Updates: Catherine Petersen and the reason I slept outdoors the last three nights
May 16 2010
You may remember the tale of Catherine Petersen, one of the worst of the Alex Brown Forum scammers. For those of you who don’t know, the ABR Forum is an anti-slaughter, pro-rescue message board that, unfortunately, has quite a history of clicking the paypal button with their hearts instead of their heads. Sometimes they do wonderful things but unfortunately they have frequently been taken advantage of, and Catherine Petersen was one of the worst scammers who victimized that board, going so far as to collect funds for a few dozen horses she proceeded not to even rescue! Catherine is a special kind of lowlife, and so I’m pleased to share this update from a reader:
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” I talked to Nancy (Wes’s secretary, attorney who pressed charges) today and Catherine was sentenced to 10 years (1 year served) with NO PROBATION! She will be eligible for parole in 2 or 3 years, I will write a letter to the parole board as I did to the court when the time comes. She will be transported to state prison shortly. I am so relieved that she will be off the streets for awhile. I want to thank you again for keeping her name out there. Wes contacted the prosecutor in Cody, WY and they have their warrants ready to extradite her when she is released. There is a God!”
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What a great outcome. Of course it will not put the cash back in the pockets of those who were lied to and scammed, but at least people and horses will be safe from her for a couple of years. These charity scammers get on my last nerve. Not only do they steal funds that COULD be saving horses’ lives, but they are manipulating peoples’ emotions and the worst part is, someone who sends money to save a horse may learn that it was all for nothing.
Now for another update. I’m not kidding, I slept outside the past three nights at a horseshow because this story made me realize showgrounds aren’t safe and no way is some bottom-feeder touching MY horse unless he gets past me first. For those of you who aren’t already familiar with it, here is the original post about what happened to Dually:
Now for another update. I’m not kidding, I slept outside the past three nights at a horseshow because this story made me realize showgrounds aren’t safe and no way is some bottom-feeder touching MY horse unless he gets past me first. For those of you who aren’t already familiar with it, here is the original post about what happened to Dually:
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And she hadn’t even left the fairgrounds! She was in the horse trailer on the property. It’s every horse owner’s worst nightmare.
Well, the evil bastard, Flint Dahl, pled out. Of course he did. News Article (the comments at the bottom are worth reading) and another news article. He’s due back in court on May 26th. I just tried to find some contact information for Magistrate Judge Mark Smith and a case number so that we could make some sentencing suggestions, but no luck on that. If you find the info, post it to the comments and I’ll update!
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The Dually story is a good reminder to all of us that you can’t be too careful, not just with your horses but with your equipment, too. The show I was at this weekend had flyers posted warning everybody that there had been thefts from the show grounds. Of course, a show is a perfect place to steal! People get busy and simply do not keep their expensive tack locked up all the time. It is easy for someone who is juggling a busy class list and multiple horses to become a victim. Have you had a problem with your tack walking off at shows? Do you have any tips for others about how to make yourself and your equipment a less appealing target for thieves? I have heard a LOT of stories lately about trailers walking off from private horse properties while the owners are at work.
Finally, please check this out and keep an eye out for this horse!
Finally, please check this out and keep an eye out for this horse!
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76 comments to “Updates: Catherine Petersen and the reason I slept outdoors the last three nights”
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Plea bargain or no plea bargain, there needs to be a civil suit filed against this guy. He probably doesn’t have much money, but a good judge can ensure that his paycheck is being taken by the court for a very long time.
Very good idea!
I keep everything locked up ALL the time. At home, at a clinic, at a show, at a prize ride, at the local county arena, at trail heads near my home. EVERYWHERE. Everything locked ALL the time if I am not RIGHT THERE. I have had a saddle stolen out of my home, which was LOCKED and had a dog and a cat inside. Everything locked, all the time, and the expensive stuff cables or chained up on top of that!
In April at our local Midwest Horse fair, several cars and trailers were broken into. Most people went to go see the big jumping competition that was held in the coliseum.
A farrier I know had 200 dollars worth of stuff taken from his locked car.
This saddle was taken
http://madison.craigslist.org/grd/1704001697.html
But luckily all horses are kept in an area where you have to show paperwork to get in or out of a check point.
I do think they cut back on patrols, which are volunteers on horse back, they used to have a pair for each parking lot, even in the front, which were split between two patrols, and several in the back too.
I have never heard of stuff being stolen from vehicles, until this year, when they cut back on the patrols.
I could be wrong about the cut backs, it just seems I only saw a few …
Carol
My trailer has a lock on it at all times. It is not expensive, it is not hard to put on, it’s not hard to take off (if you have a key that is). I don’t know why people do not lock their trailers up…it’s so easy to drive up, hook up a trailer in under 5 minutes, and drive off without anyone being the wiser about it. I board at a big facility and anyone can drive up the driveway and just grab a trailer and go. No one has but you never know. And they have a whole slew of nice BP’s and goosenecks to choose from, they just have to take their pick. The only one they wont be able to take is mine, because it’s the only one with a lock.
The tack room is also locked. At shows the tackroom is locked when I am not using it and the key is locked in the truck which has a keypad to get into it. Luckily, I show on a small dressage circuit so there’s not a whole lot of people milling about and I’m never worried about theft like I would be at a big venue.
I’m an eventer and we never lock up our tack (I think our grounds are different because they are privately owned and secure), but I do sleep at the show as close to my horse and stuff as possible. We borrow from each other all the time, but in almost 17 years of eventing I have never had anything walk off. We leave saddles, helmets and bridles hanging all weekend and they never have.
I will say I will not do it at a public park (ie kentucky horse park and places where the public aren’t closely monitered). Private barns with horse shows are off the road enough where most people don’t even know there is a horse show going on. But yes, public areas (county fairgrounds) I would definately keep my tack locked up.
Here’s a question – how do you keep your horse “fire-safe” and locked up at the same time? Bolt cutters outside of the stall? I suppose if someone saw another person trying to get through a lock in a non-emergent situation, it would raise eyebrows.
You don’t. Theft risk or no theft risk, you NEVER padlock a stall with a horse inside it. (A paddock or pasture, sure…in fact I would always padlock a pasture gate because I’ve heard so many horror stories of idiot members of the general public wandering into fields to ‘pet the pretty horses’ and either getting kicked or leaving the gate open…)
Hence why Fugly was sleeping outside her horse’s stall…there’s very little else you can do.
I just had an incident last week: the farm owner called to tell me my horses were out and running around (AGH!). I have 2 entrance to the farm (all private as I am the only one there) and the main gate is locked at all times. My horses were supposed to be still in their paddock at the barn as I hadn’t been there yet to let them out. When I got there a gate that allows them to an adjacent field (from their paddock) was left open. I had not used that gate in 2 months and the farm owner was cutting wood in a nearby field and a tree had fallen onto the fence so he warned me to not let them out there. I complied. But “someone” had opened that gate and out my fellas went to roam some rather rough terrain and then were found by the farmer in a small “pasture” with a neighbors horses. They had apparently jumped a 3′-4′ barbed wire fence (neighbor is an idiot). The farmer then got them out of there to keep them from killing each other and put them in another field through an “Arkansas gate” made with barbwire and poles.
!! When I got to my horses one looked as though he had fallen either in a pond or fell down an embankment into the creek. He was wet and muddy (just happened) but thankfully no one was injured. Not so much as a scrape. So now I must lock even gates within the farm as someone must have came nosing around and did not secure the gate. It could have been truly catastrophic. But because I trained my horses and give them good reason to come to me when called, they remained calm while getting them back home. Also, my farm is not visible to the road and I give no one reason to think there is anything beyond the visual from the road and a tractor lane. I think it was a couple of young girls “petting” the horses. But I dare not inquire because that might sound accusatory and create a bigger problem. I will just make the necessary precautions.
Hard lesson to learn.
My trailer has a hitch lock and I keep the doors locked. The door locks are kind of flimsy but I figure that a thief will be deterred by them given that most people don’t lock their trailers at all!
I got the lock when I moved from a more rural barn with on-site trainer and staff to a barn that’s closer to a medium-sized urban city.
Have never had a problem with barn-mates stealing my stuff.
re: the stolen horse above. I would like to put in a “plug” for the benefits of microchipping !! We have chipped all our adult horses – not only as a security measure but also as we live in an earthquake / tornado prone area here in western Kentucky. It was inexpensive to do and gives us peace of mind that we do have a way to identify our horses in case of theft or natural disaster. ALSO: the AQHA has been very pro-active with trying to get the membership to chip their horses ever since Hurricane Katrina and all the resulting crisis with missing animals, and will as a FREE SERVICE note/write down the microchip number right on your AQHA registration papers if you send them the papers and chip number.
Susan K. Mangus
Springledge QH Farm
Hickory, KY
That’s really good to know. My only question: how likely is it that someone would scan a horse for a microchip?
I’ve thought about microchipping all of mine, but didn’t know how common it is and whether or not anyone would even think to scan for a chip if they happened to find a lost horse.
If they were commonplace that would be one thing, but I agree, no one checks for chips in horses. Also chip companies go out of business so often that it could be useless after a few years. I know eidap has been around forever if you decide to do that though.
All of mine are tattooed, even my non TB’s. Sure you may need to get it redone once or twice in a horses life span, but a tat is only $50.
Hey Zelika and Cricket – regarding microchipping – we have big metal signs on both ends of all barns AND on our horse trailer stating in large letters that the horses inside have permanent unalterable identification. Anyone trying to sneak into the barns or steal from the trailer is going to see those and think 2x about taking one of our horses. Of course it will not completely prevent a horse thief, but the thieves want something that is a) easy and b) NOT traceable. I would like to think we have them beat on all counts, but I agree nothing is 100%. Just try to do your best and go from there. I did want everyone to know that AQHA will mark the chip number on the registration papers tho… God Forbid but if your horse does get stolen, and you can locate it – those papers with the number, and a vet on call with a scanner, and some sort of ID for you like a driver’s license, and the police will hand you back your horse. End of story!
Susan K. Mangus
Springledge QH Farm
HIckory, KY
Here in Louisiana it is state law that all horses must be either micro chipped or branded.
I think more states should adopt this law. As for checking for microchips, I think it would be a good idea to implement a law that all horse trailers have to stop when they cross state lines and prove ownership. You already have to have certain papers when you cross state lines, but idk if anyone ever checks them…. 
It always warms my heart to see the scum get locked up- even if it is for a short period of time! What I find most disturbing about this post, however, is the horse stolen from Scenic, SD. Several years ago I delivered a dog to a family up there (my moher-in-law raises Irish Wolfhounds and Scottish Deerhounds and refuses to fly them) and my husband and I decided to stop there for the night after visiting the badlands. If I remember correctly, the sign said that there was a population of 36. Truly, I would have thought that if my horse was safe anywhere in the world, it would have been in a town of 36. And the people were SOOOO nice! I guess you can just never be too paranoid when it comes to your animals!
I’ve been near there several times and LOVE the Badlands/Black Hills area. I’ve encountered universally polite folks (of course I’m white and have a Scandinavian last name).
But of course there are baddies everywhere, and pockets of appalling poverty, esp. in Indian areas.
Most people in South Dakota are nice to all colors of people. We even had a one eyed purple people eater show up at the bar in Wall and we bought him a round…lol!
Actually though, most racism that you run across there is for the Indians on the reservation. Although, just like any race…there are good ones and bad ones, just like any other ethnic group, even white…I mean look at all the white trash in the world. If you go into places like Rapid City, Spearfish, Belle Fourche, Sioux Falls…place like that, you are more likely to see a more ethnic mix. But in the small towns of South Dakota, you will see more than likely be meeting the descendants of the families that actually started those towns.
Just like if you went to Wall Drug. That store was started by the Hustead’s. If it wasn’t for that store, there wouldn’t be anything there…it would be dirt town like a lot of others in South Dakota. Their sons still run the place. Nice people to work for too.
Oh, there’s plenty of good and bad folks of all races, colors and creeds all over the place… and I love me some Wall Drug!! The water in Wall is the best-tasting water ANYWHERE. Whenever we’re there, we just suck it down – straight from the motel bathroom faucet!
Around here (Indiana), you get pockets of rural poverty and “white trash” too, but they’re mainly your garden variety Scots-Irish-German whitebread folks – who tend toward a nasty streak of racism.
And of course there are nice, kind and generous people of all types & incomes.
I keep everything locked up – down to putting locks on my bridal bags that are locked up in my trunk or locked trailer. Where I board my horse, they have paid grooms who live in small homes outside EACH barn on either sides, so in case something happens – from a horse getting loose to someone trying something illegal – they are there. And they are all very light sleepers. I found out the sleeping part when I had to go down very early in the morning to get my horse ready for trailering. Nothing like four big, strong men coming into your stall – two of them with guns – and asking what your doing at 2am with a horse. Woke me up better than any amount of caffeine.
As far as show ground security, when I’m allowed to I bring my dog. He’s a specially trained guard dog that I keep in an extra stall next to my horse’s. He’s perfectly safe to the general public (and I post signs warning everyone!), but he lets people know if they start messing with my stuff that it won’t be tolerated. I do leave my dog’s stall door open, but kept on a long cable out of everyone’s way. If I cannot bring my dog, I’ll use the extra stall myself and sleep in it. I know the dog is a little much, but it’s like any form of security – I’d rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
I love boarding at barns that have people living in or near the barn! I always feel safer about my horse that way.
Yeah, in HS I boarded at a barn that was actually connected to the owners’ house. It was great – she was so paranoid about leaving the property unattended that if she and her husband were going out to eat or out of town for an afternoon, she’d have a couple of boarders lined up to keep an eye on things.
Also it was down a half mile driveway, not visible from the road.
In regards to leaving dogs in the show stalls: PLEASE be respectful of the grooms that sleep there. When I first started out on the Arabian circuit I was a groom and had to sleep in stalls. The most miserable part of that.. even worse than the fact that the showgrounds won’t turn the hot water on in the furry green showers until the show starts… was the dogs shrieking ALL NIGHT LONG. People would lock their dogs up in a stall and then leave them all night long. The dogs were miserable, the grooms got zero sleep. It is very inconsiderate. Grooms get precious little sleep as it is, but to have a dog freaking out all night long in the next aisle over for days or weeks on end drives a person to insanity. I have told more than one person that the next night I hear their dog, I am opening the stall door and I don’t care where it ends up.
What is UP with people bringing random nonfunctional dogs to horse shows anyway?
Well, yeah, I know they’re little furry accessories – nothing says MONEY like a Corgi, Jack Russell or Sheltie….
But if it’s not guarding a stall, and you’re not staying in a dog-friendly place like a state park…. why????
There have been many nights that I have been in my cot screaming :”I can’t believe that someone actually loves that thing” while listening to a dog freak the F out for HOURS straight. And you know what, it is always the little ones.
so I am not the only crazy person sleeping in the barn? Too bad we don’t show the same shows, we could stall together and camp out!
Considering what else sometimes goes on at shows, tack theft should be the least of your worries. What about horses being disfigured by lopping off long tail hairs just below the tailbone? Hogging manes? “giving a hair” which lames a horse, Fugly and race people know about that one. Also administering forbidden substances which can be as “innocent” as squirting an anthelmintic into a horse’s mouth but that is on the forbidden list as it masks other drugs – if your horse gets tested, you lose…there are an awful lot of things being done to horses some really scary some which result in problems but at least the horse is alive and with the proper owner. This is what some competitors do to other competitors.
Having lived with truly evil neighbors until I could relocate and trying to protect my animals while at away work until getting all of us to a safer place has made me focus on safety issues. The best thing to do whether at competitions where some truly sick and twisted people hang out or back at the ranch where you might have transients (or even neighbors) who are determined to steal or injure or kill, is have someone there. Security cameras are often taken out by angry criminals if they see them, and by the time you figure out what is going on it is far too late. Best to have the physical presence of a real person around. In my case, I hired a retiree who loved animals and needed to supplement their Social Security by babysitting my critters. Did it cost me some money? Of COURSE. But the purchase of peace of mind was absolutely worth it.
At some of the breed shows some show stables have uniformed security guards. Not a bad idea. Just don’t hire anyone from “Securitas” company – they have a bad habit of hiring ex cons – ex cons who did time for theft!
Wow – cutting tails off? Really? I hate to ask what “giving a hair” means…
I keep a padlock on the tack room door, the gate that enters the property and now a lock on my trailer as well… even though I live in the middle of nowhere
Initially it was because the creepy (recently ex) husband of the barn owner was acting squirrely. He moved my trailer once without asking me first and had issues with my locking my tack room.
I’m glad to hear that I’m not being overly cautious or paranoid. I can’t afford to replace my bigger ticket horse items or god forbid my guy
Giving a horse a hair came up in another blog’s comments:
““giving a hair†means pulling a tail hair and using a needle pulling the hair between foreleg tendons and clipping off the ends so it doesn’t show.”
It never ceases to amaze me how horribly and creatively cruel “people” can be.
I just wanted to add this little additional point about advantage of camping with horse if possible. I had aluminum brackets welded to my trailer and haul four gates (2- 10″ and 2-16′ of light duty/weight) and have gate hangers on all four corners. I just slip long carriage bolt with nut through gate hangers and I have a great corral. I then strap it to my trailer at night for extra security from weather and to alert me if problem. I then sleep in front quarters of my gooseneck that has windows up in front where I sleep and a roof vent that I added. I also have a screen door that I can use if I feel secure at the venue. All of this is due to the fact that my Morgan performs better if not stuck indoors with stall because he has never lived much in a barn and would rather be outside. The surprise for me was the closeness that came about from him and I spending nights in same space. He actually communicates with me when I am in trailer. He must be able to hear my breathing and tell when I am about to drift into sleep because he nickers just as I am drifting. He nickers if I awaken in middle of night. It is amazing and delightful. The only down side is that he knows how to open screen door with his nose so I had to get a little lock for it cause I would awaken in morning to lots of bugs that he must of thought I wanted inside. LOL. Seriously something happened in our relationship when it was just him and me in “strange” places. 10 foot by 16 foot is enough space for himn to lie in the grass and roll a bit (with supervision not far off) He is more relaxed and loves to see all the commotion going by. I would not suggest this for a spooky horse that is low on confidence but it sure works for an “outdoor” kind of horse. Some venues do not allow this so I then try to find camping nearby and just haul in everyday. At least I can keep track of my horse and gear. Plus, I really do not care for the ammonia levels under tents and in barns during busy events. Some do not clean stalls.
That is a charming little story.
I called my sister and sent her a link to this. She lives right close to the turn-off for Scenic.
Called some friends in Kadoka, Wall and Wasta. And some friends that go to the horse sale in St. Onge too.
Thanks, Wazzoo!
The small towns are often a target for crime simply BECAUSE people tend to be very trusting, not eternally suspicious like we city-dwellers who assume everything is a target for theft, vandalism, whatever.
What I’d like to buy is some kind of mechanism that would set off a remote alarm if the stall door was opened. Not something that would PREVENT the stall door from being opened, but something that would go off in my pocket if the door was opened. That way the horse could still be evacuated in case of fire, but I’d be alerted. I mean, if there is a fire, I want to know that too!
Look for a window alarm. My aunt had one when she had a teenager who would slip out at night without permission! It was basically two plates that you screwed one to the window frame and one to the sill. When they lost contact, a beeper went off on my aunts bedside table. She got it as part of a house alarm installation, but I would think you could buy the bits somehow. She just had to check the watch batteries inside every 3-4 months and replace them.
Baby monitors are a great thing to have at show grounds if you don’t want to sleep at the barn. If you can park your trailer within the range of the monitor, you can listen in on your horse while sleeping in relative comfort. You’ll also know if the monitor has been turned off or disabled or if the batteries run out.
In the area where this lady lives, in the absolute middle of nowhere, most people don’t stall their horses and the pastures are huge. With dirt roads leading right up to the gate. The fences are barbed wire and even if a person put a lock on the gate, anyone with fence cutters could still get through easily without causing the least disturbance. Especially if the horse wasn’t up close to the house where ranch dogs would have barked. Too bad the horse didn’t have a brand. With horses going so cheap there, why go through all the trouble to steal one? Just the gas alone wouldn’t be worth it. I hope she rode her pastures real good if she has a lot of property. A cow or a horse can drop dead and you could spend days, weeks even, looking for it if you have a lot of property. I hope she checked her fences too. Especially if she is using barbed wire. If it droops, a horse will step across it and wonder off and with her being right in the Badlands, it could take forever to find the mare. Regardless, I hope she does find the mare healthy and safe.
This system looks sort of similar to that idea Fugs, but taken to a whole ‘nother level, which can be a good or bad thing I suppose!
Just found them through some random googling
I can imagine it’s probably very expensive though, but worth it if it’s what you want!
http://mrtrailer.com/horseguard.htm
Other than that, the only thing I could think of were the door/window alarms that people have already mentioned, but most of the wireless/portable ones only make noise right there, and some of them are rather loud for the horses.
This is only semi-related to the horse security topic, but I thought I’d share…
Two weeks ago a group of 6 men running from the cops abandoned their car and ran on foot through our 13 acre farm. Here is a few pics of cops searching for them:
There were about at least a dozen police at our house that day, luckily they caught all 6 suspects!! (One of the bad guys got “tazed” by our electric fence, HAHAHA)
But this incident was so scary because our two horses were loose in the pasture the whole time. My mom was ordered to lock herself inside the house, and she was not allowed to try to get the horses to a safe place. The cops had their guns drawn and ready to fire. What if they inadvertantly shot one of our horses? What if the bad guys left a gate open in their escape attempts? What if mom or I was riding in the field at the time?
It’s just so scary to think that a group of criminals could easily hole up somewhere on our property. In their desperation, they could do anything!
Luckily the police did excellent work, and the perps were caught without any damage or injury… Except perhaps the guy who got zapped on the fence
But is there anyway to prepare for such a bizarre event!?
I know some barns that lock the road-facing doors, but leave the ones at the back of the barn open or unlocked.
I know one barn that locks up at night, but has an arrangement with the FD, who has keys. (Small town.) I don’t think _I_ would be comfortable with that, though!
I remember hearing all the horror stories as a kid about horses’ tails getting cut off at shows etc. I mean, what is WRONG with people forchrissake?
I’m a volunteer firefighter, and we have gate codes for most of the large houses here. I would definitely encourage anyone who locks their gate/barns to give the fire/ems agency the info for them, because a locked gate can double or triple our response time. Nothing is more frustrating than watching a building go up in flames while we’re trying to get a damn gate open.
…otherwise we just get out the sawzalls.
Some friends of mine had their two horses stolen in Virginia a few weeks ago, I just thought I’d pass on the link and help boost the signal:
http://www.autumnhillfarm.com/FtValleyStolenHorses.html
Thanks!
Really, I never worried about stolen tack (although our tackroom is unlocked) until I got my new saddle. The old saddle wasn`t worth much, so I probably wouldn`t have minded even if someone had taken it away…
The new saddle was custom made and quite pricey, so I decided to buy one of these:
!
Despite the fact that our barn is in the middle of the village, the barn owner lives on the left side of the barn, his brother on the right side, his parents on the front…
Due to my habit of buying small things like hoofpicks, brushes etc. in screaming colors, I never have a problem with “wandering things”. None of our dressage queens (I`m the only one who rides western style) wants something coloured in bright pink-camo, purple or the like – at least not in my barn.
Horse thieves should be strung up with piano wire from the nearest strong tree limb, doused with kerosene, and set on fire, or, as an alternative, they should be gut-shot with a .45 and then as they are laying on the ground moaning in agony have their head split in half with a shiny new fire axe.
Be careful at prize rides also, we have a lock on our trailer and keep our tackroom locked at all times that we are not present. But, last summer we left out something as simple as a manure fork while we were at a prize ride. WE had walked up to where the prizes and bbq were and I just happened to come back for a few minutes to find our “neighbor” with our manure fork. They were caught red handed and gave it back, and I dont know if their intention was to steal it or just borrow it. Either way now one of us stays back with the horses and camper/trzailer.
The bottom line: if they want your stuff they’re gonna get it no matter what you do. All you can do is make it less appealing.
One guy I know deters theft by using ugly stuff. All his stuff is yellow and pink. Not really an effective thing to do if you show though. Just make your stuff a step harder to steal than the other guy, And they are more likely to hit the other guy. Also make sure you get serial numbers engraved in your stuff if it doesn’t have one already. If your stuff gets stolen you will likely never get it back, but if it does get recovered you will want serial numbers on your stuff
I have done the same thing at shows! The added advantage is that if the grooms leave something at the warm-up ring, another barn will return it and be like “Well, you guys are the only ones with neon orange and hot pink lunge whips, so here you go.”
True, true! Unfortunately I admit I REALLY love hunter green…so does everybody else, LOL. Gotta put your initials on it, where it shows!
Heh. Yeah. When I boarded at a huge barn, my show gear stayed at home except for shows (except my saddle, as I could only afford one of those). I rode in a grotty bridle (It was safe, but the decoration had come off it leaving loose stitching on the browband and noseband), and had neon bright gear. Especially crops/whips, which always seemed to walk most often.
That’s my strategy with my luggage – I have the most hideous dusty green suitcase, and an old Lisa Frank duffel bag. Nobody else is going to be caught dead with them!
I’m giving a talk on this this summer for my state 4-H speaking comp. Really important. We have a lock on our trailer that prevents people hooking up to it, and padlocks on the horse and tack compartments. Someone pointed out that if we were ever in an accident and we were knocked unconscious, there’d be no way to get the horses out. No problem! The only truck big enough to haul the trailer is also the farm’s work truck where my dad keeps all his tools (Yes, it’s locked 24/7 and then some). Can anyone say bolt cutters?
Which brings up another point: If someone IS REALLY DETERMINED to get away with your stuff, they will. You just have to make it really hard to get to and really obvious that it’s yours.
Also, for those of you who are posting missing (or found) horses: Netposse is SHI’s (Stolen Horse International) website and they let you do that for free and give really good tips on horse recovery.
Our boarding barn is near a very busy road/intersection but highly visible – a month ago someone came into the turnout pen and cut off the long tail of one of the young horses that was turned out. Makes you very paranoid about who has access to your horses.
This is completely irrelevant, but man…I love you a ton, FHOTD, but I miss your old stuff! I was going through the archive on the old website, and your critiques and comments on things were absolutely hilarious. My point is, I miss your old stuff!
That’s why it’s still there to read
I haven’t had a really good source of major snark lately…most of the stuff people send me, I have to tell them has already BEEN on the blog. We’re not running out of idiots but we’re running out of original ones. How many people riding weanlings can I possibly put up? It just makes everybody want to bang their head into a wall.
OT, except for the part about idiots. I don’t have the chutzpah to email this person and don’t think it would work anyway
http://denver.craigslist.org/grd/1745287719.html
The good news is, he’s “threatening” to geld the N/H colt if nobody buys him:
“RARE Opportunity! Own son of GQ ECLIPSE for sale – $3000 (3hrs from Denver, Nebraska pan handle)
This is a once in a life time opportunity to own an own son of GQ Eclipse. he is just a 2yo, and slow to mature, but BOY OH BOY does he have all the right stuff! He is still a stallion, and will make an awesome addition to your breeding stock. If not sold right away he will be gelded on the 28th. Not because he isn’t stallion quality, but because we are moving, and we can’t take a stallion with us where we are going. This horse is from the Wild Basin Ranch. He is QUALITY QUALITY QUALITY! He has a BEAUTIFUL head and neck, great croup and hip, plenty of carry down, loads or forearm and gaskin. He will make an awesome stallion to cross on your halter and performance mares. He is NH, non symptomatic.
If gelded he would make a phenominal youth horse. He is a beautiful mover and will make a great performance prospect as well. You can’t go wrong with him. I don’t want to sell him, but if someone else can use him I would like to see him have the opportunity to go on and make a stallion prospect for someone. I did test breed a couple of my own mares a couple weeks ago, so hopefully I will get at least one foal.
His pedigree can be seen here- http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/final+rendition
His pedigree is PACKED full of Champions and Chmpion producers. His sire was a World and Reserve World Champion. His Dam was a World show Producer. He should mature to 15.1 hands.
SERIOUS INQUIRIES ONLY!!!!! Has to go to an approved him with prior stallion ownership knowledge, and to someone educated on HYPP. I will not sell him to just anyone. I really really like this colt, and if he isn’t sold before next week, I will be keeping him. I will consider REASONABLE offers.
If your horse does get stolen and then you find out where it has been taken, how do you go about recovering the horse? Do you call the police or animal control or who? What types of proofs do you have to have to show that you are the owner of the horse? Are registration papers enough proof and if not what else does everyone here recommend an owner have to prove ownership? It seems silly because our boarding barn is far off the beaten path but I still want to have all my ducks in row just in case.
Regristration papers do constitute proof of ownership. A bill of sale is the legal document of ownership. If you raised the horse obviously you won’t have a bill of sale (or maybe you never considered it necessary to keep with your registration papers and have long since lost it).
To prove ownership you need to take lots of photos of you WITH your horse—with you standing on the ground beside your horse to show how tall the horse is in relation to you.. Take clear photos of the horse’s markings and any brands, scars, tattoos, ect. Take photos of your horse dirty and with winter hair as well as photos with him all spifted up. Keep these (or copies of these) with your registration papers so you don’t have to search for these photos if your horse is lost or stolen—remember, the faster you can provide this info to investigating authorities the faster they can go to work finding your horse!
In Texas, to transport a horse, you must have a copy of your horses coggins. That is the only legal proof of ownership that is required. You should bring your part of the coggins (not a copy because the thief might have a copy too), and the registration papers. The papers are the little extra thing that will tip the scales in your favor. If your horse is stolen, call the police IMMEDIATELY. In, some parts of the state, this crime is a felony. If you find your horse, you should call the police then too. (who knows what kind of nut job you might be dealing with?) AC is good to call too, since there might be other stolen animals on the property, and they can take them into custody. AC should also be called when the horse is first stolen since it might end up with them. See netposse.com for more info.
Hey, Fugly, I know you might not want to answer this (and of course wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t) but by any chance, were you at the Pinto show at the Tacoma Unit this last weekend? You mentioned 3-day shows (and this last one was a 3-day show), and I know the Tacoma Unit has signs up about the thefts that have been happening recently. And I also saw a big, gorgeous buckskin in some of the western classes.
Hehe, had to ask. Maybe just coincidence, but might as well ask!
Yes, I was there, and yes, that was my buckskin. Thanks for the compliment.
How did the show go for you? We had a good one – he had a baby moment or two, it was his first show where he went in canter classes, but still did well, Res. Champion halter under several judges, 2nds and 3rds in HUS, a couple 3rds in WP and the one we were really proud of was his 2nd in the tough trail class – he did really well his first time out with a complicated and tight-set course.
At least one judge isn’t marking you down for being you!
Do you have pictures?
I’m watching all of the good pro ones come in (the guy uploaded one day, not the rest yet) and then I will buy some and update the VLC blog which I’ve neglected all of this time.
Yeah, apparently those Appy folks who said they’d make sure no judge anywhere used my horse don’t control the whole world after all…what a great disappointment it must be for them.
I caught a member of the the sheriff’s posse trying to break into my trailer at a small town parade while on vacation last year. Talk about awkward.
OMG!
On the Catherine Petersen update…it makes me so sick to hear that she is getting 10 years for scamming people out of their money, but abusers and neglecters seem to always get off with nothing, or a short sentence…this seems so wrong to me. It seems like a perfect example of the extent to which we undervalue animal life. I am a teacher, and today, one of my students asked whether it is illegal to hit an animal with a car. This 12-year-old couldn’t fathom that there is no penalty for killing an animal, even if it is by accident. Well, on this blog, we have seen that there are all too many people who hurt animals on purpose, and get the equivalent of a slap on the wrist. But if you steal someone’s money, look out!
Sorry, I’ve been a lurker for years, but for some reason, this one just finally got under my skin…it seems like such a perfect symptom of he whole problem, in which animals are left so far below human beings.
I ride at a fairly big show barn that’s near a pretty busy road. Although I don’t own a horse, I’ve grown attached to many of the lesson/boarder horses there, which is why having certain precautions makes me feel so much better. The BO lives on the property, with windows looking out onto all the pastures, barns, and the one entrance. To get to the barn, you have to drive right past her house; there are gates leading to the barns that are locked every night, and only the school horses are kept outside at night, with lights on them, and their paddocks locked. Our BO has two VERY loud Aussies who warn of anyone coming in, especially in the dead of night. One of our maintenance men also lives on the property in one of the barns (along with his shot gun.
), and can hear pretty much everything that’s going on. (It’s also great because he’s right next to the foaling stall). The farm is pretty isolated on either side in terms of houses, although the guy who lives a bit down the road on one side, and whos property backs up to the back paddocks always makes sure to look out at the horses through his window before he goes to bed. We haven’t had any problems with people breaking into the barn, although we HAVE had…problems.
We send out quite a lot of horses on trials, and although the MAJORITY turn out very well, with the horse either staying or coming back in great condition, we’ve had some bad experiences lately. One of the mares we sent to get tried came back shaved…except for her head. (The didn’t do a very good job, either). Now, that wouldn’t be so much of a problem, except for the fact that she’s a paint (so her head is now darker than her body), and they were NOT given permission to do so. We also recently sent two of our smaller, great show ponies out to get tried together. When they didn’t come back the day they were supposed to, our BO called the barn. Guess what they said? They loaded them on to the trailer…and lost them. Yep. They supposedly had NO idea where the trailer was. BO obviously wouldn’t stand for that. She went up the next day, found them planning on taking the two to a three-day show. She loaded them up and took them home, with the other barn protesting the whole time (they’d had a written contract that they would be back by that time unless they were bought). Most recently, a young 4-year-old mare, bred and raised at the barn (we still have her mom) was sent to be tried. She came back a few days ago with open wounds on her hip and her face, and part of her mane chopped off. You should have seen my trainer yell and scream; they said she stuck her head under a fence to get to some grass. Well then why is there an open wound on her hip and a straight cut through her mane? The damage isn’t serious, but BOY was my trainer p/oed.
My friend had a horse on a lease to buy that did not work out, and he came back with his tail chopped off at the hocks and every other braid of his braided mane roached. People suck. She was just grateful it was not ACTUAL injury. Hair will at least grow back!
This guy is such a Marine, even his horse has a crewcut!
I’m really dating myself, but I remember when Quarter Horses always had tails trimmed to hock length, at least where I lived. It seems to me that if a horse is maliciously marred by having its tail cut, it would be reasonable for the judges in the show to make a point of not docking (no pun intended) the score. After all, tail length is just fashion. So what happens normally in this circumstance? Is the horse not allowed in the class with a short tail?
It’s not a problem for QH’s because most are shown with fake tails anyway. Totally legal.
I mean, it’s a pain in the butt to have to buy a $200 tail if you hadn’t planned on it, but it’s not the end of the world – just a huge annoyance.
Yeah, we’re very grateful that none of the problems have turned out to be too serious; the pinto’s coat is finally growing back in, and the two boys weren’t any worse for wear. The little one doesn’t seem to be bothered by the cuts, and they’ve been healing up pretty well so far.
Probably the best way to make it difficult for thieves:
1. Make sure your routine isn’t evident. Come home at odd times, have neighbors stop in, and if you will be gone for a visible reason (horse show, funeral, wedding) consider having a barn sitter.
2. If you don’t want to lose it, don’t leave it in the tack room. Put it in your house, garage, basement, etc.
3. Don’t boast. Yes, it’s tempting to identify your Congress winner or your Blue Ribbon saddle to people when they ask for a barn tour. Don’t do it.
4. Put valuables away. By this, I mean if you have a $500 show bridle, then it needs to be under the old saddle blanket in the black tub behind the grain bin. I do this especially at shows. If someone wants to steal from me, they are going to have to spend some real quality time in my tack stall hunting for the good stuff– time they don’t want to spend, since my schedule isn’t regular and I could walk in at any time. f
5. You and your barn owner should have a standard policy of taking down I.D. numbers of anyone who requests a tour or comes to visit. Legitimate visitors will accept your simple explanation– it’s for the safety of the horses and clients at the farm.
6. Don’t turn horses out with halters, and make sure access to your field requires crossing more than one fence.
All this helps with theft rings and pro’s who prefer easy targets. I don’t know of anything that helps with nut cases who are out to hurt your horse or you. And with all that I’ve described, I think the single best solution is vigilance.
Personally, I think I’m going to get pet skunks for my next boarding stable. “Come on in boys. Tack room is that way. Don’t mind the skunk, just give it a good kick to get it out of your way.”
I’m sorry if someone else mentioned it but branding, all of my horses have a freeze brand and I always lock everything all the time. You can get a custom iron for right at $100 and get them branded for $35-$75 dollars in my area. Having them branded helps me sleep at night. Here is a great site where I got mine http://www.lhbrandingirons.com
I once went to a rather large recognized show where they locked my horse up in the barn for the night! I did not know that they were going to do this. We went to supper(late) and came back to barn to do a check on my horse only to find that they locked the barn up tight at 10:00 pm and would not open it for any reason before 5:30 am. I was camping in my trailer right there on the show grounds—I always do so as to be able to keep a close eye on my horse. Not so much thinking that someone would harm him as much as I worry about colic or getting cast in a strange stall, ect. I COULD NOT SLEEP THAT NIGHT. Was standing at the door at 5:15 am waiting on them to show up with the key. Also, no one was in the barn (watchman/caretaker) all night to keep a check on the horses either. This was a 3 day show. Nights 2 & 3 my horse stayed in the trailer with me. (I have a sm tack/living qts in the front of the trailer.) I forfeited my stall fees for those nights and never showed at that place again. I still cannot understand why the fire department would allow them to lock up 70+ horses.
When I first moved to Kadoka, SD as a 15 year old, the discrimination was horrible! Just because we weren’t from there. That is the toughest part about small towns. That was the toughest part for me…lol! But a couple of fist fights and I fit in just fine. My sister has the hardest time though, she was a little punk rocker with her hair dyed two different colors…poor kid. She finally got accepted when she moved back when she was in her 20′s
That is something I hate about moving here to Georgia! The water sucks and so does bottled water. They put so many chemicals in it. It’s horrible and it affects my hair …ugh. I just hate it.
Did you have time to drive the Badlands loop? That is a cool drive. Especially on a motorcycle. Sometimes during the summer a whole group of us would go ride the badlands…that is a interesting ride to say the least. It’s a blast too. Ok…I’m homesick now. It’s nice to know that you enjoyed South Dakota. I love hearing about people’s experiences there. I lived there and feel that kind of awe about it.