Recovered EQUINE After Eight, Rio Reynolda (Alfie and April)

"The outpouring of support from the people in the horse industry has been utterly amazing. I have never seen anything like it and it has revived my faith in the human spirit at a time when I was losing all hope. Words simply cannot express my gratitude to everyone who has reached out, even people I have not met." - Ann D Turnicky, Facebook

UPDATE AND COMMENTARY: Wednesday January 19, 2011 9:30 a.m.: Stolen Horse International received a call at 9:20 a.m. that Ann has found Alfie and April in a run down chicken coop. She has called law enforcement and the vet to check the horses.

They have been in what amounts to a 10 x 10 size building with an 8 foot ceiling for the past several days, a place that two horses that size could not fit easily. Ann doesn't understand how they got in the coop or how they got the closed door open, and then shut.

As she walked her property again this morning she notice a window open on the coop. When checking it out she found the horses. She was shocked to see them in this small building and more shocked that they had made no sound when she was searching for them. No kicking, no neighing when they were called. It appears that they had not even kicked the sides of the structure. It is a mystery how these 17 hand horses got into this situation.

We are happy, no ecstatic that these horses were "just" missing and not stolen. When horses disappear without a trace we have to send out an alert stating they are "missing presumed stolen" so that we do not miss valuable searching time in case the worst has happen. In many cases just like this one, it has.

Some of you may think "false alarm" and there was no reason to be concerned after all. In reality you are wrong. A study done in the late "90's" estimated as many as 40,000 horses could be stolen each year. We don't know what the number is now but if there was only one horse stolen in 2011 would you want it to be yours?

Because of Alfie and April many in the horse world have now learned about a crime they didn't know about, horse theft. It IS alive and well in the 21st century, even if it turned out not to be the case here. Thank goodness they WERE just missing. Now horses owners who followed this case have the opportunity to make use of the education they have gained. They can do something to protect their horses in the future in case their horse should go missing from theft, disaster, run off on a trail or if they jump a fence.

We want to thank every one for their quick action in getting out the alerts and their support for Ann when she needed it most. If these horses had indeed been stolen I have no doubt that withe the support that abounded from the horse community that they would have been found. Welcome to my everyday world. - Debi Metcalfe, President, Stolen Horse International

What do you think happen? Your response can go here.

A friend of mine is convinced that someone has been letting horses loose in our area..specifically on Zulla Road in Middleburg. There have been so many cases of them running loose lately. The thought that people harm these noble creatures makes me sick. You are heaven sent, doing the job that you do. I’m so thankful Ann’s horses are safe and I don’t even know her or them! I know that our facebook horse crew would do whatever we can to help missing horses based in this area in Virginia. Don’t hesitate to put the call out. - Laurie

Could the horses have been stolen and "returned" due to all the notice of
them missing? Could they have been "put" in the small coop by someone? - Kari

My thought was that they had been taken then when the thieves saw there was a reward, or when their parents saw they had the horses, they brought them back in the night and shut them in the building.  I have an imagination for sure. Tthanks for the updates. - Anonymous

"Some while ago horses were often stolen for a quick turn over to the meat market. That has changed. Generally for the better but with some arguable repercussions. That said...

I believe that in cases like Alfie and April, they were stolen, not to be kept, but hoping for a reward when "found". The thief probably believed that "theft" would not come up, and when it did, panicked and snuck them back. The perpertrator is likely to be a neighbor or farm hand,,some one in walking distance who knows the territory. I hope the person has learned a serious lesson, but the heartbreak and fear caused should be punished". - Ann

I  hope the vet check includes blood work and urine samples to see if they may have been drugged and that the supply cabinet is inventoried to see if any bute or tranqs are missing. - Anonymous

I'm so glad Alfie and April were found safe. I'd hold the thought on missing. Perhaps they were in the process of being stolen, stuffed in there until the thief could find better and farther away locations. Just a thought . . . although horses are clever little fellows. (and girls) They can get into almost anything. Bless their hearts. Your horses are lovely.
- Patricia

 

* "One source says 40,000 to 55,000 are stolen each year." - These numbers are based on a study done in the late 90's. There are no current numbers available.