Anyone who keeps horses or runs a stable knows about the danger of theft. Targets include tack, trailers, and the animals themselves. Here are some tips on how to avoid being the victim of this crime.
What concerns are there with crime and horses?
Multiple websites say that 10,000 horses are stolen each year in the UK.[i] Admittedly, they don’t cite primary data, and the figure does seem pretty staggering. Then again, figures in the tens of thousands for the US are better attested, which does suggest a pretty sizeable figure for our smaller country.
Theft of tack is also a perennial problem. A four-figure sum per horse is likely for a leather saddle and bridle and associated items. Horse & Hound reported earlier this year on the awful story of two riders who lost £30,000 in tack when they took six horses to an event. To make matters worse, they discovered that their insurance didn’t cover items when at a show, so one tip is to check what you are and are not covered for.
A specific, new problem, discussed below, is a recent and large rise in the theft of trailers of various sorts including those for horses.
Also, NFU Mutual, the UK’s biggest rural insurer, recently released a report on rural crime trends generally. Rural crime fell for two years running during the pandemic, but recent indicators suggest a huge surge, back to pre-pandemic levels and more, with Q1 2022 rural crime up 40% year-on-year. The takeaway here is to not be complacent: things haven’t been so bad recently, in terms of crime in our countryside, a positive from movement restrictions and choosing to stay at home, but this era is clearly no more.
Trailer theft is rising very fast
In December, the law changed, permitting anyone to tow trailers and caravans without the special licence that was required before. This is leading to a sharp rise in demand for trailers of all sorts. At the same time, a variety of factors have led to a steep rise internationally in various materials including metals, and this means record prices for trailers – indeed, in many cases, it’s not an issue of price but an inability to buy new trailers. Hire prices are also rising, so demand for second-hand items is unsurprisingly rising. The result of this is that theft of trailers rose by 69% for the first half of 2022, compared to the year before. This is the statistic for trailers generally, but numerous sources online report a spike in the theft of horse trailers specifically.[i]
What can I do to prevent the theft of horses or equipment?
Anyone with a phone is a photographer now. Take photographs of equipment and animals for identification and proof. For vehicles, photograph the license plate and the VIN frame number. Carefully keep relevant receipts, registration papers etc.
All horses, ponies and donkeys in the UK must now be microchipped (more information). Consider other marking methods such as freeze branding. For expensive equipment such as leather saddles and also bridles, engrave something such as your name or initials, ideally somewhere where the marking will be visible to anyone picking it up. Ensure your photographs capture any marking you have done. You might even want signage on your premises or vehicles to emphasise these or other security measures you have taken.
Be extra vigilant when travelling. If at all possible, ensure someone is with horses and equipment at all times. Thieves at events are looking for even brief moments of opportunity when items are unattended. Various forms of transponder tags now exist for vehicle and trailers, some extremely small and hard to locate and remove.
Even back at base, don’t hang halters and other equipment over convenient gates or stall fronts; keep everything locked up.
A perimeter barrier, such as a sturdy fence, stops vehicles approaching and slows down those on foot – an important factor, since almost all theft is about zipping in and out as fast as possible. Depending on the geography of your site, other obstacles to vehicle traffic may be useful.
As well as an alarm system, consider CCTV, which is becoming a standard solution to crime prevention these days. The college of policing recommends it, placing it in the highest category possible for Effect Impact on Crime (“very strong”). A separate study of CCTV in car parks found that they reduced crime by 51%. The systems are not difficult to source, and you don’t have to be some large corporation; companies that offer fences and barriers will also allow you to buy or hire CCTV systems.
Find out more at
https://www.safesitefacilities.co.uk/products/security-alarms-cctv/cctv-security-cameras
https://www.southwestfarmer.co.uk/news/19952420.horse-trailer-theft-rise/
Share this:
