# Gypsy handles in west malling!



## dancebaben (3 December 2010)

Both the boys had gypsy handles in their manes tonight. 
Sadly no way of moving the boys, have removed Joes headcollar and brushed out and mane conditioned both of them so there is no trace. All headcollars have gone from the field now and i've called the police so all patrols are on the look out. 

Texted everyone i know and now putting this here... we're in West malling just in case you'd forgotten! 

Apache is microchipped and very distinguishable and is of no use to anyone... wonky knees, unusually marked and strange coloured... little Joe...... well let's hope he doesn't go anywhere cos we won't get him back again. 
 

Terrified. 

Here's the photo...


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## crunchie1 (3 December 2010)

This is probably a very daft question so I'm sorry in advance, but what is a Gypsy Handle ? 

I hope everything is ok with your horses though.


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## lhotse (3 December 2010)

Here we go again..................................................
.......................................
There is absolutely no evidence of any horse being stolen after being 'marked' in such a way.
It's a wind plait.
No need to panic.


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## christi (3 December 2010)

Brace yourself for the replies you will get in here xxx


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## Bryndu (3 December 2010)

My ponies have devised a cunning 'reverse' gypsy handle....it is called bloody gorse!!!!!
Bryndu


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## Cedars (3 December 2010)

Sodignsdfgnsfgunspdfugpsadfiugbapdifhgahfdbgaphfdgbapifdugbapfudvnapdsufnapsiufgbapsdfiunapjfgnapifdugbapiufgbapu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11


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## DragonSlayer (4 December 2010)

flamehead said:



			Sodignsdfgnsfgunspdfugpsadfiugbapdifhgahfdbgaphfdgbapifdugbapfudvnapdsufnapsiufgbapsdfiunapjfgnapifdugbapiufgbapu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11
		
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Breathe, daammit!

~Gets out the smelling salts~

Ok.....1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10.....aaaaaaand breathe......

Watch your blood pressure....!


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## *hic* (4 December 2010)

dancebaben said:



			Here's the photo...







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Oooh, nice wind plait


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## TopDollar (4 December 2010)

These wind plait threads worry me!

I'm just say here thinking that there may be the wrong kind of person reading these threads.   Isn't this giving people the opportunity needed?  We've all started this craze off which none of us think has anything behind it so what's stopping organised horse theives now going and doing this for real?  We'll all be sat at home banging away on here about how it's all a load of old b*ll*cks and then bam!

Sorry if I sound over the top, but I think we should be alert to these things without making every other thread on here the subject of wind plaits.

Please don't take this as argument.  I'm trying to be sensible.


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## SusannaF (4 December 2010)

It seems unfair to blame "gypsies" for something the wind did, or that the horse created by rubbing against something.
I don't think any horse thieves will start plaiting up horses for theft as a result of threads like this. The same arguments apply  why take five minutes "marking" a horse and therefore alerting its owner instead of just stealing it?


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## Tinseltoes (4 December 2010)

*hic* said:



			Oooh, nice wind plait

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 lol lol Yes Thats deffinatly   A  WIND TANGLE My little one gets them constantly¬¬


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## *hic* (4 December 2010)

TopDollar said:



			These wind plait threads worry me!

I'm just say here thinking that there may be the wrong kind of person reading these threads.   Isn't this giving people the opportunity needed?  We've all started this craze off which none of us think has anything behind it so what's stopping organised horse theives now going and doing this for real?  We'll all be sat at home banging away on here about how it's all a load of old b*ll*cks and then bam!

Sorry if I sound over the top, but I think we should be alert to these things without making every other thread on here the subject of wind plaits.

Please don't take this as argument.  I'm trying to be sensible.
		
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OK, so, being sensible. Instead of just watching a field and deciding to take the big grey and the little bay with a white face you think people are now going to watch fields, decide to take the big grey and the little bay with a white face, get in the field, put plaits in, and then come back another night  to remove the horses, having given the owners time to discover the plaits.

Put yourself in the thieves shoes - which would you rather do? Me, for my level of intelligence, I'd watch the field and take the horses as soon as possible. I certainly wouldn't put identification on any horse I was going to steal. The only reason for entering a field before stealing the horse would be to find out how easy it is to catch - but each time you go into the field you are increasing your chances of detection.

No, I'm afraid I can't see any "real" horse thief bothering to mark their target out first - not with any sign obvious to the owners anyway.

There will of course be people who see this and realise they could have a good old laugh at someone else's panic by putting a plait in their horse's mane, heaven knows with some of the hysteria on here I'd be tempted myself if I lived near any of the hysterics.


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## Tinseltoes (4 December 2010)

*hic* said:



			OK, so, being sensible. Instead of just watching a field and deciding to take the big grey and the little bay with a white face you think people are now going to watch fields, decide to take the big grey and the little bay with a white face, get in the field, put plaits in, and then come back another night  to remove the horses, having given the owners time to discover the plaits.

Put yourself in the thieves shoes - which would you rather do? Me, for my level of intelligence, I'd watch the field and take the horses as soon as possible. I certainly wouldn't put identification on any horse I was going to steal. The only reason for entering a field before stealing the horse would be to find out how easy it is to catch - but each time you go into the field you are increasing your chances of detection.

No, I'm afraid I can't see any "real" horse thief bothering to mark their target out first - not with any sign obvious to the owners anyway.

There will of course be people who see this and realise they could have a good old laugh at someone else's panic by putting a plait in their horse's mane, heaven knows with some of the hysteria on here I'd be tempted myself if I lived near any of the hysterics.
		
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I have to agree BUT people do NOT listen to us,they will believe what they want,no matter how much its a rumour. I have heard of thieves leaving things outside the gate etc.


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## Cedars (4 December 2010)

I have a plan. How about, when everyone sees their horses today, you TRY to make a plait that actually looks like that. Then take a photo!

Do you have ANY idea how hard it would be to do that plait?!?!?!


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## nettle (4 December 2010)

flamehead said:



			I have a plan. How about, when everyone sees their horses today, you TRY to make a plait that actually looks like that. Then take a photo!

Do you have ANY idea how hard it would be to do that plait?!?!?!
		
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Very good point!


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## Lila (4 December 2010)

No need to be so rude to the OP she is a genuinely worried owner. 
Some of you on here are harsh at times its totally uncalled for. There's a few posts on here that fair enough they are stupid and the OP (not this one) deserves everything he/she gets. But please don't slate someone who is concerned its only natural if you love your animal so much


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## christi (4 December 2010)

Lila said:



			No need to be so rude to the OP she is a genuinely worried owner. 
Some of you on here are harsh at times its totally uncalled for. There's a few posts on here that fair enough they are stupid and the OP (not this one) deserves everything he/she gets. But please don't slate someone who is concerned its only natural if you love your animal so much
		
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Agreed .


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## Serenity087 (4 December 2010)

As I've started saying - would you, if you were a thief, put a postit note on a car saying "steal this one"?

No?

Then what sort of idiot plaits a horse up before stealing it.  I mean really.  Horse owners knew about this crazy trend before the thieves did!

It's a fairy plait, nothing to do with gypsies.  If you're that worried, hog them, then the gypsies won't know which one to steal!


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## Tinypony (4 December 2010)

Op, don't worry, the wind did that.  Two out of my three have versions of that in their manes at the moment.  The one that hasn't is a bit short of mane, it he wasn't I'm sure he'd have one too.  I've actually been at my field all day once, and had one of those tangles appear while I was there, because it was windy.  
Do the police really respond to these reports by putting patrols on the "lookout"?  

Mind you, the snow you had up in West Malling yesterday, I'd really wonder how the heck any horse thieves were planning to get their victims out of the area.  Main roads were rough, but side roads were almost impassable weren't they?  Certainly with a horse lorry or trailer.  I'm a few miles from West Malling and had to walk to my yard.  Snow in my field was a foot deep in some places.  Hardly ideal circumstances for horse theft was it?


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## Tinseltoes (4 December 2010)

My little one had them and they had to be cut out as impossible to get out otherwise. Amazes me how they get them so often,but thats life.Its done by the wind.


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## am3l1a (4 December 2010)

i thought thieves put plaits in the mane to see if it was brushed out so they'd know how often they are taken care of and whether anyone would notice sraight away that the horse was gone. 

some of these posts are really harsh, if i was upset and worried about my horse, i wouldnt want to come on here and be bullied into thinking i was being silly. i would come on here to warn others near to me and be given some reassurrance.

tbh, i was told this place was really good and that everyone was so nice. the majority are, then you have the prats left who read your posts and judge your thoughts and worries.


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## Battyoldbint (4 December 2010)

think my little lad got very small gypsy after him lol, hes got 1 in his feathers


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## Zebedee (4 December 2010)

Battyoldbint said:



			think my little lad got very small gypsy after him lol, hes got 1 in his feathers
		
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## Tinypony (4 December 2010)

am3l1a said:



			i thought thieves put plaits in the mane to see if it was brushed out so they'd know how often they are taken care of and whether anyone would notice sraight away that the horse was gone.
		
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Well, I'm saying this kindly, no, that is not what the plaits are about, and what is shown in those photos isn't a plait anyway.  Anyone who has horses with a longer mane that go out in the wind will recognise them as being a natural result of weather, and also I think sometimes caused by rolling.
People may sound harsh, but there have been loads of threads about this, and time and time again people have taken the trouble to contact the police to confirm that there are NO recorded thefts of horses that have been "marked" in this way.  There have also been real facts and figures quoted that prove that horse theft in general has decreased.
The best way to protect your horse is to get it freezemarked.  I hope nobody who is worried about finding these plaits, or who is passing texts around, or telling others to take "extra precautions" owns a horse that isn't freezemarked...

p.s.  I don't know who told you everyone is "nice" here, because they aren't.  Some are afraid to post here because there are members who can be quite forthright in their opinions, and every now and then someone is actually quite nasty.  However, I think it can be quite interesting.


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## chestercharlie (4 December 2010)

OP I would be much more worried if I saw plastic bags or another type of marker tied to my fence, or fence was broken....spray on the floor along fence line type of thing, thieves really tend not to hang around and plait...they mark a place to break into your field rather than the horse....usually.

Markers you are looking for are usually NOT on the horse, they take photos  or their pick of what they like at the time,


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## ISHmad (5 December 2010)

And if it hasn't been said before on the thread one of the very best deterrents is to make sure that your horse is freezemarked.


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## Cahill (5 December 2010)

imo it`s rural myth.
i have watched my cobs make these `plaits`in each others mane by twizzleing the hair with their top lips whilst grooming each other.

(sometimes they are very difficult to remove.i apply baby oil and usually pick them out the next day.)


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## christi (5 December 2010)

i do agree , there are ways of getting one's point across without being rude and nasty .
( she knows who she is )

OP just ignore the posts that are nasty , sadly you find it seems to be the same people over and over again who are yet to grasp the art of "typing" without being rude and nasty.


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## TallyHo123 (5 December 2010)

My youngster gets these all the time! I better start camping out outside her field just be safe!

baaaaah how many times have we had these posts?!?!


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## Serenity087 (5 December 2010)

Sorry if I seem rude with these sorts of scarmongering posts, but they are DANGEROUS.  They cause hysteria where there is none.  Horses get moved, owners get frightened, and that sort of confused environment is IDEAL for accidents and real thefts to take place!!

Tagging fields is also a myth.  If I paniced every time I found rubbish in the bushes...

Make sure your horses are freezemarked and microchipped and that fields are secure.  Shouldn't take a wind plait to get you thinking of it anyway!


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## D66 (5 December 2010)

Don't worry, it is a wind plait, but if you haven't had your horse chipped or freeze branded have them done now.
Our yearling filly had a wind plait last winter - it grew bigger and bigger until I had to cut it out in April.  Her mane is kept short now and it hasn't reoccurred.


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## am3l1a (5 December 2010)

Tinypony said:



			Well, I'm saying this kindly, no, that is not what the plaits are about, and what is shown in those photos isn't a plait anyway.  Anyone who has horses with a longer mane that go out in the wind will recognise them as being a natural result of weather, and also I think sometimes caused by rolling.
People may sound harsh, but there have been loads of threads about this, and time and time again people have taken the trouble to contact the police to confirm that there are NO recorded thefts of horses that have been "marked" in this way.  There have also been real facts and figures quoted that prove that horse theft in general has decreased.
The best way to protect your horse is to get it freezemarked.  I hope nobody who is worried about finding these plaits, or who is passing texts around, or telling others to take "extra precautions" owns a horse that isn't freezemarked...

p.s.  I don't know who told you everyone is "nice" here, because they aren't.  Some are afraid to post here because there are members who can be quite forthright in their opinions, and every now and then someone is actually quite nasty.  However, I think it can be quite interesting.
		
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well actually yes it is one of the reasons why thieves would plait a mane. 

p.s there is being forthright in their opinions and there is being rude. i do not find it interesting,i find it appalling.


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## *hic* (5 December 2010)

am3l1a said:



			well actually yes it is one of the reasons why thieves would plait a mane.
		
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I don't think it can be as there are NO recorded instances of horses that have been "marked" being stolen.


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## Tinseltoes (5 December 2010)

For goodness sake thieves DO NOT PLAIT HORSES for theft.Anyone who9 believes that Well!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
Might as well put a label on it saying TAKE ME!!!  Get real will you. URBAN MYTH!


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## Tinseltoes (5 December 2010)

am3l1a said:



			well actually yes it is one of the reasons why thieves would plait a mane. 

p.s there is being forthright in their opinions and there is being rude. i do not find it interesting,i find it appalling.
		
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Please show us PROOF that thieves plait to steal and that there have been horses stolen!!!!!!  You cant cause there are NONE
Case closed!!!!!


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## christi (5 December 2010)

christi said:



			i do agree , there are ways of getting one's point across without being rude and nasty .
( she knows who she is )

OP just ignore the posts that are nasty , sadly you find it seems to be the same people over and over again who are yet to grasp the art of "typing" without being rude and nasty.
		
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!!!


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## chestercharlie (5 December 2010)

"tagging fields is also a myth".....

NO, I beg to differ on that one, I suggest you join Horsewatch and read up!!


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## Zebedee (5 December 2010)

chestercharlie said:



			"tagging fields is also a myth".....

NO, I beg to differ on that one, I suggest you join Horsewatch and read up!!
		
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Could you perhaps just tell us of any actual instances where a field has been 'tagged' (not just random rubbish in the hedge) & a horse has been stolen?
None have ever been reported on here. A good friend of mine is a very active Horsewatch member, along with two members of the police that I know who are the Horsewatch liason officers for their areas. None of these people have ever mentioned tagging in connection with any thefts that have taken place.


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## lhotse (5 December 2010)

christi said:



			i do agree , there are ways of getting one's point across without being rude and nasty .
( she knows who she is )

OP just ignore the posts that are nasty , sadly you find it seems to be the same people over and over again who are yet to grasp the art of "typing" without being rude and nasty.
		
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I do hope you are not referring to my post, because it was neither rude or nasty, but it was the post you replied to first.


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## christi (5 December 2010)

Ihoste .. no not intended for you , if it was, i would have quoted you . i had not even noticed your post until just now.


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## Tinypony (5 December 2010)

"well actually yes it is one of the reasons why thieves would plait a mane. "
Here I might be accused of being mildly rude - FGS it is nothing do do with thieves.  If you don't believe people who have taken the trouble to contact the police about this, then waste their time again by speaking to them yourself.  There have been NO reported instances of theft of "plaited" horses.  The tangle in the photos that Op posted aren't plaits in any case, they are just caused by weather and general horse activities such as rolling.

I'll just mention again that any horse thieves operating in the West Malling area on the days Op posted about would have had to be very determined, as the road conditions were awful.  I am just a few miles down the road.


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## christi (5 December 2010)

Ive never believed in this .................


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## lhotse (5 December 2010)

Ok, cheers for that, you had me worried for a moment there!!


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## christi (5 December 2010)

christi said:



			Ive never believed in this .................
		
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even when i posted of my experience, all i got was ridiculed and name calling , so unnecessary & unkind.


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## christi (5 December 2010)

lhotse said:



			Ok, cheers for that, you had me worried for a moment there!!
		
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YW


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## *hic* (6 December 2010)

christi said:



			even when i posted of my experience, all i got was ridiculed and name calling , so unnecessary & unkind.
		
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Ah but if it made you realise that your worries about your horse being stolen were unfounded don't you think it was worth it?


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## Tinseltoes (6 December 2010)

When you get a phone call saying your horse and pony are in the lane,then worry.Happened to me few weeks back.Police think it was youths that let tjhem out.Believe me that was scary/


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## christi (6 December 2010)

*hic* said:



			Ah but if it made you realise that your worries about your horse being stolen were unfounded don't you think it was worth it?
		
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Well as  i did not post about it in here until 6 months after the event  and as i said in my original post about it  i did let it be known  ive never believed in any of this sort of thing ....  do you think i was in a mad panic ? ...  or not ?    I have owned horses for 33 years so i  feel i know when to panic or not .

 And No ,  i dont think it was worth being spoken to like a young child in such a rude nasty and unkind manner ...  No !!

 ( she knows who she is )


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## am3l1a (6 December 2010)

Tinypony said:



			"well actually yes it is one of the reasons why thieves would plait a mane. "
Here I might be accused of being mildly rude - FGS it is nothing do do with thieves.  If you don't believe people who have taken the trouble to contact the police about this, then waste their time again by speaking to them yourself.  There have been NO reported instances of theft of "plaited" horses.  The tangle in the photos that Op posted aren't plaits in any case, they are just caused by weather and general horse activities such as rolling.

I'll just mention again that any horse thieves operating in the West Malling area on the days Op posted about would have had to be very determined, as the road conditions were awful.  I am just a few miles down the road.[/QUOTE

look, i believe in it, otherwise where would have it all come from? its my opinion, and because of how rude you have been i do not respect your opinion. 

btw, yes i live down the road from West Malling too so yes i agree with the icey road comment.
		
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## Tinypony (6 December 2010)

It's come from urban legend, or should that be countryside legend or something?  There was a thread on here some time back which, when checked by police, proved to be a troll thread.  However, it was too late, the rumour was out.  It was about a mare being plaited, stolen, then found abandoned at the port where she would have been shipped to Ireland. All pure fiction.
I don't care if you believe me (and I didn't think I was really being that rude to be honest), just ring the police, they will confirm this.  The problem with this rumour is that it spreads panic.  Earlier this year it was all over the area where I keep my horses, someone even moved theirs because of it.  
Do you believe that the tangle in your photo could have more likely been created by weather than human hand?


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## HazellB (7 December 2010)

Tinypony said:



			..... just ring the police, they will confirm this.
		
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Sadly Lincs police have been adding to the story and telling horse owners to watch out for plaits, so police in some areas are falling for it too!

Plaits used to be put in a mane by assorted gypsy groups many, many years ago. Now they aren't. These days they have a box to collect the animal there and then, years ago it was a marker for future thefts as boxes and trailers were harder to come by. 

Seriously, don't let it worry you now and don't think if your animals aren't plaited they won't get stolen.


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## Tinypony (7 December 2010)

Bit daft of them really, when there's no cases isn't it?
Seriously, is there anyone on this thread who hasn't got their horses freezemarked?  And if not, I'd be interested in why not.  Someone near me got in a real panic about this plaiting rumour, but in spite of all that her horses aren't freezemarked.  That doesn't compute to me.


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## christi (7 December 2010)

Tinypony said:



			Bit daft of them really, when there's no cases isn't it?
Seriously, is there anyone on this thread who hasn't got their horses freezemarked?  And if not, I'd be interested in why not.  Someone near me got in a real panic about this plaiting rumour, but in spite of all that her horses aren't freezemarked.  That doesn't compute to me.[/QUOTE

utter madness not to have it done i agree
		
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## The_snoopster (8 December 2010)

Totally agree with freezemarking I had all mine done within weeks of a filly being stolen in the next field, wakeup call or what !!! And I must offer this bit of advice the field was tagged with carrier bags, also the 1/2 mile long bridleway was tagged every 100meters or so, and when you followed the bags it led you to where the trailer had been hidden by the thieves, it appeared the person who took the filly did not know the directions so followed a pre-layed trail that had been layed earlier.
The area had lots of dark B/Ws and walkways, and a large piece of carpet was left wear the trailer was, carpet had hoof prints on and was thought to be used to muffle the sound of the filly being loaded. Must say no plaits were used by thieves, and the picture of the OP,s horse looks the same as tangles my horses get if they do not have their manes brushed for a while, they can appear over night if its windy.


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## La Fiaba (8 December 2010)

Tinypony said:



			It's come from urban legend, or should that be countryside legend or something?  There was a thread on here some time back which, when checked by police, proved to be a troll thread.  However, it was too late, the rumour was out.  It was about a mare being plaited, stolen, then found abandoned at the port where she would have been shipped to Ireland. All pure fiction.
		
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so obviously a made up story, who in their right mind ships TO ireland?


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## Tinypony (8 December 2010)

I might be wrong, but I believe you can still export horses live for meat from Ireland?


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## turkana (8 December 2010)

When my old mare was young she was worth a lot of money, her mane was kept short & she was never tagged.
But when she was old & not worth anything I stopped pulling her name & suddenly she became very taggable.
It certainly wasn't to see if I brushed them out, to test if she was checked because I never brushed them out. They would be cut out in her annual trim in the spring.
I do understand that people get worried but seriously think about it; why would the theives alert you that they're going to come back & nick your horse?
They don't do it to cars or houses so why do it to horses?


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## FairyLights (8 December 2010)

they are wind plaits,called Witch Plaits around my neck of the woods. Watch out for witches riding the horses at all night.


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## Tinseltoes (8 December 2010)

Notjustforxmas said:



			they are wind plaits,called Witch Plaits around my neck of the woods. Watch out for witches riding the horses at all night.
		
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 lol lol lol lol


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## thinlizzy (9 December 2010)

who knows how they think ?


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## Tinseltoes (9 December 2010)

Goodness knows,but those are wind tangles and nothing else. Anyone with any ounce of gumption would know the difference.


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## Hannahbone (10 December 2010)

my mother always taught me that if youve got nothing nice to say dont say it! this is why i dont come on here much anymore!theres absolutely no need for any of the bitchy comments left here when all the post is about someone who worries for their horses!


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## JenniferS (11 December 2010)

Hannahbone said:



			my mother always taught me that if youve got nothing nice to say dont say it! this is why i dont come on here much anymore!theres absolutely no need for any of the bitchy comments left here when all the post is about someone who worries for their horses!
		
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I agree..


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## hairycob (11 December 2010)

The trouble is this stupid myth keeps scaring people - that's why people getr hot under the collar & blunt every time it gets dragged up. If someone else hadn't sperad it the OP would not have been worried in the first place so the peole who are upsetting the OP are NOT the naysayers but the myth spreaders. And if you don't like that comment - tough.
Everyone should have their horses freezemarked unless there is a really good reason not too & those are few & far in between. 
I remove these "Plaits" virtually every day from my 2 long maned cobs - if it's not the wind it's the hedgerows. So if they were to be stolen it's inevitable that it would be within 48 hours of me finding a plait but that would be a complete coincidence. However they are extremely unlikey to be stolen as they are both freezemarked. That is what you do if you seriously want to protect your horse from theft.
By the way I was one of the people who checked with the North Wales police & confirmed the Holyhead story NEVER HAPPENED.


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## Tinypony (11 December 2010)

I don't think people have been that bad, understandably vexed though.  It's very frustrating to keep giving people real information to try to reassure them, only to have others who haven't taken the trouble to do the research keep coming back and insisting that this myth is reality.
If there really is a police force passing this fiction around and scaring horse owners, maybe let them have a look at this thread, then they could go off and check the facts?


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## xxRachelxx (12 December 2010)

I would just like to say that I know the person who posted this thread. The photo posted on here does not show the tag very well. At the end it has a definate three thread plait. Im sorry but no wind can do this! I also know that she has had things stolen form the yard and has her electric fence wires cut. She was very upset by some of the comments posted on here that are very unkind. She was just trying to warn people to be on the look at as she was concerned and I do not think that it was necessary to be so unkind to her


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## christi (12 December 2010)

xxRachelxx said:



			I would just like to say that I know the person who posted this thread. The photo posted on here does not show the tag very well. At the end it has a definate three thread plait. Im sorry but no wind can do this! I also know that she has had things stolen form the yard and has her electric fence wires cut. She was very upset by some of the comments posted on here that are very unkind. She was just trying to warn people to be on the look at as she was concerned and I do not think that it was necessary to be so unkind to her
		
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Agreed .


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## Tinseltoes (12 December 2010)

xxRachelxx said:



			I would just like to say that I know the person who posted this thread. The photo posted on here does not show the tag very well. At the end it has a definate three thread plait. Im sorry but no wind can do this! I also know that she has had things stolen form the yard and has her electric fence wires cut. She was very upset by some of the comments posted on here that are very unkind. She was just trying to warn people to be on the look at as she was concerned and I do not think that it was necessary to be so unkind to her
		
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Amazing that a thief would let the owner know,hey Ive just tagged your animal and going to come back to steal it: I DONT THINK SO.
That is a tangle,my untouchable welshie gets t; hem all the time,hers are EXACTLY the same.


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## hairycob (12 December 2010)

Had another look at the "tag" but it's definitely a wind plait, believe me I see loads on mine. I can understand why she is worried the way these myths get repeated & someone usually pops up with the horse dumped at Holyhead hoax.
I'm sorry to hear she has had stuff stolen from her yard but sadly, unlike horse theft, this is extremely common. There is still a lot she can do to protect her stuff, though generally it's not well advertised. Mark everything with her postcode o horses freezemark. Theives don't want to be caught with an item that will link them directly with a crime. If rugs, barrows, buckets, headcollars etc aren't marked they can't be definitely linked back ( & no that "distinctive" scratch, dent etc is not sufficient evidence). If someone snooping round can see that even low value items are marked they are far more likely to leave alone & move on somewhere less protected. 
Do you have a local Horsewatch group? Maybe they can put your friends mind at rest & give her practical advise about yard security. Perhaps you can organise a meeting where they can advise lots of horseowners on security. Please stop worrying about the plait myths & you can sleep more soundly at night.


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## D66 (12 December 2010)

xxRachelxx said:



			I would just like to say that I know the person who posted this thread. The photo posted on here does not show the tag very well. At the end it has a definate three thread plait. Im sorry but no wind can do this! I also know that she has had things stolen form the yard and has her electric fence wires cut. She was very upset by some of the comments posted on here that are very unkind. She was just trying to warn people to be on the look at as she was concerned and I do not think that it was necessary to be so unkind to her
		
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In that case why did she take the photo of the wind generated part?  These myths cause a lot of needless distress and anxiety.


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## Tinseltoes (13 December 2010)

hairycob said:



			Had another look at the "tag" but it's definitely a wind plait, believe me I see loads on mine. I can understand why she is worried the way these myths get repeated & someone usually pops up with the horse dumped at Holyhead hoax.
I'm sorry to hear she has had stuff stolen from her yard but sadly, unlike horse theft, this is extremely common. There is still a lot she can do to protect her stuff, though generally it's not well advertised. Mark everything with her postcode o horses freezemark. Theives don't want to be caught with an item that will link them directly with a crime. If rugs, barrows, buckets, headcollars etc aren't marked they can't be definitely linked back ( & no that "distinctive" scratch, dent etc is not sufficient evidence). If someone snooping round can see that even low value items are marked they are far more likely to leave alone & move on somewhere less protected. 
Do you have a local Horsewatch group? Maybe they can put your friends mind at rest & give her practical advise about yard security. Perhaps you can organise a meeting where they can advise lots of horseowners on security. Please stop worrying about the plait myths & you can sleep more soundly at night.
		
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Well said.My section A has them constantly and they are the same as pic. Theyre so hard to get out. I cut the last ones out.


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## HazellB (14 December 2010)

Tinypony said:



			If there really is a police force passing this fiction around and scaring horse owners, maybe let them have a look at this thread, then they could go off and check the facts?
		
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I'm starting to understand why some people say it's nothing but bitch, bitch, bitch on here!

I posted that Lincs police are asking owners to watch out for plaits. They are, really. Not 'if' but REALLY. Starting your post with the word 'if' and including 'really' is bitchy and childish. 

And some horse owners wonder why they are seen as snotty nosed idiots......


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## *hic* (14 December 2010)

HazellB said:



			I'm starting to understand why some people say it's nothing but bitch, bitch, bitch on here!

I posted that Lincs police are asking owners to watch out for plaits. They are, really. Not 'if' but REALLY. Starting your post with the word 'if' and including 'really' is bitchy and childish. 

And some horse owners wonder why they are seen as snotty nosed idiots......
		
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*sighs*

Here we go round the loop again. 

Sadly so many hysterical idiots have phoned the police to say that little Merrylegs has been tagged for theft that they now believe it and spread it.

Not to worry, one of the sensible people from here who is in contact with the police will hopefully be able to put them right that there are NO recorded cases of tagged horses being stolen.

As for your comment on snotty nosed idiots: If the cap fits . . . "Snotty nosed" could imply childish and idiots believe everything they are told . . .


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## Kallibear (14 December 2010)

My wind plait is better than your wind plait therefore my pony's going to be stolen first. So i'll keep you posted and let you know once he's gone so you can start your vigil. 







It might be worth taking a look at my thread to see the security measures you could take.

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=421040


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## Tinypony (14 December 2010)

Blimey, I think that's a bit of an over-reaction to my post.  One work out of turn "if" and you call me bitchy and childish.  
	
	
		
		
	


	




  I could have said "as" instead of "if", but a lot of stuff that gets posted on these sort of threads is heresay, not first-hand knowledge, so I don't think the word "if" is that bad.  Out of interest Hazelb, have you directed the police to this thread?  They can be misled, just as we members of the public can be.
I am one of the people who took the trouble to contact the police, and I won't do it again because what's the point?
p.s.  Hazelb, maybe you would do me the kindness of looking at some of my other recent posts?  You might realise that there was no unpleasant intention behind the use of that offending word "if", and people tend not to think that my posts are bitchy and childish, and they tend not to feel that my posts warrant calling me a snotty nosed idiot.


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## Zebedee (14 December 2010)

Sighs.....ok. I'll go through it one more time for the hard of thinking.

If you report what you think may be criminal activity to the police you will be given a log number. You will also be given generic advice on improving security & remaining alert.
This is what the police have to do to cover their owns backsides just in case a crime does subsequently take place. It does not mean that they actually think that your pony will be stolen.

Here's a suggestion. If you are genuinely worried that your horse may be stolen have it freeze marked & microchipped (if you haven't already). I wonder how many of those who are convinced that these wind plaits represent a real threat of a planned theft taking place follow that advice? Probably not very many, because it's much more fun to scare people with hysterical posts on here isn't it?

If your horse is already freezemarked & chipped, & your yard / field are secure then then short of camping out with your horse there isn't a lot more you can do. Worrying yourself sick over an urban myth (because that's all this is) isn't going to help you or the horse.


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## pixi (14 December 2010)

hi not sure how to up load pics ,so look on my profile for pics of plaits in maine,found these a few months ago,these look quite man made infact the only way i could reconstruct these on my gelding was to twist 2 locks of hair together n knot at the bottom,now i know no person hade done this to the filly as she cant be caught shes wild n kicks out if you try to catch her ,they are wind knots definatly.no im not worried in anyway even thought shes a piebald gypsy filly .


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## christi (14 December 2010)

Kallibear said:



			My wind plait is better than your wind plait therefore my pony's going to be stolen first. So i'll keep you posted and let you know once he's gone so you can start your vigil. 







It might be worth taking a look at my thread to see the security measures you could take.

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=421040

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I have to say .  having owned horses for 33 years , None of my horses have Ever had this or anything like it in there manes .


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## Tinypony (14 December 2010)

I get them a lot in winter, but my Arab and my pony both have very long manes.  I don't brush their manes too often either (which is why they are so long).  I think if you were brushing them a few times a week these tangles probably wouldn't develop.  I just work them out with some Cowboy Magic every now and then.


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## christi (14 December 2010)

my horses mane is about 3.5 ft long and her tail is thick  ( traditional gypsy ) and to the ground , and shes never had any of these tangles or whatever they are called .


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## pixi (14 December 2010)

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/fourums/picture.php?albumid=1259&pictureid=7147 wind plait not man made


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## Kallibear (14 December 2010)

My boy gets them every day. Their mane has to the right length and the right type of hair. My friends fell has a mane to the ground but it's thick and wirey and never gets wind tangles as it's too heavy. Tails rarely get the wind plaits for that reason. My lads mane is about 2.5ft long (after chopping it a bit ) and is very fine though thick. He develops them overnight. I never brush his mane except for shows but untangle the knots couple of times a week otherwise it gets to the stage where they need cut out.


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## christi (14 December 2010)

my horses mane and tail , and never shes never had them . i must spend far too much time grooming


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## Kallibear (14 December 2010)

My boy has a better mane than that (that's not 3.5ft long, sorry) although he gets the stragly bits chopped off every winter, but he lives out 24/7 unrugged. He also has poker straight mane - crimped manes like that don't tangle in the same way.


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## Tinypony (14 December 2010)

Hard to believe I know, but my pony's mane is longer than that!  Probably a bit thicker as well, but that's what happens if you don't brush it very often.  The Arab manes seem quite prone to this, I've had two and both got them regularly.  You know a lot of people say that Arabs don't get very long manes?  Well, that's because they worry too much about brushing out the tangles.  My boy had a very sparse mane when I got him, but the longest bits now reach right down his shoulder.  Not looking forward to the next untangling session though!


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## christi (14 December 2010)

Kallibear said:



			My boy has a better mane than that (that's not 3.5ft long, sorry) although he gets the stragly bits chopped off every winter, but he lives out 24/7 unrugged. He also has poker straight mane - crimped manes like that don't tangle in the same way.
		
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no its not 3.5 ft now i know . it was until not long ago , only reason it looks Crimped is id had it plaited  took it out that day ! i  was not trying to make it a comp lol 

but as i say in 33 years of owning horses none of mine have ever had these tangles etc .


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## christi (14 December 2010)

Tinypony said:



			Hard to believe I know, but my pony's mane is longer than that!  Probably a bit thicker as well, but that's what happens if you don't brush it very often.  The Arab manes seem quite prone to this, I've had two and both got them regularly.  You know a lot of people say that Arabs don't get very long manes?  Well, that's because they worry too much about brushing out the tangles.  My boy had a very sparse mane when I got him, but the longest bits now reach right down his shoulder.  Not looking forward to the next untangling session though!
		
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yeah bet its a job you can be doing without ! lol


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## Tinypony (14 December 2010)

I think this is what causes some of her "wind tangles".  The pony in question is the bay, the chesnut doesn't get a lot of mane because he's my sweetitch challenge.  This doesn't show her mane very clearly, and it's even longer now!


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## HazellB (14 December 2010)

*hic* said:



			*sighs*

Here we go round the loop again. 

Sadly so many hysterical idiots have phoned the police to say that little Merrylegs has been tagged for theft that they now believe it and spread it.

Not to worry, one of the sensible people from here who is in contact with the police will hopefully be able to put them right that there are NO recorded cases of tagged horses being stolen.

As for your comment on snotty nosed idiots: If the cap fits . . . "Snotty nosed" could imply childish and idiots believe everything they are told . . .
		
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I think you hade better read my original post in this thread and start getting that appology ready.

I said quite clearly that the police are wrongly spreading this rubbish. I DO NOT BELIEVE IT MYSELF!
Learn to read, eh?


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## *hic* (14 December 2010)

With all this comment I've only just twigged that I may be a target. My hair is below bra strap length and I get them all the time, even overnight, if I don't use shedloads of conditioner.


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## *hic* (14 December 2010)

HazellB said:



			I think you hade better read my original post in this thread and start getting that appology ready.

I said quite clearly that the police are wrongly spreading this rubbish. I DO NOT BELIEVE IT MYSELF!
Learn to read, eh?
		
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I read your first post and didn't feel I needed to comment. I commented on your second post to confirm that hysterical idiots were indeed phoning the police and that someone would no doubt contact the police to try to get them to understand the problem.

I further commented on your unpleasant language. Perhaps you should read it through again.

Don't worry, I won't expect you to apologise though.

Oh and btw I suspect my reading may be rather better than your spelling, I think you meant had not hade and apology not appology.


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