Stolen Horse Ruben: Enumclaw Family Seeks Public Help

ENUMCLAW, Wash. — A King County family is asking for the public’s help after thieves stole a horse from a rural Enumclaw barn in the early morning hours, a crime investigators believe was targeted, according to FOX 13 Seattle and Stolen Horse International’s NetPosse, the nonprofit organization assisting owner Jack Hodge in the search for his horse, Ruben.

The 15‑year‑old Quarter Horse gelding, Smartest Code — known as “Ruben” — was taken around 1:50 a.m. Thursday from a property near 224th Avenue Southeast and Southeast 400th Street, FOX 13 reports. Surveillance information and neighbor accounts indicate that two people entered the barn, led the horse out through a rear gate and loaded him into a waiting truck and trailer before leaving the area.

FOX 13 says neighbors observed the vehicle arriving and departing during the same timeframe, suggesting the suspects knew exactly where the horse was kept. The theft was reported to the King County Sheriff’s Office, which is investigating the case.

Ruben holds deep sentimental value for the family. Jack Hodge told Debi Metcalfe, founder of Stolen Horse International, that Ruben belonged to his daughter, Stephanie, who died from breast cancer last November. Hodge said the thieves entered the property around 1:50 a.m. Thursday, went directly to the barn where Ruben was housed and led the horse out a back gate to a waiting truck and trailer.

Hodge acted quickly after the theft, filing a stolen horse report with Stolen Horse International, the only organization in the United States with exclusive expertise in searching for and recovering stolen horses. Through its national NetPosse alert system, the nonprofit issued a public alert to help locate Ruben.

Ruben’s NetPosse webpage, available at https://netposse.com/tag.asp?id=8979. includes photographs, identifying details, and a printable PDF flyer.

Stolen Horse International encourages the public to print and post flyers in feed stores, boarding barns, trailer dealers, and along livestock transport routes, noting that wide distribution of flyers has historically played a critical role in recovering stolen horses.

Anyone with information about Ruben’s whereabouts or the truck and trailer seen near the property early Thursday is urged to contact law enforcement or submit tips through NetPosse.