Pony 'tagged' somerset

[Vizslak]

A Friends pony was found today with clear tags/plaits in its mane this morning. I have seen photos of these and they are defiantely tags made by thieves and NOT witches plaits/fairy plaits. Pony is being moved and avon and somerset police have been informed. Please all be extra vigilent, I notice the post below is also regarding suspicous goings on in/near the somerset area.

 

[Vicki1986]

can you post the photo?

 

[MrMeldrew]

Roughly whereabouts in Somerset please?

 

[Tinseltoes]

Can you please put a phoyto up of this tag,so it can be recconised.

 

[Vizslak]

Sorry guys , not checked back for a few days. The pony was in the Mendip/ NE somerset area.
http://i50.tinypic.com/a9qlo5.jpg

 

[MurphysMinder]

Tbh those look very like the tangles my little native type gets in her mane at this time of the year. thanks for posting though, and I am sure people in the area will appreciate the warning.

 

[Vizslak]

Its hard to see from that photo but that isnt a small section of mane and the strands have been tightly wound into 'rope' so they are smooth (width of a liitle finger), then tied together at the bottom.

 

[hairycob]

I'm sorry, maybe it's a bad photo, but that just looks like an everyday wind tangle to me.

 

[ponder2009]

i am the owner of this pony and thought i'd join this forum to point a couple of things out to people who think it is 'just a tangle'.
i will apologise now if i come across as nasty/rude/ or anything else but i saw the plait for myself and i know it was done with intent so i'm a little bit angry and on edge. so apologies in advance.

my pony went out freshly groomed into a field where there aren't any brambles or anything else for her to have got caught up in, she was out for just a few hours. the weather was horrendous as in torrential rain and exceptionally windy.

she was out with a foal and a youngster, the youngster can be very aggressive over his 'property' and people in the area are all aware of him and know to stay well clear of their field.

their field runs alongside a cycle/footpath.

ok lets go with it being just a tangle, my pony has never had a tangle like that in 4yrs of owning her. but i guess it is possible that her mane decided after 4yrs that it was going to get 2 bits of mane about 3" apart, twist them round individually so that they become strong and unbreakable, then half way down it was going to twist around the other strand so that they interlock for about 2" then they are woven back on each other and then by some miracle using only the mane to tie it up into several knots? hhhmmmm yeah i suppose that's plausible, NOT. i also know it wasn't done by children or anyone else on the yard.
several people on the yard saw this before it was removed and they all said that it wasn't right, definately not a tangle.

my husband tried to brush it out and that was before i took the pics. he spent a good 20 minutes trying to brush it out and couldn't, myself and the YM then spent 30 mins unweaving it as we were confused as to how it could have been woven the way it was. after doing all that i still had to cut her mane as it was clear someone had plaited it.

at the end of the day i don't particularly care if you think it's a tangle, plait or anything else, i have done the decent thing and informed as many people as possible as to whats happened. anyone who thinks it's just a tangle then fine, it's your opinion, BUT if you find anything like that in your horses mane then don't get angry or upset when people tell you you are over reacting and it's just a tangle.
you (plural)didn't see the plait, my pony, the surroundings, the situation. i know what i saw and because of that i am going to take every precaution possible to protect my horses, i'd hate to listen to others who said it's nothing to worry about and then find my pony missing. i'd rather be very suspicious and proved wrong, at least i know my pony is safe. that's all any of us can do.

i'm guessing there are people out there who are under the stupid belief that if something doesn't happen to them then it hasn't happened to anyone else. well all i can say is i hope it doesn't happen to anyone as it's a frightening thing to find, but the difference is that i've taken it seriously and protecting my horses.

 

[Tinseltoes]

My little pony gets those all the time and theyre impossible to brush out but like you I am very suspicious natured but I know the ones on her are Rasters thats all.

 

[lhotse]

Looks like a tangle to me.

 

[snaffle]

have to say it looks like a tangle, but the photos not that clear.
one of mine gets tangles, but they hang and dont join like yours.

you know your horse and the area etc, so trust your instincts, if it were me i would be on the alert, its no good shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted

 

[Tinseltoes]

Looking at the pic, which is NOT very clear,to me it looks ;ike a big tangle and I wouldnt worry about it!!

 

[ponder2009]

no my pony hasn't been NICKED but that is probably because i moved her asap.
the pic isn't very clear because it was taken in poor light and on a phone.........i don't happen to go around with a good quality camera and lighting for such incidents, like all of you i never thought it would happen to my horse.

i spoke to the YM tonight and she said that the police were called to the yard last night due to all the security lights being triggered and alot of noise going on in the barn which was not the horses. the police heard people on the footpath and went to speak to them but nothing was done as they claimed they were out for a night time walk (in the middle of the night). a lorry which is parked up there was damaged as well. so yeah it probably was nothing and yeah the majority of you can sit at your computers saying i'm being daft saying all this about it being a tag but if one of your horses comes in at night with a suspicious 'tangle' (as you all like to call it) don't bother informing people as it's obvious that none of you actually give a rats arse about things that aren't happening in your own closed minded little worlds.

i apologise for being considerate and curtious, i actually thought this was a helpful forum and you all cared about the safety of horses, guess i was wrong. go and jump on the band wagon of someone else.

 

[Weezy]

I can understand that you are worried, but may I ask a question

You say that it took you and your YO 30mins to take out the tangle/tag/plait, but you also say

[ QUOTE ]
she was out with a foal and a youngster, the youngster can be very aggressive over his 'property' and people in the area are all aware of him and know to stay well clear of their field.

[/ QUOTE ]

Surely for someone to do such a good tangling tag that took so long to get out, on a clean mane, it would have taken a considerable amount of time, and if the youngster is aggressive, could that really be feasible? I am not saying I disbelieve you, just trying to help you calm and look at it from another angle.

As for the disturbance last night, I am sure that put the willies up all of you, not nice to have uninvited guests around your property at all

 

[lhotse]

My oh my, we're nice aren't we.

 

[Scheherezade]

I imagined a mane plait to be more like: http://img2.allposters.com/images/NPLPOD/1155267.jpg (image from google)


Surely the owners 'plait' took a long time of backcombing and braiding - why not just do a quick and clear plait like the above, which takes roughly 10 seconds, rather than standing in the battering wind and rain trying to dreadlock a mane?

Also, all (about 20-30 including the foals) the black and white gypsy horses behind our field have one or more of the wind plaits in their mane, some of them are more than 3inches across.


And things can happen which have never happened before - my horse has never had a foot absecess in his life, but he got two recently. He's never hurt himself in the field, but the wind broke free some fencing and he got a small cut. Which has never happened in all his years of life.

Sh*t happens, as they say.

 

[VictoriaEDT]

Ive got an idea for everyone! Hog manes and clip tails!

Seriously though, ponder 2009 is only worried/defensive because there is a possibility someone "eyed" up her horse to steal. If everyone just assumed that horses got the tangles themselves and didnt move their horses then this would make it very easy for potential thieves. She was only being vigilant.

I live and work in somerset so go from yard to yard every day and I have only heard of one plaiting and have seen it for myself. So it if definately not happening all everywhere; however it is still good to be vigilant.

 

[ester]

surely it would be quicker to do an actual plait?

 

[*hic*]

No, it would be quicker to take a photo of the pony and the field entrance on a camera phone and send the photos to the lifters. No need to touch the pony at all!

 

[hairycob]

You do realise don't you that we will now be in for a spate of threads about people being seen with camera phones near horses. At least we will know how it started. LOL!

 

[hairycob]

Ponder 2009 - the OP posted that it was definitely a plait as they had seen photos that clearly show it. They then posted a photo that looks just like a day to day tangle. What sort of response do you expect? If there is a photo that clearly shows a plait - post that.
However, you are clearly worried & there was a real suspect incident at your yard (though plaese remember that most horse thefts are whilst on loan & thieves are more likely to target tack, rugs, ATV's etc - far easier to sell on) so to set your mind at rest I suggest you do the following if you have not already:
Freezemark your horse
Postcode mark your tack (& keep it at home if possible - less likely to be nicked & more likely to be covered by insurance )
Paint your post code or freezemark on your rugs.
Mark every item you can including buckets & feed bowls - at a Horsewatch meeting we were told that if thieves are sussing out your yard they will assume that if buckets are marked valuable items will be too & try elsewhere.
There is a lot we can do to improve security & too many of us are lax & make it easy for thieves (& that includes not thinking twice about where second hand tack may have come from, buying horses without passports etc) but there is no point in worrying about what was shown in that photo - you say the photo was after 30 mins brushing etc - well in my experience plaits fall out easily & wind tangles take ages to get out. Honestly we don't want to belittle you, but we don't want you to worry & lose sleep unnecessarily & we get frustrated with the people who start these panics off.

 

[amyrosee]

Quite saddened to see peoples genuine concerns dismissed as a tangle. Don't worry, when your horse is stolen, don't expect sympathy. I know ponder2009 and she is definitely not the type to exaggerate. That does NOT look like a simple tangle, her mane simply isn't thick enough to tangle like that, and to be twisted in a very obvious pattern does NOT just occur.

What is so wrong about being concerned for your horses welfare? Better safe than sorry imo.

 

[sakura]

My horses mane is exceptionally long, before I moved him he was in a field where he regularly got bores and tangles in it and lived out 24/7 in very windy conditions and NEVER has had a tangle like that before.

This was put on the NHS forum network for Treliske hospital in Truro, Cornwall.

[ QUOTE ]
"Dear horse owners,

I have been forwarded a message from Devon & Cornwall Police. An incident on Friday 18th November, in St Just nr Penzance. Two horses in a field were found by their owners to have unusual plaits in their manes. Devon & Cornwall police say that similar incidents have occurred throughout the counties where the horses are likely to be followed up by the criminals returning at a later date and stealing the affected horses. If anyone should notice anything suspicious please report it immediately to Devon & Cornwall Police on 08452777444 & quote LOG no 998 19 (the print out fades here and I can't read what it says but I can probably find out if needed) crimewatch no. 0800 555111, thank you"

[/ QUOTE ]

I can assure you, unfortunately this is reality and at least the police down here are taking it seriously.

 

[DragonSlayer]

[ QUOTE ]
with your attitude, ponder2009, no-one is going to take you seriously.

[/ QUOTE ]

I am not suprised she is incensed, because I seriously doubt she was expecting the attitudes that are being displayed here...

~Note to Self~

Some members on the H and H forum have telepathic powers and can tell whether plaits and tangles found in manes are true 'markers' or not....must remember this one....

 

[jewel]

[ QUOTE ]
My horses mane is exceptionally long, before I moved him he was in a field where he regularly got bores and tangles in it and lived out 24/7 in very windy conditions and NEVER has had a tangle like that before.

This was put on the NHS forum network for Treliske hospital in Truro, Cornwall.

[ QUOTE ]
"Dear horse owners,

I have been forwarded a message from Devon & Cornwall Police. An incident on Friday 18th November, in St Just nr Penzance. Two horses in a field were found by their owners to have unusual plaits in their manes. Devon & Cornwall police say that similar incidents have occurred throughout the counties where the horses are likely to be followed up by the criminals returning at a later date and stealing the affected horses. If anyone should notice anything suspicious please report it immediately to Devon & Cornwall Police on 08452777444 & quote LOG no 998 19 (the print out fades here and I can't read what it says but I can probably find out if needed) crimewatch no. 0800 555111, thank you"

[/ QUOTE ]

I can assure you, unfortunately this is reality and at least the police down here are taking it seriously.

[/ QUOTE ]

have you actually phoned devon and cornwall, yes this is a true log. however the are saying that they feel it's a thing that is being taken out of context, by the internet and scaremongering.
also do you know of the last record of a stolen horse in cornwall??

 

[sakura]

That email was put on the NHS forum to pass on around horse owners in the south west, since Somerset is in the SW, I thought I should paste it here. Since the police are actually taking this seriously, I'd assume its more than just rumours bearing in mind just how many horses and high winds we have down here in Cornwall.

Since there are so many horses in this county, I do not keep records on the amount of horses stolen, its a large county with way too many horses for me to do that.

I was just putting it on here as it's appropriate.

 

[lhotse]

[ QUOTE ]
Don't worry, when your horse is stolen, don't expect sympathy.

[/ QUOTE ]

What a nasty thing to write in response to Hairycob, her response to Ponder was well thought out and not being nasty at all. Why don't you crawl back under your stone.

 

[jewel]

[ QUOTE ]
That email was put on the NHS forum to pass on around horse owners in the south west, since Somerset is in the SW, I thought I should paste it here. Since the police are actually taking this seriously, I'd assume its more than just rumours bearing in mind just how many horses and high winds we have down here in Cornwall.

Since there are so many horses in this county, I do not keep records on the amount of horses stolen, its a large county with way too many horses for me to do that.

I was just putting it on here as it's appropriate.

[/ QUOTE ]

did you not read my last post, my reply is want devon and cornwall police said. the women actually laughed about it. also i think you will find i said how many stolen in cornwall no in the uk. which i think you will find in 1 in the chacewater area in the last few years.

 

[Weezy]

Not ONE horse has been reported as stolen after gaining a so called *tag*, not ONE. All this is doing is wasting Police time, same as the photography thing and the Eastern European thing.

I will happily eat my words when there has been, say, 5 reports of *tagging* leading to theft, until then I remain a complete sceptic.