# Horses stolen Hadleigh, Suffolk?



## Zirach (3 November 2010)

I have heard from a local horsey friend that 3 horses have been stolen from Benton End, Hadleigh (Suffolk) - they were apparantly marked before-hand.

I am not sure who true this actually is as I have heard this third hand so to speak, but please people be on the look out for anything suspicious.

Funnily enough, someone had posted a warning on 'Horsedates' a few weeks back warning that some horse had been marked in the Hadleigh/Ipswich area had been marked.

I will find out what I can from the press/police but in the interim local people please stay vigilent!


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## *hic* (3 November 2010)

Would it not have been wiser to ask the Police etc BEFORE posting on here? Otherwise all you are doing is spreading speculation.

We had this story spreading locally here. Eventually my husband rang a contact in the Police and found that several people had reported to the Police "an incident" with horses stolen and others injured during the course of the theft but when contact was made with the named owners of the horses they were able to confirm that the horses were still where they always were, uninjured. Police were not wildly amused.


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## Zirach (3 November 2010)

Im not trying to cause any speculation or panic, just trying to find out if it were true and warn others like I would like to be warned myself. Even if it turns out not to be true I would rather have been warned and aware.

I very much doubt the police would be able to say either way if they are starting any investigations.


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## *hic* (3 November 2010)

I am not sure who true this actually is as I have heard this third hand so to speak,
		
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Perhaps "Has anyone heard . . ." might have been a better title then. The problem is that you will now get loads of people texting you to  say "I read on a forum" or "I got a text from someone who read on a forum" and there you are, your "not sure who (sic) true it is" confirmed from all directions


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## Zirach (3 November 2010)

Am a member of local horse watch group (via Suffolk police) so just given them a call - she is going to look into and give me a call back so I can let everyone know if it is true or not, fingers crossed that its not!


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## mrussell (3 November 2010)

I have just rung Suffolk Police and they have no record of any horse thefts from Hadleigh area in the past 6 months.

They say they dont have any records for "Benton End" only a Benton street and thats residential with the last report being a car crash 0n 7th Oct.

Hopefully this is just a scare....


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## OWLIE185 (3 November 2010)

There is no evidence to demonstrate that horses are marked before being stolen.  After all it would be a dead give-away!

If a horse is stolen then it should be firstly reported to the police who will give the owner an incident number.
It should then be reported to Horsewatch and NED-Online (National Equestrian Database). (The incident number will be required) so that it can be circulated around the country.

To ensure the best chance of recovery of a stolen horse have it freezemarked on it'shoulder so that the frezemark shows while it is being ridden.  Freezemarks can be read and seen by anyone.
Also ensure that you have Summer and Winter photos of all 4 sides of your horse so that in the event of theft the pictures can be circulated.


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## lubuzz (3 November 2010)

Zirach said:



			Im not trying to cause any speculation or panic, just trying to find out if it were true and warn others like I would like to be warned myself. Even if it turns out not to be true I would rather have been warned and aware.
		
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I would be pretty annoyed if someone knew something and didnt warn anyone in the local area- yes hopefully it will just be a hoax/misunderstanding and i know after a while these posts can be abit tedious... but i cant understand why some members on here are so damming to people only trying to help!! If you cant post these type of things on a forum like this then where can you??


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## Zirach (3 November 2010)

Have called Horsewatch and they should give me an update.  

Fingers crossed that its not true mate as thats all we need in the area.....

Hope you all well


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## *hic* (3 November 2010)

Quite - but post ONCE THE SUSPICIONS HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED! Otherwise I could post something like "OMG I can't see my horses from my window - two horses have been stolen from my yard! can everyone please keep a look out for a dainty ginger TB and a big ugly bay mare, any information gratefully sought on horses missing in Cambs"

It only takes me a couple of minutes to check - as it would only have taken the OP a couple of minutes to check.


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## mrussell (3 November 2010)

Zirach said:



			Have called Horsewatch and they should give me an update.  

Fingers crossed that its not true mate as thats all we need in the area.....

Hope you all well
		
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Yes indeedy....  the only yard thats at Benton End is the riding school and theres no answer on their number (havent they closed ?) so hopefully its just another scare...

Yes, all well at our end - hope the new ned is behaving !!  x


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## *hic* (3 November 2010)

Zirach - despite someone having you know having updated you on the other thread you started and having said that they have rung the police and NO THEFTS have been reported you haven't come and updated those you have worried on this thread.

SO, unsubstantiated rumour again.


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## Zirach (3 November 2010)

jemima_too without wishing to be rude, do you not understand grammer??? I put a '?' after both of my titles to indicate that I was asking a question NOT making a statement! I was questioning (as I also said in my post) if it was true and if anyone from the area had heard anything.

This is a general post forum and not an official post as far as I am aware?

For those who are interested, the woman I spoke to advised that there had been reports of suspicious behavior in the area and in addition manes being plaited and possibly horses marked. Also there was a horse stolen whilst on loan (which is v sad).

Therefore without wishing to start any rumours (!) this is what was told to me by the horse watch of which I am a member so it is worth keeping your eyes open even though no horses have actually been stolen. 

I have made posts on this forum in the past and everyone has always been so nice and polite, there is no need to jump on someone who is only trying to help. If the post is of no interest to you, dont read and dont post back simple.


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## Tinypony (3 November 2010)

"For those who are interested, the woman I spoke to advised that there had been reports of suspicious behavior in the area and in addition manes being plaited and possibly horses marked."

Oh please, I'm not being rude OK?  But please stop.  This is the sort of thing that started off the plaiting legend in the first place.  Have you posted on any other forums?


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## Zirach (3 November 2010)

I am no longer posting anything on here! I was trying to help, what is wrong with people! 
I wasnt aware that there is such a thing as a 'legend' of horses being marked or plaited- maybe I need to get out more, I am simply someone who loves her horse, heard that horses had been stolen and simply posted on this forum to see if anyone knew of anything or if it was true. 

Very sorry, dont worry if I do hear or anything in our local area in future then I will keep it to myself in future. I have got better things to do than argue with people on here!


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## mrussell (3 November 2010)

I live around 10 miles from the area that Zirach is referring too.  I would rather she raised the matter, whether hoax/rumour or not, so that atleast I could check it out for myself.  

Rather be forewarned than a victim. We live in a very rural area and rumours are sometimes enough to stop a crime. 

No harm done , Zirach.  Dont let them grind you down.


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## mrussell (3 November 2010)

Update on this thread : Horsewatch and Suffolk Police confirm that no thefts have been reported in the area.


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## *hic* (3 November 2010)

mrussell tbh it would have been more use to you had Zirach come on here, having checked with the police as you had to do to try to sort it out, and said "If anyone gets texts re horses stolen in Hadleigh don't worry, it's a hoax."

No panic alarm raised, no texts going round saying "3 Horses stolen in Hadleigh" and then "2 horses stolen one injured in Nayland" followed by "5 horses stolen, one injured, not certain of area but round here anyway".

It's happened here and it's idiotic.

Surely if one is a member of Horsewatch and one has not had a text from them one would check with them first - being in the local area and all?


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## Zirach (3 November 2010)

I was asking if anyone else knew about it in the area (hence my question mark - which you seem to keep ignoring), not sending a big panic around.

Why didnt you just  politely say that you had something similar happen and it was just a hoax and so not to worry, why make such a big fuss! I honestly think some people have got nothing better to do than be rude and inpolite to people. 

I dont post on here because I have nothing better to do, I genuinely wanted to know if anyone else had heard.

As I said before, don't worry if I do hear anything else I will keep my mouth shut true or not!


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## *hic* (3 November 2010)

Look, it's lovely that you are concerned for other people BUT why post on a National forum to find out the truth or not of what is happening locally. mrussell did the sensible thing as s/he is local to you and phoned the Police and found out chapter and verse. Had you done that no-one would have been alarmed - including yourself. You can save yourself some time, and worry in future by doing just that.

Oh and please note that I've not contributed to the argument you were trying to pick re grammer (sic).


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## Zirach (3 November 2010)

you can have the last word


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## Dirtymare (3 November 2010)

Thanks for the warning Zirach.
I live relatively near Hadleigh, so appreciate the warning. I dont care if the information is 3rd hand or not.
jemima_too - How would you like it if people were as rude to you as you have been to the OP?


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## mcnaughty (3 November 2010)

jemima_too said:



			Zirach - despite someone having you know having updated you on the other thread you started and having said that they have rung the police and NO THEFTS have been reported you haven't come and updated those you have worried on this thread.

SO, unsubstantiated rumour again.

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Blimey!  Calm down... anyone would have thought OP was trying to nick the horses herself.  Crikey!


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## LisW (3 November 2010)

We're fairly near there - but haven't heard anything from Horsewatch


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## Zirach (3 November 2010)

Dont worry guys, a close friend gave me horse watches number after she saw my post and checked for me. I had tried to get through to the police but had been given a didgy number as it didnt connect. 

When I was able to call the horse watch, I was told that thankfully no horses have been reported stolen in this area in the past week. She things it might have been mixed messages as someone reported something about horses being marked and also someone's horse was stolen whilst on loan in the area.

I just wanted to see if anyone else had heard anything thats all, didnt mean to cause any panic or scaremongering (im really not that sort of person). I appreciate that this is a national forum but I knew that some local people (some of whom are friends) do read the forum.

If I had known it would have caused all this fuss I would have just kept quiet. 

We all love our horses and worry about their safety thats simply all it is. Im not trying to start anything! I dont like arguing either so lets just leave things at that. No damage done etc.


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## Zirach (3 November 2010)

Thank the lord! Thanks for finding out, I am at work and didnt have any tel numbers to hand to call myself until mum was able to text to me later phew....we can all sleep soundly tonight!!! Until this weekend of course when the fire works begin!


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## *hic* (3 November 2010)

Zirach NOW do you see what happens - all these later posts panicking because of the title of your OP. They still don't really believe that there have been no horses stolen.

That upset is what I was trying to prevent. Ah well


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## *hic* (3 November 2010)

Dirtymare said:



			Thanks for the warning Zirach.
I live relatively near Hadleigh, so appreciate the warning. I dont care if the information is 3rd hand or not.
jemima_too - How would you like it if people were as rude to you as you have been to the OP?
		
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Dirtymare - what I was trying so hard to get at is that the information is WRONG. No horses have been stolen - it is all a rumour!


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## JenniferS (3 November 2010)

jemima_too said:



			Zirach NOW do you see what happens - all these later posts panicking because of the title of your OP. They still don't really believe that there have been no horses stolen.

That upset is what I was trying to prevent. Ah well
		
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In all honesty I can't see anyone "panicking" or "upset"


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## Zirach (3 November 2010)

jemima_too said:



			Zirach - despite someone having you know having updated you on the other thread you started and having said that they have rung the police and NO THEFTS have been reported you haven't come and updated those you have worried on this thread.

SO, unsubstantiated rumour again.

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Dont know what you mean - I didnt need to - my friend - who actually posted just above your post confirmed what the police had told her


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## Zirach (3 November 2010)

jemima_too said:



			Zirach NOW do you see what happens - all these later posts panicking because of the title of your OP. They still don't really believe that there have been no horses stolen.

That upset is what I was trying to prevent. Ah well
		
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The only one who seems to be upset is you!!! I have made it quite clear that no horses have been stolen. Thankfully after my original post someone was able to confirm that no horses have been stolen. I did say in my original post quite clearly that is may not be true and again, I repeat myself - I posed a question...asking if anyone else had heard! Deary deary me!


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## mrussell (3 November 2010)

jemima_too said:



			mrussell tbh it would have been more use to you had Zirach come on here, having checked with the police as you had to do to try to sort it out, and said "If anyone gets texts re horses stolen in Hadleigh don't worry, it's a hoax."

No panic alarm raised, no texts going round saying "3 Horses stolen in Hadleigh" and then "2 horses stolen one injured in Nayland" followed by "5 horses stolen, one injured, not certain of area but round here anyway".

It's happened here and it's idiotic.

Surely if one is a member of Horsewatch and one has not had a text from them one would check with them first - being in the local area and all?
		
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Well, Im in the Nero/Fiddle/Rome/Burns camp so I'd rather have the option of knowing than not !
If it bothered you so greatly that youve spent all after noon attacking someone why did you not ring the Police yourself ?  

It was easy sorted by one phone call.  I was lucky to have access to a phone, not all of us who work do. I could confirm for Zirach to save her worrying.  So could you have done.  

Strikes me you just wanted to cause a fuss.


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