Important News from Voices for Horses

Important News  from Voices for Horses Bogus Farriers Two males believed to be "travelers" are going uninvited into livery yards and stables all over Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Northants, in a silver grey van offering to shoe people's horses at two thirds of the usual price. They claim that they are working for a local farrier who is off sick (not true). A few days after these visits some of the yards were burgled. The van they used was fully kitted out with all the equipment necessary to shoe  a horse and it matches a description of a  van stolen in a burglary at a (genuine) farrier's home address in Watford earlier this year.

Serious Incident
On November 24th, a 17 year old girl was pulled from her horse by a male person, whilst out riding on a secluded beach near Kingswear, South Devon. She was then attacked by this man who attempted to sexually assault her. The girl fought back and the man ran off leaving her bruised and scratched and obviously in a very distressed state. The attacker is described as around 6ft tall, clean shaven  with a scar on the side of his left eye. He had short dark hair and was wearing jeans, a green waxed floppy brimmed hat and a green waxed knee length jacket. He has a northern accent. Police are appealing for anyone with information to contact them on 08452 777444 or Crimestoppers on 0800555111.

Note from Horse Watch
If you have to ride in secluded areas, try and ride with others. Tell a  friend or family member where you intend to ride and the time you expect to return. Take a mobile phone with you. Have ID on you and your tack incase you get parted from your horses and it runs off.

As you move around please keep an eye out for these latest Stolen Equines
Sept 16th  Jimmy
A 4 month old  piebald miniature Shetland colt foal, 16-20", together with two other foals and a pregnant cob mare and a coloured Trotter were stolen from Farnham Royal, Bucks. No other details are available but a picture is available on the stolen horse register web site.
Contact : Thames Valley Police on 08458 505505

Oct 11th - Teddy and Squiggles
Together with three goats were stolen from Over in Gloucester. Teddy is a Shetland gelding 10hh and 16 years old. Squiggles is a chestnut Shetland mare. 20 Years old 9hh. Crime Ref: 38200/07 Stolen Horse Register: 08708 707107

Nov 22nd TB filly
(No name)  Chestnut and white 11hh to make 15.2hh
Stolen from Regil Bath
Microchip 985101045076426 Crime ref 77569-07 (SHR)

Stolen Foal
Stolen overnight 12- 13 November from Hornby, Beadle, N Yorkshire. Unknown person entered a  field at Home Farm, Hornby, by breaking fence rails and stole a 4 month old cob filly. The foal is piebald, but mainly white and measures 42". She weighs approx. one cwt. Contact OIC PC 1688 Villiers
Richmond Police Station 08456 060247 Ext 4322 

Recovered/ Found Horses
3 Horses have been found in Kiveton Park, Rotherham in October. No owners have come forward to claim them!
1. Black gelding 13-14hh
2. Bay mare with 2 white socks 14hh 15 + years old
3. Black mare with white facial markings. Approx 2-3 years old 13hh
None of these horses have been shod and all are believed to have signs of laminitis.. Contact: Mrs Joanne Kennedy quoting incident No:987 of 10/10/2007 on 0114 2523302

Drummer - 16.1hh heavyweight piebald gelding. Freezmarked 7ME1 found in Hampshire

Palomino -  23" Miniature Shetland mare with sweet itch, stolen from Heartford, has been recovered.

Lastly - Please read this letter......

Dear All,

Christmas is a time when we could all do with some extra money - and you are always so generous and helpful, making me and my mates welcome at your own expense.

Take this week - we'd been watching this yard and saw where the house key was left (on the ledge in the porch) and the tack room keys (in the hanging basket), so we went in when the school run was on. We knew no-one would be there for at least half an hour - plenty of time.....We were saved the job of loading gear on the lorry as no-one could be bothered to unload it after a show (nice one!). If the box had a tracker, we'd dump it, but it didn't - most don't.

We'd been making friends with the dogs, which always get shouted at and shut away  ‘cos someone thinks  they are after the cat, when they are really doing their job. The Labrador puppy was a bonus - he'll fetch a pretty penny.

The rugs hanging over the doors were nice - all new and not a security mark on them. ‘Course, if they'd been used, and on the horses we would still have nicked the ‘em, and then come back and had the new ones which would not have been marked anyway!

Great having a "Tack Room" sign on the door to show us where the gear is stashed.! And a nice new reinforced tack room door with lovely hinges we could unscrew from the outside if we had not had the key - which we do not need anyway  ‘cos we could have just climbed the gap in the eves between the stable and the tack room (full of posh saddles and bridles and not a security mark on them either.) You lot make our job so easy!

We didn't bother about the CCTV, we just used the broom handle to turn the camera to the sky, same as with the lights. And if there were alarms, we'd remove them and dump them in the water trough. No pretty pictures of us and no one alerted.

Using the handy wheelbarrows we could cart the stuff off and put it in the trailer. Cheap locks and clamps are always easy to remove with a jimmy. And who left the keys in the quad bike? That was really kind - got that on the lorry no problem.

So that was our haul for the day: horsebox loaded with gear and quad bike, trailer loaded with tack, rugs and wheelbarrows - and a puppy to boot! Off to do another one down the road now. It's got lovely security at the front, so we'll just drive round the back where it will soon be pitch black, lift the gated off its hinges and we will be in before you know it. We know the insurance will pay without question and not ask for proof of security on the new stuff so we'll put you down for another visit in three months!

Have a lovely Christmas - you can be certain we will!
Regards
Mr T. Leaf - Mr Rich Pickings and Mr I Grabbett.

If you haven't guessed - this is a spoof letter from Horse Watch. We hope it has made you think.
Mark it - Stamp it - Chip it - Code it  - or Lose it !

Thanks go to Helen Evens from Thames Valley Police and Gina Dale from South West Horse Watch for sending us this information.

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