# Horse injured in field



## Matsimoo (16 August 2013)

Hello, where to start.

A few months back we found the gate to our field had been marked with black marker pen (3 little black boxes) had been marked on the gate. We have 3 horses in the field. My mum rang the police and asked what was the best thing to do as we were pretty sure our horses had been marked up for theft. They advised that we stayed blocking the gate at night to ensure no one could get in to take our horses. So that's what we did, my mum stayed up there every night for 2 weeks in her 4x4 blocking the gate to our field.

During them 2 weeks, a horse lorry came in the early hours of the morning to try and take our horses, my mum only noticed as the horses got spooked and were cantering around our field. (The thieves had tried to gain access to our field by driving through another field). The yard down the road from us with ponies also had their gate rammed off and their caravan with tack, generator etc had been stolen. The caravan was tracked down and they retrieved it from where it had been dumped (but it was totally ruined). 

Anyway, everything seemed to go quiet, therefore my mum stopped staying up in her car to block the gate way. Then this morning we received a phone call from the farmer who owns our field to say that he had driven past and the gate to our field was wide open, with the padlock smashed off. Luckily our horses had stayed in the field. When we got up there we went over to the horses to check them all over and our chestnut gelding was in a bad state. He has got wounds all over his left hind leg and one on his front left leg. He also has some grazes on his belly and shoulder.

After seeing this we walked the field to see if he had caught himself on any fencing or if he had been attacked by someone/something. After investigating the fencing, we saw that our electric fencing (not live) had been cut through, making it possible for our horses to get to the barbed wire which was set further back behind our fencing. Also the wooden posts which the barbed wire was attacked to had all been pulled out of the ground. Anyway, it looks like he had been driven down to the bottom of our field by a car/4x4 to try and heard him to steal him but he ended up falling down a ditch and getting wrapped up in barbed wire. There are car tyre marks on the grass and also fresh deep hoof prints in the ground from where we assume he fell down. I was then informed that the yard down the road with the ponies also were broken into last night and their gate had been rammed again, the thieves had now gone in their new caravan and wrecked it and stole a can of petrol.

We have informed the police but they are unable to come out and see our horse until Friday morning. I just want to warn people so that they know and to make sure you check your horses more often. 






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## Cuffey (16 August 2013)

Very upsetting
A lady whose horses were targetted in Scotland has set this up
http://www.trail-camera.co.uk/Scoutguard SG550M.htm


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## jo.b (17 August 2013)

sounds awful, hope your horse recovers well. where abouts did this happen?


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## Biglets Mummy (17 August 2013)

You poor thing ! This is awful and very worrying.Really hope your horses make a full recovery and that these b******** leave you alone.Sending my best to you xxx


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## Adopter (17 August 2013)

What a worrying time for you.

Can you increase your security, are the horses freeze marked?

Hope your horse will recover quickly.


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## slumdog (17 August 2013)

How awful  poor boy must have been terrified. I suppose him falling down the ditch was a blessing in disguise, who knows where he would have ended up if they'd got their hands on him. I hope he recovers x


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## Matsimoo (19 August 2013)

It happened between Melton Mowbray and Grantham, in a village. Police said they will get it published in the news paper. I just wanted to warn people. There isn't much way of securing the field as it is in the middle of nowhere. No houses near by. We are trying to find somewhere to move them to ensure they are safe. But it is proving rather difficult!


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## Bennions Field (20 August 2013)

so sorry to hear about this, i hope your boy heals quickly, thankfully he's just come out with some cuts.  i feel for you, i too have my horses away from home, but thankfully they are in a small hamlet and the neighbours keep an eye on them for me, they all have my phone number and call if anyone / anything suspicious happens.  

would the farmer not let you move the horses nearer to his property for a couple of weeks?  at least untill things calm down a little/the thieves move to somewhere else.   it is a real worry for you, i've been broken into at a livery yard years ago, i couldnt stay there, i was petrified they would come back and steel the horses next time, as it was they messed about with a couple of them  

hope you manage to sort things out quickly, perhaps look at putting on livery for a few weeks while you get sorted elsewhere?


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## Lynsey&Smartie (20 August 2013)

How awful, I bet you are terrified of leaving them at night. I think you can get CCTV cameras with night vision which you can log into from your home computer which might be an idea covering the gate way? Assuming I guess you have electricity up there.


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## OrangePepper (20 August 2013)

The most important thing to do is to get your horses Freezemarked on a part of their body where the Freezemark can be read while the horse is being ridden.

Also take photos of your horse from all 4 sides just in case he goes missing.

I would also take photos of the tyre marks etc.

Ask the police for an incident number.

Then inform Horsewatch (UK-Horsewatch Alliance) and give them the incident number.

In certian parts of the country it has become police policy to stop any horseboxes/horse trailers which are driven between 11.00 p.m. and 4.00 a.m. and ask for the passports of the horses being transported.

I would move your horses elsewhere for the time being.


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## FionaM12 (20 August 2013)

OrangePepper said:



			The most important thing to do is to get your horses Freezemarked on a part of their body where the Freezemark can be read while the horse is being ridden.
		
Click to expand...

Absolutely this. Freezemarking seems to be the best protection you can give your horses. How horrible and upsetting for you. I hope your horse makes a swift recovery and that you find somewhere safe to move them to.


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## showing (10 September 2013)

our horses were kept near lincoln. On the 10th of july our horses had been let out screws removed from fencing.Which resulted in one horse trapped in a ditch and a pony with a broken leg. Unfortunately we lost the both of them dispite the best efforts from the fire brigade. These people will stop at nothing


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## OrangePepper (10 September 2013)

Showing I am very sory to hear of your sad loss.  Please ensure that this is reported to Horsewatch so that the police Horsewatch co-ordinator is aware of this terrible incident.


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## Adopter (10 September 2013)

Showing,  how devastating  for you, I am so sorry for your loss.


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