What happens to stolen horses?

[midnight2025]

I live in Ireland and there has been 10 horses stolen in the last 2 months. 3 of the horse ware found. What happens to stolen horses? and how do you protect your horse from being stolen.

 

[ycbm]

Very few horses are stolen. Most horses reported on the internet as stolen have strayed and are later found. Most of the rest are civil disputes. And the tail end are sold while on loan. There are far easier ways to get a few quid these days than to steal a horse.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Very few horses are stolen. Most horses reported on the internet as stolen have strayed and are later found. Most of the rest are civil disputes. And the tail end are sold while on loan. There are far easier ways to get a few quid these days than to steal a horse.

Absolutely agree

 

[Orangehorse]

I also wondered about this. Sold when "on loan" happens unfortunately.

 

[Palindrome]

I have seen some who have been remicrochipped and sold in another country and I have read about an older horse on loan who went to slaughter in another country.

 

[Leo Walker]

In Ireland they go to the factory, ie for meat. They are paying £700 a horse give or take at the minute

 

[meleeka]

In Ireland they go to the factory, ie for meat. They are paying £700 a horse give or take at the minute

Blimey that’s a lot! It’s odd that the prices are so much higher than here. I don’t know how much it is to be fair but I do know you still have to pay to get a horse disposed of in this way.

 

[Keith_Beef]

In Ireland they go to the factory, ie for meat. They are paying £700 a horse give or take at the minute

For animal food or for Lasagne?

 

[Palindrome]

In Ireland they go to the factory, ie for meat. They are paying £700 a horse give or take at the minute

Yes, my ex-racer was 600 euros which is meat price in France. It is still a good amount if you got the horse for free. Those without paperwork like the older one on loan go to Belgium for meat.

 

[ycbm]

Just to reassure people, here is the stolen horse register, which will show you just how few horses are actually stolen. I am searching Google and I can't find any reference to horses being stolen and sold for meat in Ireland. Does anyone have further information on actual cases/numbers?

https://stolenhorseregister.com/SHR/Horses_view.php

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Yes, my ex-racer was 600 euros which is meat price in France. It is still a good amount if you got the horse for free. Those without paperwork like the older one on loan go to Belgium for meat.

On the hook I hope and not on the hoof?

 

[ycbm]

Yes, my ex-racer was 600 euros which is meat price in France. It is still a good amount if you got the horse for free. Those without paperwork like the older one on loan go to Belgium for meat.

How are they traveled to Belgium without paperwork?

 

[be positive]

How are they traveled to Belgium without paperwork?

As far as I know all racehorses over here are signed out of the food chain when they go into a training yard to allow for drugs to be administered as required, any new passports issued should also be automatically signed out because of the unknown history so if horses are being exported for meat, dead or alive, the passport system is failing even more than I thought it was.

 

[meleeka]

How are they traveled to Belgium without paperwork?

I believe that passports aren’t checked as thoroughly as they should be. For instance, If there’s 10 horses on a lorry, the transporter only needs to produce 10 passports if asked and it’s not checked that they match the actual animals. Microchips aren’t checked either so having one is no guarantee. I have it on good authority that horses are transported to Ireland where they can sail to Belgium.

 

[Leo Walker]

Blimey that’s a lot! It’s odd that the prices are so much higher than here. I don’t know how much it is to be fair but I do know you still have to pay to get a horse disposed of in this way.

I went and checked with my friend. They are making 700 to 900 euros for a big horse like a TB. And another friends partner is currently serving a suspended sentence for horse theft, for horses he stole and sold to the factory. So while I'm sure its not an epidemic and certainly isnt happening over here, there is enough cash incentive to make it worth while to some people in Ireland. Southern Ireland to be specific. I have no idea about Northern Ireland.

 

[meleeka]

I went and checked with my friend. They are making 700 to 900 euros for a big horse like a TB. And another friends partner is currently serving a suspended sentence for horse theft, for horses he stole and sold to the factory. So while I'm sure its not an epidemic and certainly isnt happening over here, there is enough cash incentive to make it worth while to some people in Ireland. Southern Ireland to be specific. I have no idea about Northern Ireland.

i
I wonder why it’s so much? Presumably that’s as much, if not more than a large cow who can be sold for human consumption?

 

[Palindrome]

How are they traveled to Belgium without paperwork?

They go through a dealer, not sure how they do it, probably like Meleeka said. Here is the article:
https://www.lavoixdunord.fr/588038/...8314dwv3uTOgCrf-6nazFToJQE#Echobox=1558693695

i
I wonder why it’s so much? Presumably that’s as much, if not more than a large cow who can be sold for human consumption?

I would think a cow is more as a draft horse is about 1000 euros, my trotteur was a bit slimmer so 600 at 3 years old. It is all dependent on the horse's weight as there is a formula to calculate how much meat you can obtain according to live weight. There are a lot of equine butchers around these parts, but horse meat is cheaper than beef and the area is quite poor.

 

[criso]

As far as I know all racehorses over here are signed out of the food chain when they go into a training yard to allow for drugs to be administered as required, .

Mine wasn't, I'm the one that had that bit of the passport updated.

One of the transporters I use also bring big trucks from Ireland. Some of the passports she sees are questionable and they've had cases where microchips don't match or found several microchips on a horse.

 

[Tihamandturkey]

That's very disturbing 😱

 

[ycbm]

Looks like the Irish are getting on top of it, hopefully

https://www.theirishfield.ie/news-gardai-carrying-out-horse-slaughter-investigation-469559/