Stolen horses and suspicious sightings update

[Weezy]

markrach - no horses have been stolen from Gloucestershire as far as I am aware. Yes the police may have had things reported to them but that does not mean they happened - it is like being alone in an old, dark house, people see ghosts everywhere

I am sorry about your friend's mare, but it is only SUPPOSED that she was injured by a vehicle, no one knows for sure. If there had been a vehicle in the field then extensive tyre tracks must have been photographed and investigated? It could have been kids having a laugh (think International Velvet) which although is very wrong, is a different kettle of fish altogether. I hope the Police get to the bottom of it.

 

[carys220]

The coloured horses that have been stolen over the last few months have got nothing to do with this debarkel(SP?), as far as I know. The only coloured pony reported 'MISSING' in the last 2 weeks was that poor gypsy cob who was actually found down a well in his own field.

Everyone please calm down, please!!!!

 

[markrachas1]

you are so right - there should be vehicle marks in the field ( I am not 100% sure if there are or arent) - but it could have been anyone - just maybe a coincidence that all this kicked off at same time...

 

[Splashie]

I feel this 'horse theft' is getting way out of hand
i have heard from many friends of sightings of eastern european men and 2 middle aged women carrying halters
they have been sighted at Ullenwood Riding Stables in Gloucestershire. After a following a girl from Summerhouse equestrian centre,who keeps her horse at Ullenwood, they continued to follow her back and then were seen taking photos of her horse in the field.
Again, another coloured horse was stolen straight from
a lorry at a show at Summerhouse, whilst the owner was walking the course.
A colt has been stolen from Maismore and 2 from combe hill.
7 from shurdington
i cannot understand how they are being so bold about it and yet have still not been caught.
I apologise but the police are doing nothing about this and are more interested in prosecting people for dropping litter.
This is absurd.
Cheltenham Show will be a hotspot for them and if they have not been caught by the 19th of July, i refuse to take my horses. The risk is just too high, plus he is coloured and therefore being at even more risk
i don't feel enough is being done about this, there have been enough sightings and thefts to make up a huge case.
why has it not been broadcasted on national news? to make everyone aware! some of the general public may have seen horses taken and think nothing of it until they see it on the television
i am personally going to phone the Gloucestershire Constabulary and personally complain about the lack of action being taken, i will let you all know what excuses they can come up with
i hope all your horses are safe
xx

 

[Splashie]

i have been told that they are literally taking photographs sending them on their laptops in their vans and taking the horse their and then, which leads me to believe they are beng stolen to order
the veichles are have been told of are:
a VW van
a red Landcruiser
a white horse van

the number plates they are using are fake and who knows their other veihcles used. It is obvious this has been planned to great detail by those involved
Something needs to be done and fast

 

[carys220]

I don't think any of the above is true, about 3 or 4 horses(at the most) have actually been stolen in the last few weeks.

 

[madmare99]

[ QUOTE ]
there not going to end up at appleby there is too many police and rspca inspectors there and thousands of people gypsys only intrested in the good 13.hh to 13.2 very heavy feathered stallions or mares i have shown my partner who is a gypsy what people have been saying about its prob gypsys for appleby he just shakes his head and says thats what peole think staight away they do have rights you know its being racist you would not be saying that if it was black people there is good and bad in all walks of life and him and his family go every year he should know

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree herondell true gypsies ( I have found ) to be honest and hard working animal lovers . there are other names for these animal car van horsebox or whatever they can get their hands on thieves... a friend was threatend when he refused to sell his van to them . and basically was tol if he didnt sell it theywould take it anyway, people are just assuming that gypsies are responsible for everything that goes missing ! when in fact it probably loca drug dealers or oppertunists trying to get cash for their next fix

 

[madmare99]

I agree i think there is a lot of scaremongering going on ! But it cant hurt for us all to be more vigilant .. can it

 

[carys220]

I do agree, I think there are the true travelling community and then there are people who give them a bad name and just go around stealing whatever they can lay their hands on.

Do you know that the true Romany Gypsies of Romania where scared of joining the EU because they had heard of the way 'Gypsies' are treated in the UK?

 

[Splashie]

http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/l...l#StartComments

this is only one of two stolen in maismore and only now has this hit the news
a girl i personally ride with has been followed and they have been sighted at ullenwood
people have got to start to realise this is serious

 

[carys220]

We did take it all seriously and then there was the stories about the 7 horses being stolen from Keighley, which turned out to be some stolen tack and an attempted horse robbery and the 14 horses (or so) taken from Staffordshire in one night with no sightings of a horsebox, which then turned out to be false too. So nobody knows what to believe anymore

Does anyone have any concrete evidence of what is going on? The one in Keighley got me so scared that I was going to drive the 60 miles home and camp in the field with my ponies(I think the sheep may have had something to say about that though).

 

[sarahgill]

I wouldn't like to believe the media all the time - we know how untrustworthy media reports can be. However, it was reported on Look North a couple of days ago about horses being stolen in connection to people taking photographs and were told to contact local police with suspicious activity!

I was out lunging my horse a week ago at 9pm (ish) which is late but it was it nice evening - to notice a white van parked in our farm side entrance - which is a bridleway where vehicles do not go! thus I deemed this as suspicious - put the horse away and tried to spy the reg number - couldn't see it cos of the gate but heard a guy run back to the van - one guy said "have you got them?" the other said yes, and the van sped (and I mean sped!) off down the bridleway back to the village.

It could have been someone picking up a whip they had dropped out riding earlier or something like that - BUT it was strange? especially to speed off as it did, the lane they were on is where one of our fields were the other horses were backs on to..

It can't do any harm to be more vigilant but it can also do alot of harm refusing to go out or take your horse to a show 'just in case' Enjoy your horses - get out there but keep them secure!

 

[sarahgill]

I would just like to add that i did call the police, whom dint seem too fussed which put my mind slightly at ease as the lady had not heard about the horse thefts in the area that was being circulated by text!

 

[carys220]

Interesting that you heard them talk? Did they have accents? Surely they can't be Eastern European if they spoke english...curiouser and curiouser....maybe people are trying to scaremonger what with all the stories about...?

 

[280264]

[ QUOTE ]
Dear forum users

Following the recent spate of text messages and web chat carrying inaccurate stories about horses being stolen, suspicious men being seen etc, PLEASE only posts details if you have personally seen individuals acting suspiciously or have a crime number regarding the theft of a horse. Please do not post just because you have received a text claiming that something has taken place. Obviously everyone is feeling very vulnerable to the current time and wants to share any suspicious sightings etc, but the high levels of inaccurate information currently doing the rounds is not helping anyone.

HHO Admin

[/ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ]


[/ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ]


[/ QUOTE ]

 

[280264]

A suspicious looking white transit van with two men in one being asian origin and one mixed race pulled on to our yard in Halsall, Lancs wearing flurescant jackets at seven o'clock at night as soon as they saw me sat in my car they spun round and drove off the yard staring at me in shock. Have took their reg and gave it to police.

 

[280264]

A suspicious white transit van reg S807SRJ drove onto our yard in Halsall, Lancs with an asian man and a man or mixed race. When they saw me in my car they spun round and drove off. I reported the incident to the police. (Wed 11th June)

 

[Zebedee]

** Sighs.............**

If they are SIGHTINGS how do people know that these men are of Eastern European origin?

It's not serious it's hysteria......encouraged by posts of this nature............

Please let us know how Gloustershire Police react to your phone call.........I could do with a laugh.

 

[Zebedee]

[ QUOTE ]
A suspicious looking white transit van with two men in one being asian origin and one mixed race pulled on to our yard in Halsall,

[/ QUOTE ]

How in gods name does a white transit look 'suspicious'?

[ QUOTE ]
wearing flurescant jackets

[/ QUOTE ]

Discreet then...........

[ QUOTE ]
Have took their reg and gave it to police.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well done. That's more than most have managed to do.

 

[ddiva]

hi i was just reading this weeks horse and hound. I am an owner of a tack shop in gloucestershire and there has been a horse stolen from down the road in maisemore village on monday the 9th. The owers are very distressed and offereing a reward for any information. i myself have horses and ok this text messaging may be getting a little out of hand but is it not better to be safe than sorry and sometimes we all need a kick to reevaluate our security. lets hope if there are thives out tere that they are going to think twice about it now!! keep safe.

 

[Weezy]

Afraid to say the horse was not stolen - he had escaped and was found dead in a ditch

 

[FFF]

Yes. They have been around Gloucestershire. Recently they have been toward quedgley, shurdington and taking photos of horses. Most yards now have security guards and it is all being taken very seriously.

Most cobs will be sold to appleby fair, but most other horses are being sold to Ireland, as you do not always need a passport.

Happy to help! x

 

[Weezy]

Are they going to keep them for next year's Appleby then

Until any horses are stolen then I don't think there is any need for security guards quite yet - no one should be any more worried than usual. There has been no upsurge in horses being stolen. You have to remember things are being reported that usually wouldn't and that is why there are so many logs of *suspicious sightings*.

 

[Serenity087]

[ QUOTE ]
Yes. They have been around Gloucestershire. Recently they have been toward quedgley, shurdington and taking photos of horses. Most yards now have security guards and it is all being taken very seriously.

Most cobs will be sold to appleby fair, but most other horses are being sold to Ireland, as you do not always need a passport.

Happy to help! x

[/ QUOTE ]

Honey, if a Gypsy were after your horses, they'd be gone by now. They don't mess around with all this photo taking malarky.

And do you really think they're stupid enough to nick horses this week and sell them at appleby this weekend?

Stop fuelling anti gypsy hysteria. I'm sick of it, and I will start pointing out to admin that it's racist.

 

[Tinkerbee]

^^^ Agree

And why would we want skanky english horses

You lot want them from us

 

[Serenity087]

The only horses I've ever had gypsies ask for were irish bred...

I guess you could get a little ring going where you steal english cobs, claim they're irish and add an extra thou to the asking price...

 

[Tinkerbee]

*gets her transit van and ka*

I'm all set

 

[baileymoo]

A white van was sat outside our yard yesterday. The man was on the phone whilst looking in, certainatly describing something, and its not an obvious place to stop your van when there are laybys within metres. When we saw him and approached, he drove off quickly. Also saw a red car driving past slowly and stopping to look n the yard, and then driving past me very slowly discussing my horse whilst on a hack. Not concerned about them taking my horse much, he wont load , but there are coloured cos at the yard. I didnt get the registration numbers of any of the vehicles, but the yard is just outside of Loughborough.

 

[bluey]

well at the end of the day we all love our horses and want the very best of care for them.We at leastowe it to them after all they work hard for us.I have waited a long time for my horse after bringing up three children i now have the means to be able to afford one and i am not about to lose her to some mean callous calculating thieves not that she would load anyway.

 

[bluey]

i would just like to say that i too have not long found out about horse watch so you learn something new every day