Horse owners urged to be vigilant

Horse owners are being urged to make sure they are vigilant after a spate of thefts.

Up to six horses are thought to have been stolen across Oxfordshire in the last week.

Theft is one of the biggest threats to enjoyable horse-keeping but there are steps you can take to help reduce the risk. They include:

• Always ensure that the fencing surrounding yards and fields is secure and well maintained.

• Head collars should not be left on grazing horses or left readily available, as this can help thieves catch and handle a horse.

• Thieves are less likely to take horses which have evidence of permanent identification tags – such as freeze-marks or microchips. Using prominent signs which state that the animals are permanently tagged and identifiable, is an important additional deterrent.

• On the yard, evidence of effective security measures deters many would-be thieves. Security devices may not always prevent a theft being attempted, but certainly increase the time taken to commit a crime and therefore increase the chances of discovery.

• Gates should be padlocked securely and hinges welded or reversed, to prevent the gates being lifted off.

• Sensor-operated security lights are useful, serving to warn of intruders and making their presence and activities more evident.

• Many horse keepers do not live on site and, as well as asking any neighbours to be vigilant, they should aim to vary the times of their visits to the yard to prevent thieves establishing a pattern of likely arrival and departure times.

Read our fact sheet for more information about equine security and safety.