Stolen Horse Trailers on the Rise

Wind_Chaser · Well Schooled

Stolen Horse Trailers on the Rise

KatyM · Well Schooled

I read your article, which had a good suggestion about blocking it so it can't be moved. But you can also get hitch locks which might also make it a bit more difficult. Someone told me to get an extra ball head, cut the base off, then put that into your coupler, then put the lock on. A determined thief can still find a way, but that should encourage the thief to look for an easier target!

Good subject!

Wind_Chaser · Well Schooled

Thanks for the additional tip, Katy!

Nikki Salo · Grand Prix

Hi Wind_Chaser, great article! I have to second what Katy has said, it is totally worth it to look into coupler/wheel/etc. locks. My boyfriend works in the metal trades and he locks his trailers to the 9's, horse trailers and other trailers are an easy to "borrow" and easy to cash in on deal. Last summer I photographed a local race car, if anybody reads the Toronto Sun there was a write up about the car and car trailer being stolen -- this happened about 2 weeks after I photographed the car! $200,000 set up and it was all parted out and sold for scrap metal. So please chain up your set ups (horsey and non-horsey), so they don't drive away cry

-- Edited by Nikki Salo on Tuesday 1st of February 2011 09:59:17 AM

KatyM · Well Schooled

Nikki Salo wrote:
.... if anybody reads the Toronto Sun there was a write up about the car and car trailer being stolen -- this happened about 2 weeks after I photographed the car! $200,000 set up and it was all parted out and sold for scrap metal. So please chain up your set ups (horsey and non-horsey), so they don't drive away

-- Edited by Nikki Salo on Tuesday 1st of February 2011 09:59:17 AM

Wow! Sold for Scrap - that is incredible! disbelief . I thought I was being a little ... um ... paranoid, but I think I'm going to have to be very serious about using my locks!

Nikki Salo · Grand Prix

KatyM -- it is a little ridiculous the lengths that people will go to, but it is very easy to cash in on metal. Most scrap yards (according to my boyfriend), don't bother to ask/care where the metal is coming from. You bring it in, unload, grab your cash on the way out, pretty much that simple!

I don't want to start a craze with anybody, but better safe than sorry hmm

KatyM · Well Schooled

I don't want to start a craze with anybody, but better safe than sorry

'nuf said!

-- Edited by KatyM on Thursday 3rd of February 2011 05:01:13 AM

horsekrazcort · Yearling

Yeah, we have had about 2 or so horse trailer AND horse thefts in my area. Makes me a little paranoid with Kiss but then again, she isn't the easiest mare to get into the trailer.

Nikki Salo · Grand Prix

That is always handy to deter theft Horsekrazcort. When I rented a large field on the edge of somebody's property years ago, it always worried me that anybody could pull up and load horses because there were no houses insight of the pastures. I always locked my gates, and kept a pony (who was oh so cute) that had a major biting problem

Not many horse thefts in our area *fingers crossed* but every few years or so we have a problem with people stealing horse's tails.

KatyM · Well Schooled

Nikki Salo wrote:

I always locked my gates, and kept a pony (who was oh so cute) that had a major biting problem
Not many horse thefts in our area *fingers crossed* but every few years or so we have a problem with people stealing horse's tails.

The 'horse-biting' deterrent! Now, that's a strategy - maybe one that likes to strike or cow kick would help! biggrin

And Wow! I just saw something in the news about someone cutting off horses' tails (only the hair, I hope). I assume they're using them for what? Maybe selling them on the black market to people who make stuff out of them?

Nikki Salo · Grand Prix

Moody broodmares would be handy too aww

The tail snatchings in our area usually occur every 3-5 years now that I think about it, they cut the tails just under the bone and sometimes will cut the manes too. I'm guessing it is, like you've mentioned KatyM, selling the hair on the black market for people to make things out of or a few desperate people looking to make a few bucks on fake tails for show horses.

KatyM · Well Schooled

Hmm ... moody mares definitely fit the bill

And now that you mention it, I wonder where the people who make those tale extensions and braided belts get all that hair? Maybe I don't want to know???

Nikki Salo · Grand Prix

That is a good question, I know that you can buy horse hair in bulk on some sites (eBay etc), but where it comes from, not sure and not sure that I'd really like to know either blankstare

Jackie Cochran · Advanced

50 years ago when I lived in Chile we used to go down to Chillan for both the pottery market and for the ornaments that were made from horse hair. Since most of the huaso (cowboy) and cart horses had reasonably long tails I presume they got the hair from dead horses.

I have no way of knowing this but it seems logical to me that most of the tail switches hair may come from the horse slaughter houses, how else would they get enough of one color for a tail and enough to make the switches for all colors of horses?

Sort of interesting that the stealing of horse hair was not much talked about before the US stopped slaughtering horses.
The only defense I can think of is to every night make the tail so dirty that no one would want to touch it much less cut it off and sell the hair.