# HORSES PLAITED AND ATTEMPTED THEFT IN TEFFONT WILTSHIRE TODAY!!



## CharCharSlide (10 November 2009)

As above. I dont kno any other details at present only that horses have been marked and theives attempted to steal 2 horses from a field in Teffont! Please pass on information and let me know if you know anything else. Thankyou!!


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## RuthnMeg (10 November 2009)

oh no. Bit close to home that one. Hope the horses are safe now.


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## lhotse (10 November 2009)

How did you finf this information out, was it from the police or first hand. 
Only this is now beginning to sound a whole lot like last years scaremongering about the eastern europeans going around taking photos. The txt and emails then go flying around and suddenly there is mass panic setting in.

URBAN MYTH


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## Sugarplum Furry (11 November 2009)

The thing is, urban myth, scaremongering, whatever it is, it's going to make people sharpen up their act when it comes to making sure their horses are safe, and surely that's good?
Anything that makes people more pro-active, getting their horses freezemarked, checking them more often, making their yards and fields more secure, even starting their own local horsewatch groups, has got to be a positive outcome. Yep it's sad we have to be scared into it, but it's a good wake up call in my opinion.


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## lhotse (11 November 2009)

Oh, totally agree that people should always be on alert but this is getting a bit out of hand now. If it was for real, then don't you think it would be on the police web sites by now. The email about the horse found at Holyhead had urban myth written all over it. It's amazing how a little bit of truth can be blown out of all proportion.


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## The_snoopster (11 November 2009)

The thief brigade will just turn up one day/night and take your horse/pony like it,s their right to take them. Most do not plait the mane they have already been to your field and chosen their victim, the reason some do this is because the scouts choose the horses then  different thieves move in later the plait is to point out to the thieves that this is the one the scout wants. Always keep your wits about you as you never know who as been scouting your fields. I wish i could say it was scare mongering but the truth is i know of 5 horses being stolen close to me, mostly cobs and shetties. Being as i own a cob and a shettie maybe i,m paranoid.


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## smithsmob (11 November 2009)

You are quiet right there snoopysue. It is NOT scare mongering. Last year my coloured pony was stolen and she had a knotted plait in her mane the day before if only I had know then the implications things may have turned out better. She was defo a target because 3 others were left in the paddock!!
You are also right when you say they access your property before hand to check out the animals so those of you who say 'no one would catch my horse' beware they will have fed them bread or treats before hand to get the animal used to them.


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## xebec (11 November 2009)

[ QUOTE ]
How did you finf this information out, was it from the police or first hand. 
Only this is now beginning to sound a whole lot like last years scaremongering about the eastern europeans going around taking photos. The txt and emails then go flying around and suddenly there is mass panic setting in.

URBAN MYTH 

[/ QUOTE ]

A quick Google with the words 'horses plaited manes horse theives' gives these - all on the first page and respected sources of information.  The other hits are this site and a couple where the links are only downloadable

http://www.thisisdorset.co.uk/fosseway/n...il/article.html
http://www.thisisdorset.co.uk/fosseway/n...il/article.html
http://sbra.co.uk/horsewatch.aspx
http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_tack_room/839318-I-called-the-police-today
http://www.newrider.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2470356

There are many references to the information regarding the plaits having come from the police


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## Aredis (11 November 2009)

[ QUOTE ]
I have been forwarding on a post to most of the people in my address book about a microchipped horse that was stolen in Guildford and recovered abandoned on the docks in Anglesley, obviously having been left behind becuase the  theves realised that the horse's microchip number had already been passed to all ports. 

In this post it mentioned that the owner had noticed a tiny plait in its mane the day before the theft but had ignored it as just a tangle. She has since learned that this is a signal the theives use to identify the horse to be stolen and I have also been e-mailed as an update that the theives concerned are targetting broodmares (which this one was) and that sometimes they lop bits off the tail instead if they cannot get to the mane.

So you all been warned, mircochip your horses (especially broodares) and check them for odd changes in their manes and tails.

Jan has also told me that there is a page for notifying thefts on NED (which I did not knwo about and obviously needs to be promoted more) so that might help as well if you do find your horse or pony has been stolen. 

[/ QUOTE ]

Copied this from the breeding forum.
Info mfrom NED.


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## lhotse (11 November 2009)

Apart from the article concerning the foals stolen in august, all the others are hearsay. I'm not desputing that there is some truth in it all, but I think it is now getting to be a little bit like chinese whispers. If horses were getting stolen at this rate then don't you think it would be a bit more publicised by the police themselves by now?


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## lhotse (11 November 2009)

I rest my case
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?v=wall&amp;ref=search&amp;gid=20356930863


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## Tinseltoes (11 November 2009)

Good point.You say they feed the horse beforehand,hmmm think if they were to do that someone would see them unless the field is isolated. I think these thieves aim for remote places for a quick gettaway,well thats my guess!!!


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## Tiggy1 (11 November 2009)

Someone was seen in our field, horse was plaited and the police were informed.
It's not all an urban myth
Fortunately the horse was moved so no further action could be taken


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## Tinseltoes (11 November 2009)

Scary to think these rascals think they can do as they please


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## ringmaster (11 November 2009)

I work for West Mercia Police (staff) and the story bellow dropped into my inbox today, I think its a fuller version of one already mentioned. It had a reasonable outcome and the tip about chipping seems a must. Are there any other recognised signs other than the plaiting as a precursor to an attempted theft?

_ Dear all, I thought you should be aware of this as:

1. It is a successful result.
2. Proof that crime prevention does work sometimes.

Please read the below story sent to me by a caring horse colleague in Avon &amp; Somerset:-

On Monday (2 Nov) night my friend's horse was stolen from a field in the Guildford area. The people who took her sawed through a wooden post and rail fence to get out and this happened between 3pm and 6pm in the afternoon.

The police were informed and so were the microchip company who circulated her details to all the ferry ports etc. 

As you can imagine the owner was completely distraught.

Late Tuesday (3 Nov) afternoon she received a phone call from the police to say her horse had been found in Hollyhead, Wales. She was tied to a railing at the ferry port and the ferry to Ireland had gone without her. So today she is driving to Wales to pick her up. 

Several things have come to light in this story:

1. A week ago her horse had a small plait in its mane when she went to get her in from the field. She describes it as very small, almost like a tangle. She disregarded it as kids messing about (her horses are out in a field with others). However, this is how people mark horses to be stolen later. Ie. One person marks them, another then comes later and knows which one to take.

2. The ferry port at Hollyhead do not check horses passports or microchips. This horse was travelling without a passport.

3. The police believe the reason this horse was left behind was because she was microchipped. Although the UK is lax about passport and microchip checking, it is apparently more common for horses to be scanned on entering Ireland. The people who take them will scan them and dump them if they find a microchip. This horse also had a large obvious scar so this may have been a contributing factor.

The police told her that horses being dumped at a ferry terminal is not uncommon and they usually turn out to be stolen. They have had horses left in a lorry on the actually ferry!

This story has a happy ending for H and E, but it makes you wonder how many other stolen horses were on that ferry to Ireland.

The owner has asked me not to give any more details because of the police investigation that is on going, but has given her permission for me to relay this story, mainly to highlight:

1. If you find your horse with a small plait in its mane or tail please do not ignore it. I thought it was common knowledge that people knew about this, but several people I've spoken to since were not aware of it
.
2. If your horse isn't microchipped please consider doing it. The owner of this horse describes her as 'nothing flashy, just a normal 14.2 bay mare' so please don't think it couldn't happen to you.

Please do not ask me to provide more details regarding the horse or owner as I can't, but please spare a happy thought today for H and E who should be having a (probably very emotional) reunion in Hollyhead later on today. 

Please forward this email onto any other horsey people you know.  The more people who know about plaits and microchips the better...
Thank you for reading and please be alert to this plaiting - keep an eye on your own horses and also neighbours._


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## tangoharvey (11 November 2009)

the thing is a thief cant tell if a horse has been microchipped, i know it means you might get your horse back, but i would like to prevent it in the first place,  i wonder if microchip companies produce signs to go on gates etc?


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## smithsmob (11 November 2009)

poohbear59 I used to think like you but have learnt a lot since my girl was taken which by the way was between 18.00 and 20.00 on a sunny summer evening from a paddock next to a main road!
We later found plastic bread bags that had been stuffed into the hedgerow. I have spoken to many people who have had horses stolen since and signs of feeding have been evident in many of them. 
God forbid it should happen to any of you but it is also worth looking for cigarette butts etc as well because they are very useful to the police.
Dont think like a normal, caring person when looking at your security, you have to think like scum bag thieving b*****ds who watch you and your animals.


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## The_snoopster (11 November 2009)

The way i see it horse owners are supposed to be on the same side, yes sometimes people can add a little on to the stories. But this particular subject of plaited manes is by no means new its a old trick by horse thieves. 
What a lot of us are trying to do is make aware of the different methods that thieves are doing to take horses and property. Where,s the harm in that is,nt it what this forum is for ??? . Obviously this time it is not a chinese whisper unless the police have also been taken in perhaps.


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## ringmaster (11 November 2009)

I'm sure, if they don't already, if there was demand the chipping company would come up with a sign for a small cost.

The other thing you could consider is getting together with other owners in the area, or via your county's horse watch group, and designing and buying your own signs  all horses are chipped and freeze marked, all tack and transport is security marked etc . . . If you wanted to get them at a reasonable price you may need 100-200 signed up.


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## hairycob (11 November 2009)

I've had this email from 2 sources - identical except for the place the horse was stolen from!
My mare regularly has knotted "plaits" in her mane, as does my younger gelding - they both have long manes. I've had the mare 6 years &amp; she has been getting them all this time without being stolen. The other gelding who has a short mane never get's them. They are just knots! I believe the old name for them is witches plaits.


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## The_snoopster (11 November 2009)

I think the plaits in question are more plait like to look at not the tangles which our horses get when we keep them with long manes. My mare gets horrendous ones with brambles stuck in them just to get stuck in my fingers and itch all night. As for the posters i know farmkey do one but cost me £8 so i photo copied them and then laminated them. I suppose you could design a poster and do the same for microchipped horses.


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## Tinseltoes (11 November 2009)

I always thought thieves take horses in a remote area or ones visible  ie field on road /lanes and easy access for a quick gettaway???
Im pretty lucky as my field has plenty of vidibility to the surrounding houses and my horse hates men!!


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## The_snoopster (11 November 2009)

The one that was stolen in the next field to me was led down a bridlepath for half a mile and loaded in a lane at the side of a main road. A cctv caught a trailer on that stretch of road at around 10pm it was just dropping dark as it was july.


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## ringmaster (11 November 2009)

There was a post here: http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showflat.php?Number=4987558 do you have another provenance (or two) for the story, hairycob?


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## Bert&Maud (11 November 2009)

The incident in Teffont was definitely not scaremongering as it involved a member of our riding club. The police are apparently treating it seriously.


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## hairycob (12 November 2009)

Ringmaster - my point was I have been forwarded an identical email by 2 people with 2 diferent locations for the theft (not even in the same part of the country) so I am very doubtful of it's truth. 
To me the plaits suddenly appearing on horses all over the country sound so much like last summers Eastern Europeans taking photos of horses to steal hysteria. But I suppose if it gets people to freezemark their horses some good will come of it. 
That was the other thing the email made me smile about. It made so much about horses entering Ireland being scanned (don't know if that is even true - anybody know?) &amp; so you should microchip your horse to protect it - but:
1) how many stolen horses end up in Ireland - my understanding was that Irish dealers are having trouble getting rid of the stock they have, so importing stolen horses wouldn't make much financial sense.
2) Freezemarking only requires low tech eyeballs to detect it, not several scanners to detect different types of chip!


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## Tinseltoes (12 November 2009)

Someone told me that half the horses stolen end up as meat.


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## CharCharSlide (12 November 2009)

as Tass said unfortunately this is not scaremongering, i wish it was coz its in my village which is a TINY village and have spoken to a lady with a very secure yard with eventers who had one plaited on saturday night whilst they were out for dinner, in a stable and doesnt have a long mane in the field so was definately not a witches plait.
the attempted theft was another incident but i have since received an official police repoet from the police about an attempted theft in a secure stable which I believe is neither if th e 2 incidences above.
ontop of this, another SJ who lives 10mins from me has had someone photgraphing her breeding mares on the main road which has also been recorded by the police and my father just received a phone call from one of the people who circulates the police emails and MOD reports to say some men had just smashed down her fencing to get a boat from their land but were scared off when her OH went out to investigate.

I WISH THIS WAS MADE UP BUT ITS NOT AND IT IS VERY SCARY WHEN IT IS HAPPNEING ALL AROUND YOU!!

Please be careful because I NEVER thought it would happen in our tiny, peaceful village..


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## Deadtree (13 November 2009)

We got this info from the police too, so scary


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## ladyt25 (13 November 2009)

Well, I was a bit sceptical about this but my marketing lady here as just told me (via her husband who's an insurance broker) that one of the people we insure has just this morning scared off some horse thieves in her field in Bishop Thorton - Harrogate area.

Apparently the horses had plaits in their tails (not manes this time) - the owner thought it was the fault of her daughter not having taken them out but then when they went to the field this morning they found two men in the field who subsequently ran off!!

Quite scary stuff if this is happening all over. My question would be - where are they taking them??

Keep eyes open is the key I think.


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## Tinseltoes (13 November 2009)

Taking them over to Ireland is my guess then off for horsemeat.Sad isnt it!!!


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## ladyt25 (13 November 2009)

That's my biggest fear about these sorts of things - it's one thing a horse being stolen and sold on to an unsuspecting buyer but to think of an animail you may have owned for many years ending up terrified and being shipped off to an horrific end is just unimaginable.

Do abbatoirs not have to check horses that arrive with them?? If not why not? Law-abiding owners who passport their horses and microchip their horses seem to just be wasting their money don't they as it doens't seem anyone's safe. I think ports certainly should be required by law to check all horses that pass through.


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## Tinseltoes (13 November 2009)

I think ports/sales need to scan too and see the passport.Im getting my boy freezemarked  as it scares me a lot. I know my feild is surrounded by houses etc and cthieves would be seen,but you just dont know do you?


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## starsky (13 November 2009)

I wrote the email about the horse found in Holyhead.  It was my friend, I heard it first hand from her the day the horse was taken and every day til the horse was back.

Urban myths exist yes, but that one was definitely true.  Police and microchipping companies both involved.


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## ladyt25 (13 November 2009)

Thing is I don't think it matters where your horse is as these people are bold and  it would take someone to think they were doing something suspicious to approach them and question them.


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## Tinseltoes (13 November 2009)

If someone got in my field and the people who live there saw them theyd call the police as everyone around there knows Im the only one who sees to the horse and pony.


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## oofadoofa (13 November 2009)

[ QUOTE ]
That's my biggest fear about these sorts of things - it's one thing a horse being stolen and sold on to an unsuspecting buyer but to think of an animail you may have owned for many years ending up terrified and being shipped off to an horrific end is just unimaginable.

Do abbatoirs not have to check horses that arrive with them?? If not why not? Law-abiding owners who passport their horses and microchip their horses seem to just be wasting their money don't they as it doens't seem anyone's safe. I think ports certainly should be required by law to check all horses that pass through. 

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you know the scary thing is that I had booked in one of my horses to take him to the local abbatoir and was asked if he had a passport.  I said yes and they told me to bring it along with me, if not they could make a passport up there and then.  How scary is that?!


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## ladyt25 (13 November 2009)

That's the terrible thing oofadoofa. The thought of any of my horses ending up at an abbatoir for the sake of a few hundred quid for the thieves makes my blood run cold and the fact that an abbatoir is happy to just 'do' a passport is sickening.

I am hoping that this isn't actually the case with all horses being 'selected' and they aren't all intended for the meat market (i just can't see the demand and how it's money making but then maybe I'm naive and the fact the thieves can make a few hundred quid per horse maybe with no outlay from themselves - well i guess to these people money's money.

Think I may go shopping for a static caravan this weekend to plonk down my stables so i can stay in that overnight!!!


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## oofadoofa (13 November 2009)

I do wonder how much theft goes on without us knowing about it too.  Last year I found two chaps snooping about at my yard at 6 in the morning and reported it to the police.  Didn't hear anything else and no reports locally of any horses stolen.  Then a few weeks later heard that around 30 horses had been found in a field behind a local gypsy site and were returned to their owners (farmer who owned field told me himself).  Nothing at all the press, nothing on the Horsewatch website, stolen horse register, etc, etc.


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## Tinseltoes (13 November 2009)

Its absolutly sigusting.Whats the point of having a passport then? abbatoirs need to make sure the horse isnt stolen before they kill it.Grrrrrrr makes me mad. Im against horsemeat industry.Thieves need to have their arms cut off.


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## CALMEquestrian (16 November 2009)

The incident in Wilts was described by police as near Tisbury (which Teffont is).  See http://www.calmequestrian.co.uk under latest news, this comes to me direct from the police then copied and pasted to the site within hours.  Hope this helps.  Miranda.


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## Darkly_Dreaming_Dex (17 November 2009)

QR
Freezemarking is a great idea but no one seems interested in getting theirs done. I have one i want freezemarked but the companies say there is no interest in my area so i had to get a group of 6 minimum . I emailed all the riding clubs across 5 counties, put up posts on 3 forums, contacted local horsewatch + they circulated info on their email and i had ONE person interested 
	
	
		
		
	


	




 If i was in Scotland then fair enough but i am in Oxfordshire... I have had him microchipped and am waiting for a company to contact me to do him at their leisure


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## koeffee (17 November 2009)

i heard these stories recently and i have just microchip all 7 of mine, they are near a main road, but its a back road and a constanlty worry, that lock will be cut etc, and i am doing my own sign and laminating it to put on my gate.


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## miss_bird (20 November 2009)

I do find it strange that people are stating that the horses are being shipped to Ireland for meat, as there is a 3 month waiting list for the meat man in Ireland, so if they cant dispose of their own, how the hell do people think a load shipped in from the UK  will be disposed of asap.
PLEASE CAN WE JUST STATE FACTS NOT MAKE UP AS WE GO ALONG


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## Faithkat (20 November 2009)

[ QUOTE ]
I'm sure, if they don't already, if there was demand the chipping company would come up with a sign for a small cost. 

[/ QUOTE ]

There's no need to ask the chipping people - all mine are chipped and I made my own signs for the gate : A3 paper, very large typeface and laminated.


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## Lorraine1962 (17 October 2011)

I don't think it's scaremongering as it's only just happened to one of our mares....means we have to bring them in...grrrr


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## lhotse (18 October 2011)

Oh here we go again, another new poster bringing up threads from the vaults to scaremonger again!!!
It's not even half term yet!!


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## OWLIE185 (18 October 2011)

The fact of the matter is that amongst all the horse thefts reported to horsewatch over many years not one has been reported stolen because their tail has been plaited.

If you are worried about your horse being stolen then get it freezemarked on it's shoulder. Anyone can easily see and read a freezemark rather than a microchip which is invisible and the scanner from one system will not recognise other systems.

If your horse is stolen report it immediately to the police and ask for an incident/crime number. Then report it to Horsewatch and then update your horses record on www.ned-online.org.uk and mark it's record as stolen.


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## Luci07 (18 October 2011)

Still, I am of the school that sharpening us owners up is no bad thing and it if makes someone more suspicious and less trusting then that is no bad thing.

But then you can get the other funny side - our YO keeps odd hours (deliberately) at our yard and cultivates lovely "nosey" neighbours. She came out on night to find someone was camping some 50 yards away behind one of the trees so called out people to investigate. Turned out to be one truly terrified man who well and truly had the wind put up him but better to be safe than sorry (no one was violent! before you ask, just he was equally surprised when a large 4 x 4 drove upto check him out!)


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## pamnhols (18 October 2011)

ringmaster said:



			I'm sure, if they don't already, if there was demand the chipping company would come up with a sign for a small cost.

The other thing you could consider is getting together with other owners in the area, or via your county's horse watch group, and designing and buying your own signs  all horses are chipped and freeze marked, all tack and transport is security marked etc . . . If you wanted to get them at a reasonable price you may need 100-200 signed up.
		
Click to expand...

Petdetect do signs saying all animals are microchipped, I think when I gotmine they were about a fiver. Thats Nothing really if it may help prevent theft.


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## Tinseltoes (18 October 2011)

lhotse said:



			Oh here we go again, another new poster bringing up threads from the vaults to scaremonger again!!!
It's not even half term yet!!
		
Click to expand...

Exactly,wish they would STOP these rumours. Thieves DO NOT mark a horse to steal Grrrrrrrrr
as if they'd be so stupid.


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## Faithkat (20 October 2011)

This old myth is getting really tiresome now, the Police have said publicly that THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF PLAITED HORSES BEING STOLEN

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/8442840.Are_pony_plaits_the_work_of_pagans_/

My Arab had a wonderful "plait" in her mane last weekend   . . . funnily enough is coincided with the very windy weather  (and she does a lot of head tossing)


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