Horse Theft
They Are Stealing Our Horses THIEF: a per-
son who steals an- other person’s prop- erty, especially by stealth and without using force or vio- lence.
STEAL: take
(another person’s property) without permission or legal right and without in- tending to return it.
(800) 678 - 2556 FIND US...
NATIONWIDE! SEE THE DIFFERENCE!
Over the last 90 days, there has been a shocking trend occur- ring across Texas. As of press time, an alarming 21 horses have been taken from their homes in small towns off I-45. Of those 21 stolen hors- es, only nine have been recovered. In the last 15 days, the thieves have become brazen. They took three from La Vernia, Texas, outside San Antonio at one time. A week later, they took six from College Station right out of their paddock. The La Vernia horses were lucky. Someone spotted the horses on the San Antonio loop in a white cargo flatbed work truck with an orange water bucket with a trailer attached. It wasn’t long before the thieves got them off the trailer and abandoned them. If as a horse owner this hasn’t caught your attention, you need to wake up. The thieves have stolen from boarding barns, back pastures, paddocks at the barn, pipe fences, board fences, etc. Many of the horses stolen were using horses, not turned-out pas- ture ornaments.
The victims are people like you and VISIT OUR MODELS
3525 Fort Worth Hwy, Weatherford I-10 in Boerne, Across from Fairoaks
• METAL & STORAGE BUILDINGS
• SHED ROWS • ROUND PENS • LOAFING SHEDS • HORSE WALKERS • STALL MATS
SKIP & DEBBIE HAMES - OWNERS P: 800-678-2556 | W:
SweetwaterBarns.com E:
info@sweetwaterbarns.com
12 SouthWest Horse Trader March 2016
me. They have close bonds with their horse. Many of the recently stolen horses were working horses teaching children to ride or trail riding or showing with their owners on the weekends. All of the owners are devastat- ed, feel helpless, and just want their family member back home.
What can you do to protect your horses? • Lock Your Gates. While this may not stop a thief with bolt cutters, it sends a mes-
sage that your place is secure and if the gate is locked, you may have cameras. • Install Motion Detectors and Secu-
rity Lights. Locate your motion detectors and security lights in strategic locations. • Install cameras. Outdoor cameras come in a variety of makes, models, and technology levels. • Listen to your animals. If the don- keys are braying, the horses are restless, or the dogs are barking take them seriously and see what is happening. • Be observant. You are your first de- fense against crime. If you see a suspicious vehicle driving by slowly or parking around the corner, investigate. Write down their tag number and a description of the vehicle. Call the local precinct to check out the situation. • Meet Buyers Outside Your Resi-
dence. If you have advertised tack, clothing, horses for sale on Social Media sites like Facebook or Craigslist meet the buyers at the public arena. Not possible, then meet them a couple miles away from your home and then have them follow you the remainder of the way once you have met them in person. • Be a Secretary. If you give out your address, take the person’s name given, the caller id name, date and time called and phone numbers. If they show up, photograph
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40