I was just checking FHOTD and they had posted this article. Everyone who travels to rodeos and shows. Be warned, this does happen and even once is too often.
Good idea to post that story Smrobs.
I've worked several rodeos when I was on patrol, here is a short list of things to go with your post that people can do to help protect their horses.
1. Be vigilant-Rodeo's are hectic exciting places but always check your horse frequently.
2. Pay attention to anyone hanging around the horses, make a mental note of what they look like ( top down) approx age, height, weight, hat or none, hair color, eye color, shirt, pants, shoes. This will help IF heaven forbid a horse is stolen to catch the person responsible.
3. Along with 2. watch for empty trailers pulling into the rodeo grounds, type/color of vehicle and type/color of trailer if possible a license plate number.
The key is be observant, look out for one another and the horses, as well as tack if you see something suspicious tell someone. It's always better to be safe than sorry,
That must be terrifying to wake up and her baby wasn't there. I can't imagine someone doing that to my horses.
We padlock and chain our trailer, tack room, and living quarters on our trailer, but we are at rodeos(and it is still going on, not when we are asleep in the trailer) we have someone sitting by the trailer just in case they break the locks.
how sad! i hope someone pays for doing something like that to a defenseless animal. i'm getting my boy microchipped the next time the vets comes out so he'll be identifiable if he were to ever get stolen
Microchipping only will help to prove ownership, but won't help find a horse. You can't see a microchip from a distance. That's why many people still brand their horses.
Even with staying there for a day i've seen people messing around with other people's horses when they leave for a few minutes. I would never take an eye off a horse no matter oh long I will be staying there.
When im at a show i NEVER leave my horse tied up to my trailer unless im with him. if i go to sit down and watch until it is my turn, to go in the arena i take him with me and let him eat grass.
It's really scary nowadays when you have to constantly be worried about thieves. I'd be sleeping in my horse's stall with a loaded pistol if he was at a show barn overnight.
That's so absolutely terrifying. I go to a lot of 3 day shows during the summer, and my horse is stalled. While I am still on the premisis with my camper during the night, it terrifies me that someone could just slip him out of his stall without me knowing.
I really believe that big show barns should always have a security camera system.
WOW!! In my mind this has just given me another reason not to show Dana. Like I know not all people are like that but yeah just another reason...mind you a few weeks ago I was stood behind the shed and I saw a white car pull up right next to the fence where Dana stood munching on the grass. Now I dont mind folk checking out my purty girl but I got suss so I grabbed a halter and walked down the paddock towards her, as soon as they saw me they took off like a scalded cat. See I worry coz Dana is so people freindly, even if the people who dropped around the other day to tell me they had rescued her when she got stuck in the fence. Now I beleiev she got stuck in the fence but when they said sshe went galloping off I dont buy that.
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