About Sussex Horse Watch
SUSSEX HORSE WATCH is sponsored by Horsham District Council, and The Sussex Police who are members of the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership.
SUSSEX HORSEWATCH is a group dedicated to providing crime information and prevention advice in order to equip the riders of Sussex with the ability to protect themselves from crime. Over the years it has become increasingly familiar for horse owners and yards to be targeted by thieves. These thieves come fully equipped with all they need to beat most of the basic security measures that people believe will protect them. Tack theft business for the thieves is booming and all of Sussex horseowners must unit to tackle the problem. Our solutions are simple :-
1. If you can't afford to lose it then make sure it is secure, this means for tack items (the most popular on the thieves wish list) take it home, mark it clearly and if you must leave it in your yard tack room take a long hard look at your security arrangements and think like a thief. If you can't find a way in then they won't be able to either (Be Honest with yourself!)
2. Don't buy second hand goods unless you know where they are coming from. The majority of items stolen in this country stay here and enter the legitimate market place through auctions and second hand goods markets.
3. Be vigilant, if you have a visitor to your yard who makes you concerned, even if they come up with an innocent enquiry, trust your judgement. Note down car registrations, and people's descriptions and pass them to your Horsewatch representative. Checks can be made through the police liaison officer and the police are always keen for information on suspicious people.
4. Make sure your horse doesn't end up on the thieves' shopping list. Get the horse freezemarked as this dramatically reduces the thieves interest in them. It also makes recovery much more likely!
5. Finally join your local Horsewatch group.
Support them in their endeavours to reduce equine crime.
Too often we, at Horsewatch, are called out when horses have just got bored being turned out for long periods on inadequate grazing and lean further and further over the fence, (which eventually gives way), and the more adventurous ones just go off. So please check your fencing and make sure your animals have enough fodder to keep them from straying.
The Sussex Horsewatch committee has devised a tack marking system - not postcodes - which is the Horsewatch logo with a number unique to each saddle which we stamp on both the inside and outside of the saddle flap on both sides. We then keep the details on our data base; the saddle owner is given a form detailing everything about their saddle - size, make, colour, identifying marks etc (and you would be amazed at how many people do not even know the make of their saddle or the size) so all the information is to hand should the saddle get stolen.
The Sussex Police are closely involved with Sussex Horse Watch and are aware of our system of tack marking, so if stolen items are recovered they can quickly be restored to their rightfull owner.
Thank you for visiting Sussex Horsewatch and we hope you will enjoy your stay and come back often to check for updates
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