ridecamp@endurance.net: Stealing horses

Stealing horses

Bonnie Short (carriage@olympus.net)
Fri, 15 Aug 1997 11:52:13 -0700

Hi all,

We have had horses stolen in our area in the past few years too. I have
had some thoughts on this. I'd like to pass them on, for what they are worth.

#1. Take the license plate # of the vehicles that come on your property.
Thieves usually "case" a prospective victim.

#2. Watch your neighbors places for odd occurances. Form neighborhood
watches. I take down the plate #'s of "odd" trailer/truck combo's seen on
the back roads in our remote area.

#3. Freeze brand your horses. Our local freeze brander no longer just
turns the hair white. She goes for bald. Stops the Lady Clairol from
being usable to disguise the brand.

#4. With the price of saddle horses being what it is, most horses are
being shipped out of the area stolen, and resold as saddle horses. Horse
papers are available without horse attached. These are put with a horse
that sort of matches. I am sure some go for meat, but good saddle horses
are expensive now. We used to be able to get good horses for $150.00.
Ha...no more...

#5. Most of the horses stolen locally were unattended. No caretakers on
the property.

#6. One of the local suspects was a horseshoer...it could be someone you
know!!

#7. When you buy a registered horse, be sure the papers match the horse.
You could be buying a stolen horse. Question the fact that the papers do
not match the horse. Yes, there are mistakes in paper applications but the
white foot should still be on the correct leg...I've seen alot of papers
that really did not belong to the horse in question. It was obvious,
nothing matched except for the basic color.

#8. Mark your tack and have serial #'s recorded. Tack is easy to steal
and market. If you do not have serial #'s, you have no proof of ownership
with the law. If your tack is stolen, offer a reward. A friend lost
$7,000 worth of sterling silver show and using equipment. It was offered
for sale at a tavern in a near town for $800.00.

I have always feared loosing one of my friends. My friend and neighbor
lost hers. There was never a solution to his demise.

I wish you all the best and hope it never happens to any of us.

Bonnie ( who needs to drive Jet today ) & Jet ( but I need another carrot,
see, I'll even bow for it.)

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