The purpose and mission of NetPosse is to help owners of stolen and missing horses and horse-related equipment locate and, hopefully, successfully retrieve their property. The fact that we have a predominately successful record is nothing short of incredible, and we could not do it without the tireless effort of many contributors and volunteers.

We would like to help prevent the need for our services in the first place. This depends almost solely on YOU, the individual horse owners. We have compiled this list of tips, suggestions, and just plain advice from law enforcement to help you reduce or eliminate the possibility of having a theft or loss of your equine family member or farm property/equipment.

Please feel free to copy and share with attribution. (For private use only.) If you feel this helps you, we would encourage a voluntary donation to help defray expenses at www.stolenhorseintenational.com. Thank you.  

We all would prefer to think that the instant that we turn off the road that we are SAFE. No one is going to touch us, what is ours, and, most especially, our families. For those of us owned by horses-those families include our horses. We spend a lot of time and money on them-feed, vet bills, upkeep, housing, and equipment. So why don't we take a little more time and PREVENTIVELY PROTECT them? Here are some ideas:

1.     Walk those fence lines at least twice a year. Besides being good for your health, you can fix or flag problems before they become gaps that horses can sashay through. You can also look out for dead trees and limbs on both your property and the neighbor's that might not make it in the next storm. (The author has had 70 foot trees fall and jam fence posts into the ground far enough to let horses out. It isn't just the dead ones!)

 2.      Keep gates and padlocks in good shape. Pay attention to the hinge side. Make certain that the pins face each other. If they point in the same direction, the gate can be easily lifted off-not just by nefarious people, but by an itchy horse! Once off the pins, the gate will flop open and they will make good their escape-usually long before you will be aware of it!

 3.      Remember this: Fences are always-ALWAYS-merely a suggestion to horses and ponies and wishful thinking for the humans. An untrained Shetland can vault a 4 foot fence given enough provocation. Watch for dogs and other "provocative" reasons for the equines to start jumping or running through a fence. Sometimes it can be one of the other horses! It happens.

 4.      Consider the ages-old use of hedgerows. This takes some doing to get started, but entails the use of living and dead vegetative matter in a three to four foot thick row along the fence line. Done properly, it will have briars and thorns growing through it naturally. It will be the rare horse or human that will brave a good hedgerow-PLUS it has the added benefits of providing good windbreaks in foul weather, shade in summer, and shelter and food for various wild creatures. (The author's even has banks of wild roses-providing beauty in the early summer and rose hips for the birds !)

 5.      Never-ever-keep halters and leads by stalls or pasture gates. That is asking somebody to walk off with your babies.

 6.      Likewise, not only is it unsafe to leave halters on horses at pasture (they can get themselves into a world of hurt that way), but you make it extremely easy for someone to catch and steal your horse. Train your horse to come to you instead. Not only will you build a much better relationship, you will keep them from being an easy target for thieves.

 7.      Know what is happening on the neighboring property at all times.Other people are not always careful about fence lines. Example: loggers will drop trees on fences and just drag them off ripping huge holes in fence lines. (True story-happened to me.)

 8.      Even if you are living on the property you are renting, make certain that you know and have an agreement with the property owner about who is allowed to come onto your property. Not everyone who gains access to a locked gate will relock the gate upon leaving. Stupid, thoughtless people exist-even if they have no thought of stealing.

9.      Teach neighborhood children that you have two rules-

          A.     No one feeds anything to the horses without asking you first.People often do not know what a horse can/cannot eat-and neither do the horses!!

         B.     No one goes into the pasture unless you are there for ANY reason.So sorry about the ball, toy, or whatever-but YOU are legally liable if somebody gets hurt. Much better if they come to you and you get whatever it is. Also, much better if they train Fideaux to stay on their side of the fence!

This will keep your horses from being annoyed by strangers and unaccustomed to getting treats over the fence. It also keeps stray children (and, hopefully, their pets) from entering the pasture.

10.  Post your property. This is a legal term that means simply this-put up signs that say "No Trespassing", "Private Property", "This Property is Under 24-Hour Surveillance"",W.H.O.A." or something similar. It warns people that they are not welcome and is necessary for legal reasons. This informs people that your horses are permanently identified and registered with an agency for tracking purposes. This may deter them from coming onto the property in the first place.

11.  Install automatic lighting around the stall area. Motion detection lighting is safe and convenient and allows the reduction of power consumption  while still maintaining security. Motion detectors can also be used to trip cameras that transmit to computer web cams anywhere you wish. Used in combination, you may foil would be thieves in action.

12.  Driveway alerts can inform you of the arrival of vehicles on your property. These can be pressure triggered or motion detection. They vary in cost and sophistication, but they do allow for a heads-up when you are busy elsewhere .

13.   If you are building a new barn, try to locate it AWAY from a road. Ease of access for you also means ease of access for thieves. Make it so that you can see them coming if at all possible.

14.  Park trailers in a place where you can see them, but screen their location from the road. Use the wheel locking devices (boots) if possible. The hitch locks are very easy to defeat. (We recommend the ones that are hardened steel to be resistant to hacksaw or bolt cutters, and also resistant to Freon or other extreme cold breakage. They'll be a bit more expensive, but you have an investment in that equipment and we want to see you keep it! Links to: wheel locks-1 , wheel lock-2,  wheel lock -3  (no endorsement given)

15.  Keep barking dogs or other noisy animals if possible-geese, braying donkeys, guinea hens, or peafowl.

16.  Try not to feed your horses at the fence. It encourages them to come to the fence for strangers as well as for you. Tub feeders are the better choice.

17.  Know your neighbors-and swap phone numbers with them so they can watch your place and you can keep an eye on theirs. Law enforcement can only be in so many places at one time. We have to look out for each other!

18.  LOCK UP YOUR TACK! Yes, we know you are at home, but people will rob you AT HOME.