west berks tack

[Twix001]

yesterday 2 men came in a car to the small yard in pangbourne area, i wasnt there happened half hour before i got there, only 2 of us on the yard overall, anyway these 2 men came and drove round to the stables bit (stables are in a house and you have to open and shut a gate to get in) my friend was in the field with horses saw them ran over to them and they said that they had taken the wrong turn (highly unlikely) they were obvioulsy lieing she shouted at them to get of her land and they left, we took all our tack home , defo not safe atm...anyone living round that area take your tack home!
just a warning!

 

[Embob1]

Hey Katie

Had you not heard about all the supposed reported stolen tack going around at the mo? Apparently they've been making a real effort to break into places and take tack - I have heard they have been breaking into places with like 5 bolts/padlocks on the door!
Everyone at Laura's yard (won't say which on here) has been advised/asked to take their tack home until they get CCTV sorted.
I have a feeling our old yard (again, won't name it on here) has also been broken into and had a lot of tack stolen - I think!!
I must say - cr*p if they've been down to your yard

 

[Twix001]

yehh i did no aout how many reports there had been and stuff lmao
yhh i no its reli bad bout the old place i heard all there tack was taken and courtney told me the pony club have been sending her loads of emails and they broke into somewere by bashing the door down with a crow bar thing :s
yehh tbh i dont think they wil come bk to our yard as they no we are warry (sp?) now but the thought is scary that i could be down there and they could come again or something :s
argh stupid stupid people!!

Yehh Laura told me bout that that they have to take all their tack home!
ly xx

 

[Vickijay]

Nasty people tried to do ours a week or so ago were near reading. We have a alarm and cctv. Were taking everything home. I have heard alot of places near by that have been done in the last week so have to be on the look out

 

[Tanta]

I posted about our yard near Pangbourne which was broken into and tack stolen just over a week ago - and I heard 8 yards the other side oif Newbury which were broken into later in the week.

Sounds as if they are still about anyway....

 

[NR99]

Yep there have been loads, not sure all by the same people though! I was on hols and got a call to say thefts occuring so warned the guys back at home who took their tack home, they were done the following evening but they got nothing as they did not want the synthetic saddles that were left in there. Anyhoo the reason I think they are different groups are because we are on the yard that they used a road sign to smash everything off with but friends yard sounded like a proper professional job they used cutting machinery to make a whole in the door leaving all the locks and hinges in tact.

 

[Tanta]

I agree about different people in different places - the ones who did our yard just took saddles - but i've heard of other taking everything including wormers.

Mind you, I feel quite smug as we had moved most of our saddles elsewhere - so all they got was one good saddle - and one really ancient one that i left in there wirh a saddle cover on (so they would have taken it not knowing what it was). Might be an idea for those who take their tack home, if you have old saddles that are worth nothing - perhaps just used for breaking or something - to leave them there so the theives think they have taken what you have and dont come back for a while...

The policewoman who came out to inspect our premises suggested using Smartwater as a deterrant/way of catching the theives if they ever get them (unlikely i know)., Worth investigating anyway...

 

[Dubsie]

Not just West Berks there's been several to the east and south of reading - Hurst, Arborfield etc. Reports have been of taking gates off hinges and tiles of roofs to get in.

 

[fatpiggy]

Hey Tanta, I see your logic about leaving old tack about, but unfortunately anyone in insurance will tell you that having taken one lot of something, the thieves wait a couple of months and come back to nick the replacements.

Best place for your tack is locked up at home. Insurance companies can't quibble about it not being kept in a brick building behind a door with a mortice lock, and the number of horses being kept on the yard.

 

[Tanta]

Yes, I know they will be back before too long looking for the replacements - ********. I am pleased they wasted a bit of effort on something valueless though, just gives me a bit of personal satisfaction! also, at last having taken 2 saddles, they didnt look any further around the premises as they had presumably got what they came for.

 

[Embob1]

[ QUOTE ]
Reports have been of taking gates off hinges and tiles of roofs to get in.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've heard 'they' (if all the reports are the same people) have gotten through doors with more than just a few padlocks on.
Surely it's just too much hassle? God knows how long that would take to get through!
I have heard the reports in the Pangbourne/Tidmarsh/Tilehurst area, so 'they' really are making sure they get around...

ETA: As far as I have heard, it is only tack been taken - no rugs, feed etc etc - so they are pretty picky and only want tack. - One of the yards I am aware of has a big open barn which anyone can enter, it is filled with rugs and livery owners feed and belongings and none of that was taken - just the tack.

 

[dozzie]

Thanks for the warning. I have brought all my decent saddles back indoors again! There was a spate of thefts round here around Christmas. TBH I would be more pissed off with the damage to the doors than if they nicked the saddle out there at the moment!

Does anyone have any info on the vehicles?

 

[NR99]

Couple of friends said an old white Nissan has been noticed in the area a few times by people whose yards have been hit, ours was one of them but we did not see a Nissan but one of the boys noticed and old white Toyota lurking the day before up the road a bit. There is a reg number I believe but I do not know it. Ours is the yard mentioned above with the big open American barn and it is true they took nothing, despite first aid kits, brand new bandages and boots being in the tack room etc and good quality rugs not locked up - it was good quality tack they were after as they did not want the synthetic stuff that we now leave in there that we purchased following two previous hits.

 

[dozzie]

Thanks. I will ask the boys in the barn to keep an eye out!

If you, or anyone, gets a reg no. can you let me know and i will pass the word round.

 

[Dubsie]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

ETA: As far as I have heard, it is only tack been taken - no rugs, feed etc etc - so they are pretty picky and only want tack. - One of the yards I am aware of has a big open barn which anyone can enter, it is filled with rugs and livery owners feed and belongings and none of that was taken - just the tack.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think rugs were stolen at Arborfield, sorry can't remember - we get the Countrywatch messages

 

[cariad]

Just out of interest, does anyone know for sure where all this stuff actually goes after being nicked? I've heard many stories, but no-one seems to really know, not even the police. I had some saddles stolen just after we moved here, fortunately just old and worn out leather ones or battered synthetics mostly that were long past their sell by date, so no great loss, but my western saddle and an old side saddle in need of some (considerable!) restoration went too. The western was probably saleable and the sidesaddle might have been off loaded as an "antique", but just where does all the quality tack etc go to?

 

[vatican]

I was told by a police investigator that the West Berkshire/Reading area will always be a prime location for tack thefts simply because with Chievely& Reading motorway services being so close it is very easy for the thieves to unload stolen gear into crates and transfer them to lorries that are heading for Dover and normally by the time the crimes are spotted the tack is enroute to France.

Is there a list of yards that have been affected?

 

[2diamondlova]

i didnt read all the comments so i dont know if im repeating anything but i heard they only went after new tack

 

[Embob1]

[ QUOTE ]
Is there a list of yards that have been affected?

[/ QUOTE ]

Cullinghood, in Pangbourne is one - all I actually know for definate has been broken in to. Although, all yards in the area have been 'affected' as word has got round and everyone has began to worry and taken their tack home.

 

[Tanta]

definitely one in Upper Basildon, 2 in Bradfield, one in Aldworth I have heard of....