07/21/2024
Valuable Considerations... protect your gear!
THE STOLEN SADDLE, PART i:
HOW TO PREVENT IT
Good tack represents a hefty cash outlay and thieves know it! There is a lot more we can do to prevent a saddle being stolen in the first place, than in reporting it, or getting it back… so an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
1. Mark your gear and start a file marked ‘Proof of Ownership’.
Branding cattle has long been proven to safeguard against theft and the same thinking con protect our gear. A good place to mark your saddle is along the tree. Something as simple as writing your license plate number with a permanent marker can make the difference when it comes to having a stolen saddle returned.
Police say that the best way to make a saddle identifiable is to permanently stamp or mark a name, or number unique to you and to record it, through a written description and photographs, immediately afterward. Don’t forget to stamp or mark your cinches, stirrups, breast collars and bridles, as well.
While you’re at it, mark, photograph, describe and record the VIN and serial numbers of your towing vehicle and trailer, to add to your asset file. This will allow you to quickly notify law enforcement and online horse community groups, just as soon as their absence is known.
Theft of trucks and trailers is lately on the rise, one big reason why the common practice of keeping saddles in our mouse-proof and convenient trailer tackrooms isn’t recommended.
Keeping a tack inventory makes proving possession possible. This file needs to be updated regularly with invoices, written descriptions and photographs… because marking our equipment is only half the equation. We need to prove that the item is ours before we can hope to have it returned. Make sure the 'date' setting is on your photos because the earliest proof of ownership wins.
Also, proof of ownership is legit on social media. If you've old posts that you've shared with friends, clearly showing your saddle on your horse, these can help your case in court.
Insure your tack, either with provincial or state equestrian federations but also in separate riders in your household policy, if you prefer. This becomes particularly important if the replacement value of specialized or collectable gear outvalues the listed coverage of group policies. An ordinary policy that has $5000 coverage of lost or stolen tack quickly becomes insufficient, if the replacement value for one particular saddle exceeds this amount.
If you have insurance, check your policy requirements for what sort of lock it needs to be. Some are better than others and it’s worth spending more on a really good one or avoiding one that will nullify your coverage.
2. Yes, keep your things under lock and key. While this is inconvenient, it is a major deterrent to those who may be eyeing your gear. Beware storing your saddlery in your horse trailer, as trailer theft is rampant in rural areas close to large urban centres. Keep your trailers out of sight of nearby roads and highways.
Out of sight, out of mind is especially apt when it comes to theft. This includes advertising saddles for sale and giving locations, or posting pictures of nice gear online or at competitions.
3. Make it difficult for thieves. What you want to do is slow the thief down. Keep him on your property, in a vulnerable position, for as long as possible.
While thieves can and will cut locks and chains, what you’re aiming to do is make them spend as much time as possible, during the actual theft.
Installing a lock on the tack room door, ideally one with pin pad access, is practical if there are numerous boarders accessing the room frequently. If your tack room is unlocked with a code rather than a key, make sure the code is changed regularly, especially when someone leaves the barn.
If it’s a lock with a key, limit how many people have a copy and don’t leave it somewhere ‘safe’ on the yard for everyone to access when they need it.
For private barns, the newest generation of smart locks work with Alexa and are voice-controlled using Bluetooth; a sense feature automatically unlocks the bolt as you approach for hands-free entry.
Don’t discount the old-timey methods. Posting BEWARE of DOG, UNDER VIDEO SURVEILLANCE and RURAL CRIME WATCH signs are a deterrent to thieves. A gate alarm that sounds whenever someone enters or leaves the property is a good idea, for barn managers or land owners in the main house.
Signage clearly stating that all tack is marked with ownership is also recommended at barn entrances and on tack room doors and individual lockers.
Installing an alarm system on doors and windows of the barn, as well as inexpensive motion sensor lighting can make a huge difference to deterring thieves. Automatic lights around the property will highlight intruders, especially if paired with surveillance cameras installed at building entry points and important areas in the barn, such as the tack room. Make cameras obvious so that criminals know they are under surveillance. Some systems come with a remote-dialer that calls or texts you automatically, if triggered. If so, call the police.
In the barn, don’t put a sign that says ‘TACK ROOM’ on the tack room door, for it quickly advertises where all the goods are. Instead, ‘BATHROOM’ or ‘FEEDROOM’ can make a closed door look less inviting to someone who’s in a hurry.
Consider starting a Rural Crime Watch group in your neighbourhood. Keep an eye out for suspicious visitors or things that just don’t seem right. Trust your gut, as it’s usually right.
With horses, it is easy to get in a well-known routine, which is a help to thieves scoping out your weak spots. Be vigilant for your own property and pay attention to suspicious activity that might be targeting your neighbors, too.
Post RURAL CRIME WATCH and ‘NO TRESPASSING’ signs on gates and perimeter fencing. Notification of surveillance cameras and keeping vocal watchdogs are real deterrents in areas where crime is high. Don’t underestimate the power of other animal alarms provided by geese, guinea fowl, goats and donkeys in farm yards.
Rural locations near large urban areas are especially at risk and many thieves are uncomfortable dealing with farm animals at large.
4. Traveling poses its own threat to our equipment. A lot of gear, especially pricey show bridles and bits, is stolen at events, group lessons and clinics. Keep smaller gear such as spurs and bridles with you, under the seat of your locked vehicle, or in locked and secured tack trunks.
Locked trailers aren’t always as secure as we might wish, particularly in an otherwise empty parking lot, when the action is elsewhere. Trailer locks are easily jimmied by someone who knows how.
Seemingly innocent bystanders can be found to be casing the joint at clinics and shows, where we are otherwise occupied. Saddled horses left in stalls and tied to trailers are very convenient, when it comes to thieves who are comfortable handling livestock.
Silver show bridles are easily lifted when they are left hanging momentarily from saddle horns. If the bridle is not on the horse, it is on your arm or in a locked vehicle or a large and unwieldy tack trunk, period.
If you are staying off the show grounds overnight, it can be wise to take your saddle and bridle to the hotel with you, or kept in your locked vehicle, under cover, at the end of the day. Bottom line, do not leave your tack unattended at events.
For safety’s sake, inexpensive halters and lead ropes should be left to safeguard the horses but again, ensure that the barn has security posted throughout the night for their safety.
5. Keep in touch with local law enforcement. The police can give us a heads-up if our area is experiencing a rash of theft on rural properties. They can also tell us their preferred way of identifying tack, based on their own records of stolen property. This can range from branding, installing nameplates on gear, or using hidden identifiers such microchips and UV markers.
Ask your local police for their recommended database when it comes to recording ownership of equipment. This is one of the best ways to keep tack organized and to prove your ownership.
We can also use social media to keep a lookout, along with local websites and forums. Often maligned, these groups are a strong community of like-minded people, which can be helpful to the police when investigating crime.
In closing, to be a victim of theft is both an emotional and economic violation. If you keep your tack in the barn or other farm building, at home, in your vehicle or trailer, at public boarding and training facilities, in the tack stall at competitive events, you are at risk.
Tomorrow, we’ll look at how to report and do your best to get your stolen gear back... should the unthinkable happen when your back is turned.
