Cattle Raisers emphasizing horse theft awareness, prevention
Horse owners can make it harder on thieves
By DAVY MOSELEY | Country World East Texas
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"Extension Service offers tips for theft prevention" sidebar below |
April 19, 2001 -- Horse theft is big business in Texas; for horse thieves.
Apprehended horse thieves are no longer hung from a tall tree with a short rope like they allegedly were in the old days, but horse theft is punishable as either a fourth or third degree felony in Texas. Pretty serious consequences if caught; but, of course, no horse thief is ever going to get caught; right?
Not according to Texas Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. TSCRA is closely working with law enforcement officials, Texas Agricultural Extension Service, and horse owners to increase awareness of horse theft in Texas, how to take precautionary measures to deter thieves, and establish protocols for what needs to be done if a horse is taken illegally.
"Anybody that walks around the corner could be a horse thief," said Larry Gray, TSCRA director of law enforcement, at an April 11 training seminar on horse theft awareness and prevention in Tyler.
Horses are stolen for a variety of reasons, according to Gray. Thieves will steal horses to enter in competition, or to sell through slaughter houses or to innocent individuals. Horse owners themselves will even have horses stolen so they can collect on the horse's insurance policy.
"Horse owners are often lax about theft prevention, and (they) make it very easy for thieves to get what they want," said Gray.
TSCRA advises horse owners to be aware of the possibility of horse theft, and know what to do if a horse is stolen.
At the same time, TSCRA wants law enforcement officials to be able to follow protocol as well.
Time is of the essence when a horse is stolen. The horse owner should immediately contact a TSCRA inspector and local law enforcement officials if a horse is missing. Horses can change hands three or four times in just 24 hours. The longer a victim waits to report a theft, the harder it will be for a TSCRA investigator to track down the horse -; and less likely the horse will be found alive.
According to Howard Griffin, TSCRA field inspector, the best theft deterrent is good neighbors.
"Get to know your neighbor. Let them know when you are going out of town. One of the biggest problems is that nobody wants to know anyone else's business."
Good neighbors are important, but much of horse theft prevention is common sense; make it as hard for a thief as possible to get what he wants. A few of the things horse owners can do to make it take a little longer for a horse thief to get in and out is to lock up tack in a separate room, close and lock gates, park trailers out of sight, don't feed next to the road, build corrals away from the road, and don't leave halters on pastured horses.
"When a horse thief steals a horse, he knows where he is going with it. There are many places stolen horses can be taken to. Know the sale facilities, and packing plants in your area. Know the time of year. Ninety percent of the time, there is a reason a horse is being stolen," said Butch Davis, TSCRA field inspector.
Additionally, horse owners should consider permanently marking all tack and equipment as well as horses. Keeping all this information organized and up to date will also be helpful during the recovery process.
Not until Texas House bill 2396 was passed in September 1997 were horse owners required to register brands, said Davis.
Brands are registered in Texas every 10 years. Registration will begin Aug. 31 of this year. Horse owners can register brands with the county clerk in the county that the horse resides in.
Branding horses, and other livestock, is one of the easiest, and least expensive forms of theft prevention horse owners can implement. A thief is less likely to target a horse that is carrying an identifiable brand.
According to Pete Gibbs, Extension horse specialist, the Extension Service has come a long way in horse theft awareness and prevention since an education initiative was started in 1997.
Some joked at the seminar that TSCRA may have to change their acronym to include horses. Since the membership organization has implemented the Horse Inspection Program (HIP), approximately 400 to 500 horses have been entered into its database, according to Jody Henderson, TSCRA's HIP director.
"We're getting the information out to horse owners. Last year, we put on approximately 90 programs in Texas," Gibbs said.
It is important for livestock owners to realize that they do not have to be TSCRA members to invoke their aid in the event of a theft. However, for horse owners who are members, and have submitted brand and identification information to be added to the TSCRA database, it can save TSCRA inspectors valuable time; time that can mean the life or death of a good horse.
Henderson said TSCRA membership for horse owners is $90 per year. For more information, call TSCRA: (800)242-7820 or (817)332-7155; or go online: www.texascattleraisers.org.
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Extension Service offers tips for theft prevention The Extension Service has published several publications related to horse theft awareness and prevention, and has outlined 15 precautionary measures horse owners should implement: 1. Consider permanently marking horses using one or more methods. 2. Photograph horses and keep photos current. 3. Establish an organized, easy-to-find proof-of-ownership file. 4. Record the permanent brand or mark with the county clerk's office in the country where the horse lives. 5. Secure barns, corrals or pens from the road with a good perimeter fence and well-built gates that can be locked. 6. If you plan to build a barn or corral, locate it away from the road. 7. Manage pastured horses to make theft more difficult. Don't leave halters on pastured horses. Do not feed next to the gate, or road. Keep gates locked. Check on them regularly. 8. Do not hang halters and lead ropes on stall fronts, corral gate posts or anywhere in the open. 9. Permanently identify and lock up expensive tack. 10. Make horse and livestock trailers inaccessible. Hide them from view and be able to prove ownership. 11. Use signs and warning posters where appropriate. 12. Install motion-sensor lights. 13. Talk to local law-enforcement authorities about the value of dogs and other animals to deter theft. 14. Keep the activity level up around horses. 15. Establish a horse and facilities watch program with other horse owners in your area. Take turns checking on each other's horses. |
