With all the rushing around, parties, shopping, inclement weather, trips to see family and friends, or maybe a winter vacation to the tropics(!), we need to still be aware of the fact that some people will take advantage of our distraction from the ordinary routines. And why shouldn't they? What could be easier? 

An unfamiliar truck and trailer at a neighbor's barn or pastue? If questioned, the person driving it might say "Oh, I'm delivering a horse/pony/whatever that I was told was a Christmas gift for someone." Or possibly, "This horse was sold to me as a surprise gift for my 10-year old daughter. She doesn't know she's getting it. She's going to be so happy." And the list goes on and on. You get the general idea. It's enough to throw you off and make you think everything is just fine-no worries at all. 

Truth is-that's a thief. 

Your neighbor was having his horse(s) stolen and you took the bait and stood there. OOOPS!

Our suggestion? Know your neighbors well enough to know when such deliveries/pickups should be made-and call them about yours so they can watch your property. Nosy neighbors are one of the best defences anyone can possibly have. Nosy neighbors who will venture out to ask questions AND take photos with a cellphone are even better. Let's say you went out there and asked your questions-and just got that uneasy feeling. Pull out the cell phone and get some shots of the license plates, the entire rig, and if you can manage it, the people themselves. Call the neighbor and if you can't reach them-911. If it is legit-no harm, no foul. If it isn't, then you can hand those photos to law enforcement and they are ahead of the game. 

If you haven't already done it-take photos of your horses-full face, both sides, rump, and close ups of any scars, brands, whorls, or patterns that make them special. Make sure the photos are clear and DATED. Get somebody's hand or face in the photo. (It helps prove ownership.) Don't worry about being clipped and clean-they won't be rock stars in a sale pen and if we are looking for them, we'll be looking at photos when they won't be pretty. That's a promise. That's why we want winter fuzzy, rolled and full of dirt photos. We need the REAL horse you love so much. 

Also consider microchipping and REGISTERING THE CHIP. That's a two step process that has to be completed to do your horse any good at all. We simply do not sell chips without a registry application-we consider it THAT important. When trying to prove ownership, you will need to either: 1. present the Certificate of Registration or 2. have the chip number verified online and traced back to you. Either way, if the chip isn't registered, there will be no proof of ownership. It really is that simple. 

Consider freeze branding as well. Why? Because a freeze brand makes your horse stand out in a sale pen  from the fence. When you have 5-10 horses milling about in a pen, they're all dirty, all are sorrels or chestnuts-it just isn't easy to pick ONE out. But if you can see that one has a brand from the fence, even if you can't make out exactly what it is, it could get that horse pulled out of the pen for a closer look and a chip scan.  Do everything you can to make your horse stand out in the crowd-and that includes paints, pintos, and appaloosas. After you've looked at several, the markings start looking the same to US. Can you imagine what it looks like to a NON-horse person?

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