Being prepared for a theft and taking steps to minimize it and maximize
recovery will go a long way toward protecting your horse and getting it back.
Employ the following precautions:
1. Permanently identify your horse with a tattoo, brand or microchip. This
proves ownership, aids in a horse's recovery and, if visible, discourages
thieves. Kryo Kinetics (602-293-5448) keeps a record of horses bearing
their freeze marks. The National Microchip Horse Registry (800-327-8679)
provides lifetime protection for horses implanted and registered with AVID
chips. Microchips are now USDA-approved. The NMR provides scanners
to slaughterhouses and offers $500 to them for recovery of a stolen,
microchipped horse.
2. Take color photos of your horse, including head and full body shots (from
both sides). Get photos with summer and winter coats, noting any
distinguishing marks. "If the animal has just one little piece of white on his
coronet band, make sure the photo is large enough to see it. Choose 5-by-7
inch photos with the horse filling up about 75 percent of the photo.
3. Keep photos, bills of sale, veterinary records, breed registration papers
and other documents together in an easily accessible notebook or folder.
4. Know what auctions operate within a 500- to 600-mile radius of your
area, their addresses, their phone and fax numbers, and when they hold sales.
You can usually find this information through the state department of
agriculture or through the state veterinarian's office.
5. Compile a list of regional USDA-inspected slaughterhouses with
addresses, phone and fax numbers.
6. Consider registering your horse with the International Equine Recovery Net.
7. Have available how-to publications on recovering stolen horses. The
International Equine Recovery Net offers Amelita Donald's The Equine
Recovery Handbook for $5.00. Donald's book covers what to do if a horse
is stolen; a list of contacts by state, including Mexico and Canada; how to
locate additional references; a list of equine slaughterhouses; sources for
permanent horse identification; and prevention tips.
8. Remove halters from pastured horses. It is recommended that you don't
leave them hanging near stall doors, but this is your choice to make. Many
horse owners prefer to leave a halter by the horse's stall in case of emergency
and will argue that most horse thieves come prepared with rope or halters
anyway.
9. Check your horse regularly, but deviate the routine. Professional thieves
will watch a farm before they go onto a property, so vary your schedule.
10. Install lighting with photo sensors or motion detectors around the barn or
property gates, or street lights by pastures along the road.
11. If possible, replace wire fencing with board fencing. Wire fencing is easily
cut. With board fencing, thieves have to find a gate.
12. Keep wire fencing in good repair and as sturdy as possible.
13. Use good gates, heavy chains and padlocks.
14. Use thoughtful landscaping. Plant trees and shrubs between the pasture
and road to block visibility of the horses from the road, but keep bushes
trimmed or absent around gates and barn doors.
15. Post no-trespassing and warning signs.
16. Consider an alarm system.
17. Keep dogs or loud animals around to make noise when something is
amiss.
18. Set up a neighborhood crime watch program.
19. Observe the movements and behaviors of unfamiliar people. If they seem
suspicious, report their actions to law enforcement authorities.
20. 1f possible, videotape or photograph strangers who arrive at your barn,
and record the license plates and types of vehicles. Many people casing your
property may come out looking like a happy-go-lucky family with a male,
female and a child or two. They may come in an old vehicle, but not
necessarily a pickup, in the guise of wanting to pet or feed the pretty ponies. If
you have a recorded image or license plate number and shortly thereafter
something is missing, you have a lead to provide law enforcement.
recovery will go a long way toward protecting your horse and getting it back.
Employ the following precautions:
1. Permanently identify your horse with a tattoo, brand or microchip. This
proves ownership, aids in a horse's recovery and, if visible, discourages
thieves. Kryo Kinetics (602-293-5448) keeps a record of horses bearing
their freeze marks. The National Microchip Horse Registry (800-327-8679)
provides lifetime protection for horses implanted and registered with AVID
chips. Microchips are now USDA-approved. The NMR provides scanners
to slaughterhouses and offers $500 to them for recovery of a stolen,
microchipped horse.
2. Take color photos of your horse, including head and full body shots (from
both sides). Get photos with summer and winter coats, noting any
distinguishing marks. "If the animal has just one little piece of white on his
coronet band, make sure the photo is large enough to see it. Choose 5-by-7
inch photos with the horse filling up about 75 percent of the photo.
3. Keep photos, bills of sale, veterinary records, breed registration papers
and other documents together in an easily accessible notebook or folder.
4. Know what auctions operate within a 500- to 600-mile radius of your
area, their addresses, their phone and fax numbers, and when they hold sales.
You can usually find this information through the state department of
agriculture or through the state veterinarian's office.
5. Compile a list of regional USDA-inspected slaughterhouses with
addresses, phone and fax numbers.
6. Consider registering your horse with the International Equine Recovery Net.
7. Have available how-to publications on recovering stolen horses. The
International Equine Recovery Net offers Amelita Donald's The Equine
Recovery Handbook for $5.00. Donald's book covers what to do if a horse
is stolen; a list of contacts by state, including Mexico and Canada; how to
locate additional references; a list of equine slaughterhouses; sources for
permanent horse identification; and prevention tips.
8. Remove halters from pastured horses. It is recommended that you don't
leave them hanging near stall doors, but this is your choice to make. Many
horse owners prefer to leave a halter by the horse's stall in case of emergency
and will argue that most horse thieves come prepared with rope or halters
anyway.
9. Check your horse regularly, but deviate the routine. Professional thieves
will watch a farm before they go onto a property, so vary your schedule.
10. Install lighting with photo sensors or motion detectors around the barn or
property gates, or street lights by pastures along the road.
11. If possible, replace wire fencing with board fencing. Wire fencing is easily
cut. With board fencing, thieves have to find a gate.
12. Keep wire fencing in good repair and as sturdy as possible.
13. Use good gates, heavy chains and padlocks.
14. Use thoughtful landscaping. Plant trees and shrubs between the pasture
and road to block visibility of the horses from the road, but keep bushes
trimmed or absent around gates and barn doors.
15. Post no-trespassing and warning signs.
16. Consider an alarm system.
17. Keep dogs or loud animals around to make noise when something is
amiss.
18. Set up a neighborhood crime watch program.
19. Observe the movements and behaviors of unfamiliar people. If they seem
suspicious, report their actions to law enforcement authorities.
20. 1f possible, videotape or photograph strangers who arrive at your barn,
and record the license plates and types of vehicles. Many people casing your
property may come out looking like a happy-go-lucky family with a male,
female and a child or two. They may come in an old vehicle, but not
necessarily a pickup, in the guise of wanting to pet or feed the pretty ponies. If
you have a recorded image or license plate number and shortly thereafter
something is missing, you have a lead to provide law enforcement.
Theft
Prevention
Information
Prevention
Information
