shouldnt do this either? I plait his mane too. If I could afford luxuries like tail bags and mane bags I could stop. I agree with others, freezemark freezemark freezemark. Microchipping doesnt deter unfortunately its a great aid to return them but not to stop them disappearing.

 

[ladyt25]

I think there is some truth in all this but not sure it's as widespread as it is made out - although worringly did hear of a case yesterday in Harrogate of someone catching some possible horse thieves in their field.

Personally I don't actually think freezemarking would make that much difference either, if what was said on another thread is true re abbatoirs etc - if they don't check freezemarks, passports or microchips then they ain't gonna be any help are they!!

I think the only way to stop them is, if you see them on your land - shoot them!!!! Lol

 

[Tinseltoes]

I really believe that if the thieves want your horse,it wont matter if its chipped or freezemarked.Im sure they know of a way to get around it. Maybe a abbotoir who is a crook and gets payed for turning the other cheek so to speak.Grrrrr makes me sooooo mad!!!
Shoot um like you say.

 

[eventrider23]

Well it is definitely not a myth as I had the police stop in at my yard a few evenings ago to let us know that they were upping patrols in the area due to the fact that there have been thefts in the area. They also told us that it seems to be that the plaits in the mane are their sign as the plaits are put in the manes of the horses they wish to steal as a signal to the others when they turn up in the night as to which is the correct horse.