URGENT WARNING - Suspicious people found in a yard

[OWLIE185]

One of my friends found some Irish Travellers types in her yard yesterday afternoon Thursday 14 September (near Stevenage Hertfordshire) whom she challanged and they said they where interested in the horses and caravans. They went off and where driving a small white J Redgistered van the first part of the registration was J657.

There have been a large number of tack thefts in Bedfordshire within the last two weeks which is next door to Hertfordshire.

I have suggested that she has her horses freezemarked on their shoulders and also microchipped as soon as possible and gets her tack post coded and microchipped just in case.

 

[Gingerbird]

Thanks for the warning - there has been loads of this in the area at the moment.

 

[Claireg9]

Ow bloody hell.... i cant sleep as it is after our yard got burgled last week.
I will print this off and put it on our notice board. Just to help me sleep at night we do have someone living on site now... but burglars are so brassed necked they might still do it anyway!!!

 

[airedale]

Owlie - take all tack home - no matter how inconvenient - they WILL get in if they want to - about the only thing that defeats them is an ex-shipping container with extra 5 lever locks fitted to it internally - don't rely on the external padlock lever as that can be cut thru with a portable grinder.

Claire9 - habit is to come back after a break-in - wait about 4 to 8 weeks for people to replace their 'old' tack with new and then come back and nick all the new stuff.

When your yard crime was reported did the Police offer to send the Crime Prevention Officer round to review your security ? If not phone them up and ask for an assessment. It is free and they are generally very helpful and provide a 'fresh pair of eyes' to review access points, etc.

As regards the horses - people do use the 'fake' CCTV cameras - it is also worthwhile putting a professionally made sign on the entrance gate stating "all horses freezebranded and microchipped' - signs do act as a deterrent - providing the burglars can actually read ;-)

 

[katelarge]

We all need to be really vigilant so this is great information. So far the thefts have been tack and not horses but I'd agree - take everything possible home and drive your gear up to the yard. Perhaps also keep horses in at night if possible. I am on the Cambs border of Beds but regardless of that I am very worried too at the moment.

I have to have the staff at my yard ride my horse a few times whe I on holiday and there is no way I am leaving my irreplaceable Humphries & Swain saddle at the yard. I'll leave my old Albion as at least I could find another.

I will pass this info on to my yard owner.

 

[Claireg9]

Dont agree with keeping horses in... Surely it is easier to catch them and load them if there already in a stable with access to lights?
Ares are also in an american barn so they could so easily back a lorry to the opening and herd them in!
our fields are 15+ acres and are very dark at night so you cant even see them when there not waiting at the gate so i beleive this would be much harder to catch and steal!
As to the crime prevention officer never knew there was such a thing and no i dont beleive they offered this to the yard owner!
will suggest it to him.
Id give your Albion saddle to who ever looks after your horse when your on hols and ask them to take it home with them!

 

[airedale]

Don't rely on darkness as a cover. I have a pheasant shoot round me and the same level of person goes round under cover of darkness in november and december when it is REALLY dark with staves (and other implements) getting the pheasants whilst they are roosting - in the dozens.

So if they can find pheasants roosting in trees in the pitch dark in midwinter do NOT think that they won't find your horse in a 15 acre field at night.

All Police forces have a Crime Prevention Officer (bit like FireBrigades have a Fire Safety officer) - both are worthwhile contacting and having an assessment done. Apart from the Police for security I'd recommend contacting and having a chat with the firebrigade equivalent having had a horse killed in an arson :-((

 

[SSM]

Just been on the local news that 2 horses have been poisoned by theives in Lincolnshire - I think I could cope with tack being knicked but hurting my horse would devastate me.

 

[OWLIE185]

90% of horses which are stolen are stolen from fields. The usual tactic is to reverse a lorry or trailer through the fence line, herd the horses up and load them. These poople can load the most difficult of horses. By the following morning they have normally been sold on in markets. Mares that are stolen usually end up being used for breeding. It is not just the hairy cobs that are stolen either in the last couple of years the more breedy type of horses have been the target for thefts. If your horse is stolen - please forgive me repeating myself - the best chance of recovering it is if it is freezemarked on its shoulder and also microchipped. Freezemarking is the best as it can be seen and read by anyone.

 

[vicky555]

Thanks for the warning....I really dislike people who steal horses !!!! Vx

 

[Foxyfilly]

There has lots of yards been done around Northamptonshire too

 

[equibabe20]

Thanks for the warning I'll let my yard owner know. At my old yard some theives drove in at mid-day, drove thru the yard and hitched up a brand new trailer and drove off! and this yard had people on site 24/7 so it just goes to show they don't care if they want something they'll get it

 

[Ferdinase514]

We have owner living on site, CCTV everywhere (some people complain it's like BB) and an alarm which infra reds all entrances at night. Together with Electric gates.

Even so if they want to get in they will, i'm sure.

They can have my crappy synthetic saddle but I would be deverstated if anything happened to Finni

 

[Patchwork]

Ditto airedale - take the tack home. These people will break tack room doors down, come in through the roof, knock a wall down...

Also, check nothing has been moved in preparation for a break-in. A yard near us got completely cleared out (30 sets of tack plus hats, whips...) by people who came a day earlier and turned all the CCTV cameras around.