Stolen horse??!!

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TalTalTally

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Hey, desperately need some advice!
About 2 weeks ago, I bought a horse off some travelers who basically "didn't want the horse"
They didn't have a passport for her as she was bred there and basically never touched, I met parents who are a pair of driving horses, so I said to them "oh that's fine, I can get her passported as soon as my next pay comes through" (which is today)
Our yard is about half an hour down the road from where I bought her so we walked there as I couldn't use a horsebox without a passport.
Anyway, the day before she's due to get passported (so yesterday) I get a phonecall in a panic from my yard owners daughter saying she's being harassed by the travelers I got my horse from- apparently they've reported my horse as stolen, and they have the passport for her?! They've said they're going down to our yard today to pick up my horse- which is a bit dodgy as they knew what date I was getting a passport, they knew where she was going AND they have £1,200 of my money for her!

WHAT DO I DO??!!

I don't know whether to panic or to just not believe it- the travelers granddaughter harassed me when I first got my horse because she wanted her as a breeding horse, and she's literally started harassing the yard owners daughter saying her breeding horse was stolen... even though the horse is 2 years old and I was told she was an accidental foal and they never had any use/want for her so she was being sold as they were spending out on feed and care for a horse they didn't want...???
paid by cash, just got a bit of paper saying she was sold, but it was signed by the older guy who isn't the one causing trouble. I don't have any texts/emails, I heard from a friend that the yard were selling a nice horse and decided to go down there and have a look. I have a feeling that they're reporting her and trying to take her back before I get her passported so they've then made a nice £1,200 and got the horse back to do it again to someone else! I don't have a great deal against them as it was all in person :S
 
Oh dear.

Never buy a horse without a passport, and always get a receipt.
But I realise its too late for the passport advice, at least.

Have you a number for the person who sold her to you (the one who signed the receipt)? If so, contact them and ask what the craic is. If they want the horse back, you need your £1200 back, simple as.
Btw, £1200 seems v steep for an untouched youngster..?

There's no point whatsoever getting into any kind of legal battle with travellers as they'll just move on, so you'll just need to be sensible and not a pushover. Let them have the horse back if they want it, but get your money back.
If they just take it, then report as stolen and take your receipt to the police.

What a mess.
 
You have a receipt. Go and speak to the guy who signed it

It's a crazy amount of money to pay when you could have bought a decent pony without the hassle. What a scrape to get yourself in to. I hope to god this is a wind up.
 
She's the first I've bought.. So really I had no idea that you needed a passport to buy, I just knew that you need one to say the horse is yours. I can't contact the older guy at all... He's never answering his phone, he's never at the yard and he's never answering his door. I don't want to give her up if they're keeping my money, I'm not going to pay that amount of money out and have the money and what I paid for taken away from me. They've apparently reported that I stole her in the middle of the night, which I don't know how I would as the yard she's on is locked up and the horses are stabled.
If they have my money, I'd be happy to hand her back, but from the info I've got so far, it's that they're denying her being sold as the reciept isn't signed by the girl who's reporting her, they're denying any money being handed over and are going to be coming down with the police to collect their breeding mare?!

It's stupid, it's pathetic, and never again am I buying a horse off a traveler if this is what happens -.-'
 
You are being bullied and intimidated. The passport is not proof of ownership. They have committed an offence by selling the horse without a passport. You have a receipt.
Have the police paid you a visit? If not they haven't reported a theft.
Find some big male friends and tell the sellers to get lost.
 
I can't contact the older guy at all... He's never answering his phone, he's never at the yard and he's never answering his door. I don't want to give her up if they're keeping my money, I'm not going to pay that amount of money out and have the money and what I paid for taken away from me. They've apparently reported that I stole her in the middle of the night, which I don't know how I would as the yard she's on is locked up and the horses are stabled.
If they have my money, I'd be happy to hand her back, but from the info I've got so far, it's that they're denying her being sold as the reciept isn't signed by the girl who's reporting her, they're denying any money being handed over and are going to be coming down with the police to collect their breeding mare?!

It's stupid, it's pathetic, and never again am I buying a horse off a traveler if this is what happens -.-'

I'm just hoping it's the girl just being a spoilt little brat not getting what she wants for the first time ever. y yard owner's daughter has been in contact with this girl to get info on what they're planning to do, and all she got in reply was "i have no idea it isnt anything to do with me i just told my uncle that i found the girl who stole my horse" -- She can't give us a time to be coming down which we kinda need because there may not be anyone up the yard when they (if at all) show up, and she was refusing to give us her uncles number so we could talk to him and arrange him coming up.

It's got me on edge, but at the same time it seems so low and pathetic that it isn't going to happen- they're just using empty threats against me?
 
Something similar happened at my friends old yard. Basically one set of travellers were stealing/selling another set of travellers horses as they had a bit of a fued (sp) going on.

I'm not sure what the outcome was though unfortunately.

Think you may need to get the police involved.
 
Contact the police yourself for harasment fill them in on the situation. And that a horse was sold with no passport too but you have a recipt then it will be logged so if they turn up you can call them back and get a faster response. Or if they turn up with police which i doubt then you can give the police officer your crime number but be prepared if they want the horse back they will more than likely get her back one way or another. Get her insured for theft. Good luck
 
Police have been contacted, there's been no reports in the area at all about stolen horses in the past month-- says a lot straight away about their threats. Got one of my mums friends (big hefty biker guy) coming to the yard with me when we get our passport done at 11 and is staying down there with me until the yard gets locked up tonight.
Also, a warrant would be needed for police to enter the yard which could take anything between 24 hours and a week to obtain apparently.
So my mind's a little at ease, and her story so far is beginning to look like it's covered in more ***** than our muck pile.
 
Walk away and be very grateful you've only waved goodbye to £1200 on your first horse venture - you'll have to spend many multiples of that to keep her properly and have her professionally broken in a few years time.

When you've saved up spend the same on a 18y/o chestnut mare who is broken and rideable that you can have some fun with straight away.

Advanced apologies if I've miss understood but OP it sounded like this is your first horse - not a good choice.

ETA - also go and read recent post about pts and how long a commitment horse ownership is.
 
I'd rather not just walk away, £1,200 was a good few months saving up, it isn't the kind of money I'd happily just drop on the floor for a spoiled little girl.
She is my first horse I've bought, other than that I've only worked with rescues who have been taken from neglect sites, so I had no idea that a passport was needed to buy a horse, I just knew that she had to have one.
 
The filly could get kicked in the field this afternoon and you could easily have to drop twice that to the vet. I agree it would piss me off and hopefully you'll not hear any more from her but in the grand scheme of keeping an unhandled youngster it's not a lot really.
 
I understand that you don't want to lose £1200 - that is a lot of money!

Is there anywhere you could move her to? If they really want her back, a few padlocks won't stop them so to be honest I think you need to move her urgently, preferably somewhere that can't be seen from a road.
 
Tbh i have known people in this situation and they end up just giving the horse back because the threats are not worth it. NEVER buy from a traveller if they don't give passports etc its the oldest scam in the book. They will not be afraid to harm the horse or yard to get revenge.
 
I honestly don't understand why you haven't involved the police. :confused3:

You bought a horse (paying, for some reason, far more than it's worth) and they broke the law by selling without a passport. You have a receipt and someone is threatening to steal it from you yet you've not called the police. Why are you scared that THEY will get the police? On what grounds could they do that?

It looks like you bought a horse before you knew nearly enough to do so. A little research would have told you that £1200 was far too much to pay for an accidentally bred unbroken baby. You didn't even know a passport is needed for selling. I hope you are able to take care of the poor thing correctly. :(
 
I was going to post the same equi

It is a scam, and from what I've personally seen if they want the horse back they will do it regardless. But hopefully op things will calm down I would do as a above poster said is to move the horse to a different location for a while.
 
Ah posted too soon apologies. Or just cut your loss and give it back. Yes £1200 is lot but in this current market you could of got a lot more for your money.

good luck.op.
 
It is illegal to sell a horse without a passport but not illegal to buy one. You have a receipt as proof of ownership.
 
police are involved, on my side, I've commented about it multiple times.
If she didn't have a passport then I'm happy to pay out and get one.
Of course I know how to take care of her properly- I wouldn't dare buy a horse without knowing how to take care of one. I've been around horses for 13 years, but I tend to work with rescues who are taken from neglect sites so really I know nothing of buying without a passport, I only knew that you had to have one.
She's an American Saddlebred, and from all I could find about buying prices for that breed, £1,200 was barely anything compared to what others were going for.
 
TalTalTally said:
police are involved, on my side, I've commented about it multiple times.
Click to expand...

Sorry, but all you said (once, not multiple times) was police had said there'd been no horses reported stolen in the past month, the point of which I don't understand. :confused3:

TalTalTally said:
Police have been contacted, there's been no reports in the area at all about stolen horses in the past month
Click to expand...

I find your story a bit baffling, but hope it gets sorted.
 
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FionaM12 said:
Sorry, but all you said (once, not multiple times) was police had said there'd been no horses reported stolen in the past month, the point of which I don't understand. :confused3:



I find your story a bit baffling, but hope it gets sorted.
Click to expand...

me too. oh and an American saddle bred off a traveller???
 
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A nice little travellers scam.
The person that sold the horse from you is being accused of stealing the horse from the people that want the horse back.
There is no traceability of ownership on the horse as it has never been passported and in reality the horse could belong to anyone in.
My advice would be to quickly find somewhere else to keep the horse.
Don't tell anyone at all where that is and just disappear as quickly as possible.with your horse.
Take good clear photos of your horse from all sides just in case and get in micro-chiped and freezemarked (Farmkey Ltd) as quickly as possible.
 
jhoward said:
me too. oh and an American saddle bred off a traveller???
Click to expand...

yes, he has the to parents. He himself has a perminant yard as he's 78 years old, but has a massive collection of not just cobs, but of coloured horses. He has anything from piebald shetlands to yes, american saddlebreds. Obviously his main numbers are cobs, but he just seems to have a collection of coloured horses.
 
TalTalTally said:
police are involved, on my side, I've commented about it multiple times.
If she didn't have a passport then I'm happy to pay out and get one.
Of course I know how to take care of her properly- I wouldn't dare buy a horse without knowing how to take care of one. I've been around horses for 13 years, but I tend to work with rescues who are taken from neglect sites so really I know nothing of buying without a passport, I only knew that you had to have one.
She's an American Saddlebred, and from all I could find about buying prices for that breed, £1,200 was barely anything compared to what others were going for.
Click to expand...

on the other thread you started about this you state you had a passport done at about 11.30 today, non of this adds up, unhandled but you lead her to her new yard!! american saddlebred bought from a certain type of person, passported then not, microchipped then not.

?????????
 
Lets get this straight, you knocked on the door of a travellers yard!
Handed over a large sum of money, presumably in cash, then walking it to a nearby yard where you just happened to arrange for stabling etc, you never discussed this with anyone, and no one suggested it was a bit strange, and in your thirteen years of horse knowledge you have never heard anyone discuss a passport, or a vetting, or the time, expense, and skills required to break a horse. You have never seen or heard of travellers' reputations but you have heard of American Standardbreds?
You are still in touch with these people and think it is strange that they want it back now because they know you are applying for a passport as soon as you get paid? I think it is amazing they are not wanting to sell you another one "they don't want"
 
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Sounds rather fishy!

I highly doubt its an American Saddlebred. More like a coloured trotter or something which is usually a line of coloured cobs crossed with anything lighter .

If this is true that is?

There's plenty horses out there for under £1200 . Especially for having done nothing.
 
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