Suspicious Activity at yard! Suggestions to keep safe?!? Whyteleafe!

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Tiaan

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Hi Guys

Over the past two weeks we have spotted a few strange things going on at the yard - photographs being taken, people driving very slowly and taking off when being approached. And last night two of the posts being messed around with so that it was possible to lift them out, by hand.

At my yard we have tried to double up the fencing, have thick chains and padlocks on both sides of the gates, signs stating that the area is watched by surrey police, and 3 dogs, and it still seems like were being targeted

As I'm sure you will understand it is very worrying, so I am trying to make people aware that this is going on in whyteleafe, surrey at the moment, and ask what it is that everybody does to keep safe?

All suggestions would be much appreciated!
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A lot of this going on where I live too. It's so scary. Sounds like you're doing as much as you feasibly can .
Several yards near us have been broken into and have had tack stolen, so I've started taking my saddle home with me. Apart from my 2 horses (obviously, and if anything happened to them, I'd probably lose the will to live!), the saddle's are the only things I couldn't afford to replace easily.
 
Crikey, not good at all!

Have you got CCTV?

What about having random camp-overs so these people will never know if there's someone around? (I know, not ideal for people with jobs)

Another idea is to take photos of them whenever you spot anything suspicious, even if only with phone cameras. Hopefully then your yard will seem too hot to go near?
 
The tack already comes home with us and we have someone staying over for the time being.

I think the main problem is that at the moment we have no electricity that should be coming on next monday.

Its just driving me crazy that this is still going on, though the idea of the camera is a great one, even if the photo doesnt come out very well - hopefully the very idea that we might catch their faces may work - Thanks
 
No problem - glad I could help a little
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It's bloody infuriating....I'm currently horseless, but I'm livid seeing just how many people are being targetted by thieves at the moment.

The trick is to think like them if you can. It's a time/effort/reward equation, and you need to make it so the time/effort involved is far greater than the reward, and at the same time up the risk for them. Taking photos (really doesn't matter if the phone actually has a camera or not
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) will put the wind up them - the risk becomes greater than the reward. CCTV needs to be real and not a dummy camera - they tend not to worry thieves so much and you need them for evidence purposes rather than putting the criminals off.

Another thought - recordings of large dogs barking to be set up either to go off randomly or to be triggered by a sensor. A thief that's happy to risk being caught by the cops is often the same thief terrified of being bitten by a dog. I know you said you've got three dogs on premises, but perhaps they're not aware of them?
 
I went to a Horsewatch talk & the advice was to mark everything - including cheap items like buckets. Theives avoid anything that can be positively identified to a theft and will assume that if cheapo items are marked it'snot worth the effort. Freezemarking is the best deterrent for horses & tack/rugs should be post code marked as well.
 
This is the activity that all horse owners dread. Extra padlocks & chains, timers to randomly turn on lights, park a car at the yard & if there are any rooms have the lights randomly come on. Basically increase security & try & give the effect that someone is at the yard.

Visibly marks as much of your stuff as posible, expensive items like saddles & bridles take home with you. CCTV may prevent some attackers but it won't others, they'll cover up with hoods & continue. Either install CCTV or put up fake cameras with battery powered 'on lights'. Thieves don't just come at night, vary your routine & visit the yard at different times to avoid your routine being known.

As has been mentioned all you can really do is make things as difficult for any attacker as possible so they will give up & go elsewhere....sorry to those elsewhere.
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My horses are at home. We had theives one night but they went when they tried to open the tack room door and the alarm went off.

We even have the stable doors alarmed and sound blasters to make it even louder. Worth doing if you have electricity!
 
Silly question, no doubt you already have, but have you contacted the police to let them know, they may just make their presence a little more around your area, driving past more etc....you know when they have nothing better to do than sit around scoffing donuts and catching folk for no seatbelts
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Must be a huge worry for you though, not sure I'd be ablet to sleep at night, some great suggestions.
 
[ QUOTE ]
My horses are at home. We had theives one night but they went when they tried to open the tack room door and the alarm went off.

We even have the stable doors alarmed and sound blasters to make it even louder. Worth doing if you have electricity!

[/ QUOTE ]

Pebble, have you got a link you can post that's the type of thing your talking about.

We've seen a weird person Tuesday and this morning wondering around outside our fields, spots us and then walks off like he was supposed to be there
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What a world we live in
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Edit to say : - Sorry how rude, OP I hope everything is safe and sound for you, maybe you could put a sign outside saying 'no tack is kept on the premises'
 
Definitely report to your local police and horsewatch group that you think you are being cased!

I know someone suggested taking photos, make sure you do it with a flash, so that they know they are being photographed. When we had issues with illegal off road motorbiking my dad found that just the flash gun from his camera was enough to deter them from coming past as they were aware they were being watched and photographed.

Could you borrow one of those crow scarer things that sounds like a gun???

Would be worth getting some nice big beware of the dog signs, preferably ones with a picture of a slavering doberman or something, if your dogs are big make sure they are seen around lots, if not see if you can borrow an actual guard dog type from a friend.

Until you get electricity installed you could get some battery operated lights to turn on at random intervals to make it seem like the yard is busy.

Maybe ask the police crime prevention officer to pay you a visit, he might have some good advice and the visibility of a police car would be a deterrent too.
 
[ QUOTE ]

Would be worth getting some nice big beware of the dog signs, preferably ones with a picture of a slavering doberman or something, if your dogs are big make sure they are seen around lots, if not see if you can borrow an actual guard dog type from a friend.

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh dear, i've got a Doberman and she's the biggest baby going, if anyone was to say boo to her she'd pee herself
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My OH, some years ago now had dogs in his construction yard, thieves poisoned 3 dogs by chucking poisoned meat over, watched them die and then stole what they came for, needless to say they don't have dogs in the yard now.
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Arrrrrrrrgh, makes me mad
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Sorry to hear you are having such a stressful time.

Have to agree re the dogs - sleeping pill in a steak will soon deal with that issue.

On a more positive note, how about the following:

all horses freezebranded - microchips have their uses, but easy identification of a stolen horse isn't one of them.

as previously suggested, mount signs to say saddlery not stored on site. I have this around my tack room (Note- tack, clippers, massage pad, clean rugs all stored in house). 3 large signs cost about £50 last year

post code everything, even the lotions/potions/supplements. I've just bought a plastic postcode stencil for my rugs. The figures are 8" high and it cost £16.48 (inc p+p) from www.stencilexpress.co.uk. I got some spray paint from B+Q and plan to experiment with an old rug at the weekend.

lock away the wheelbarrows - handy for emptying a tack room. on the same vein postcode buckets as these are ideal containers for taking away boots etc.

Hopefully the ars****** will realise you are just anal as me and go elsewhere
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Dont know if Police in your area are set up with Smartwater but worth asking--they can set up a trap
If not mark up everything with Smartwater and put posters out to say so
 
Thanks everyone for your suggestions will be going down with my marker pen and a chain for the wheelbarrows later!!

What is the scream alarm and where can I get one? Or the things for the stable doors? - They sound good!

We have a car down there, and I also take my rottweiler down with me (he lives at my house) when I'm down for a while. So they can definatley see the dogs there, hopefully all these thing will finally deter them!
 
sounds like a really petty thing, but check all your horses manes, specially ones that are turned out over night.

Apparently horse theives have taken to putting a plait under the mane, so the target horse is easier to identify by feel in the dark, and also to provide a "grab handle" xx
 
Oh God how worrying! I hope that everything os ok for you. Have nothing to add but there are some brilliant suggestions on here that i will be taking forward and speaking to my YO about. Some people are unbelievable it makes you sick.
 
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