Things going missing at yard

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ariellaII

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Aahh I am so fed up of someone taking all of my things. So far my head collar has gone, and in the nicest way possible my girl has a head like a tree so even the largest full size head collar doesn't fit her she is always extra full and I am sick of constantly replacing these head collars, both of my feed buckets, two full hay nets outside my stable and both of which the actual hay net itself hasn't been returned, my shovel, my lead rope, one of my water buckets and a list of other things that have been gone so long I cannot even remember!

It's times like this I wish minnie wasn't such a big gentle giant so people wouldn't be just walking into her stable and taking her things.

Does anyone have any advice on what to do? I am really getting fed up of this :( it's not even like I can lock any of this stuff up as it's Minnie's day to day essentials.
 
Permanent marker pen for hard things.

Weave in coloured threads for soft items.

Or a bike chain and fasten stuff together and if possible to the wall.
 
Wow thats quite alot to just go walkies I'd be peeved too im very funny who borrows my things esp my wheelbarrow.

Is there no way you can lock things into a locker in tack room? or get one of those boxes from homebase to pop outside the stable pain in butt locking things away but if it prevents it from being taken again its worth it.
Mark your things up so clear to see all angles, I do this so helps when things go 'astray' round the yard.

Ive had my lunge whip go... but I could've left that somewhere and forgotten about it, and a feed stirer I know this isn't a huge item but important nether the less and it was mine.

I have no issue in people wanting to borrow as long as they ask and then pop it back where it was found in the condition it was found.
 
I could go off on a rant here, but I'll save you from it - suffice to say I'm with you all the way (NOT at my lovely current yard I should add) ;).

Some people have no respect.
 
I've had to lock everything else up but this is stuff she needs in her stable that people are just taking out, I am so mad as I filled her extra hay nets last night as she is on box rest ATM and left them outside her stable as I'm in a hurry today and someone has taken both of them.

I have written her name on her buckets and it was on my shovel but after scouring the yard I cannot see them anywhere, they have actually just disappeared.

Thanks for the coloured thread idea s4sugar, definitely going to to this!
 
Marker pen, thread, little marks scratched in... And when you see somebody else with your stuff, claim it back straight away, no if no but. Be prepared they will kick off but it usually only takes one or two reclaims for things to stop going missing.
Also, lock up what you can and complain to YM
 
Put a big notice up saying

"An one found taking my things will be reported to the Police"

Try a small CCTV camera and again put up a notice stating that people are being watched.

My local Country Watch have provided mine. Have one on my gate plus on the side of the barn and to two areas in the fence where people can get o to my land.
 
I don't suppose you were able to find these things elsewhere? Assuming you all don't have identical buckets, of course! I would definitely be speaking to the YO and hunting around to check other people's buckets. Mine are quite distinctive, so maybe pick a colour (and some paint, including the BOTTOM of the bucket, so people can't wipe it off) and make it a bright, noticeable one. I think the same people on your yard work in my lab and office. I have things stolen at work!
 
I once had my bridle taken, it was very distinctive so it was fairly obvious it was mine when I saw a girl on the yard ridding her horse in it. When approached the girl she didn't even try and hide the fact she had taken it so when I said I wanted the bridle back, she replied with "What I am going to use now"? How she had the cheek I do not know.

I think it happens on most yards though, I mark EVERYTHING with my name in maker pen. And anything I can't write my name on I put dog tags on (I know they can be removed but for things like a haynet people don't notice they are there). You could use anything that makes you know it's yours like attach a cable tie, or thread some string.
 
I get really annoyed at my things going missing. Somebody on my yard helps herself to my mucking out tools and doesn't put them back. It's most frustrating trying to find them at 6am in the morning in the cold and dark! I've started tying everything together with a bit of baler which seems to have stopped it. Unfortunately there isn't really anywhere convenient to hide it all. Funnily enough, we found said person with one of our brooms which went missing about three years ago - we know it's ours as its got one of our horses' names on it! I'm also quite concerned, because I got Bentleys tack out a few days ago to ride him and the saddlecloth attached to the saddle was soaking wet. Everything else in the tack room was dry so I'm sure there are no leaks or anything! Think I will have to start taking my tack home, which is a pain.

Also OP, I'd also like to just say that I'm loving the fact your horse is called Minnie and she's a 'gentle giant'! :D
 
I would talk with YO, then put signs up saying you would appreicate your things returned. If you see any of your stuff then take it back. I have never been on a yard where my stuff goes missing. It must be very fustrating.
 
catstew.............a bike chain with a combination lock and just lock to the saddle rack

also if you have room in your stable i have put a corner kitchen cupboard under the feed manager and then left all my grooming kit etc in there
 
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i had this start at an old livery i used and i just waiting till the majority of people on the yard where around and listening and in a loud voice not directed at anyone in particular, listed the missing things and the charges and stated id be taking the cost from the petty cash and aparts from a pink body brush which i loved i got everything back that week, it all just appeared in my stable :rolleyes:
 
Definitely speak to your YO, and then 'mark' everything that belongs to you, keep it consistent, so use the same colour to mark everything (I find electrical insulating tape is useful as can be used on almost everything! Make sure you put as much of your 'stuff' away - out of sight out of mind helps.
 
I painted everything possible with fluro pink paint - worked very well

HAy nets - remove the string it comes with and replace with fluro rope plaited to suit.

A lockable box is ideal to ensure small stuff doesn't go walkies. HAve a name plate for the headcollar and also mark inside things so that if the tealeaf removes external marking you know where to look for the hidden marking
 
I've been on two yards where stuff has been 'borrowed'.
On my first yard its was the YO himself who would borrow stuff, most of the time it would be returned but slightly dirtier than it had been... But in fairness he would lend me stuff in return. But I always made a point of cleaning it before return. Spent 2 hours sitting cleaning harness on my lorry ramp once.

On my current yard buckets go walk about but usually get put back. Slightly more annoying was someone kept taking shavings from my mare's bed. When caught in the act they said that they 'didn't think I'd mind as I rarely stable my horse'!
 
SHCC said:
Slightly more annoying was someone kept taking shavings from my mare's bed. When caught in the act they said that they 'didn't think I'd mind as I rarely stable my horse'!
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That's outrageous! :eek:

I've made a huge fuss about things going missing and told everyone how unhappy I am that I have to go looking for my headcollar, my tools etc that they've all given up 'borrowing' stuff. :D
 
ariellaII said:
I've had to lock everything else up but this is stuff she needs in her stable that people are just taking out, I am so mad as I filled her extra hay nets last night as she is on box rest ATM and left them outside her stable as I'm in a hurry today and someone has taken both of them.
Click to expand...

:eek: Some people!!

I would probably make some comment explaining why you left the haynets there and that they dissappeared and did anyone know where they might be? I would never dream of taking or using anyone else's stuff without permission, I don't know how people can, they must have no morals...

Otherwise other suggestions on here are good. Label or colour everything. Have a good hunt around the yard and lock up anything you can. You can get really strong thin lockable chains that you could put through a D ring and then onto something else (CatStew this may help) and definately mention it to your YO.
 
Name everything very clearly with permanent pen. My feed bucket, headcollars, haynets, brushes etc always get used and never replaced.. Since writing me and my horses name on eveything its stopped :)
 
I did get a grovelling apology and I don't think they'll be doing it again.
My mare thinks its outrageous when she has to come in! :D
 
I seem to spend half my life looking for stuff and some things never appear again. In the last two weeks alone, 1 hoofpick, 2 buckets, a lunge line, a lunge whip and walked never to be seen. Person next door has given up buying decent headcollars as she's lost so many.

I also found grey hairs all over my brushes which given that I have a bay horse with not a white marking anywhere means someone borrowed that. With Strangles in the area (though not at our yard) and a ringworm outbreak not long ago you would think people would be more responsible.

Some things like the hoof pick were hanging up outside the stable so I can pick out feet without having to unlock the tackroom but others were locked away which means that someone went and got the tackroom to get in. We share tackrooms and with yard staff and sharers as well as owners, there's more traffic than is ideal.

Marking only helps if you find it and you want to prove it's yours, if you never see it again then makes no difference. IME Yard managers are sympathetic but don't want to get involved.
 
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