Preventing Horse Attacks

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The ILPH is appalled at assaults on horses.   The ILPH has even experienced a horrific attack first hand when Bountiful, a mare living at ILPH headquarters in Norfolk, was subjected to a knife assault. Luckily she survived the ordeal.

Unfortunately it is impossible to make premises completely secure, but ILPH Field Officer Jacko Jackson suggests some simple measures which can improve security for your horse.

• Look at where your horse lives. Examine the boundary - is it secure with solid fences and locked gates?
• Are there other owners in the vicinity - to create a Horse Watch Group?
• Can you carry out or improve on any of the above? At night can the horse be stabled? - the nearer to home the better.

If you have stables, for fire reasons it is not feasible to lock your horse in, so we must look at the perimeter. Lights, activated by passive infra-red sensors are a good investment. CCTV is becoming more and more cost effective. If your stables are close to home they can be monitored from the house, or you could install an old LP video recorder at the stables, set to run during the night. This will show you who has been into the yard overnight. This can be achieved for under £200.

If electricity is a problem, go to a car breakers and find an old battery, car horn, a door light switch and an old headlamp. Discreetly connect this up to the gates or even the stable or tack room doors, so that as soon as they are opened lights and noise are activated (remember to fit an isolation switch for the daytime).

It is also possible to modify a domestic alarm system for stable use, but it is important to use door contacts rather than sensors to avoid false alarms. Should your budget allow, you could consider Active Infra-red beams covering the approach to the stables; connected to a radio transmitter they can provide a silent alarm to your house.
Last, but not least, a dog may not be very high-tech, but Rover is still very effective.

The ILPH is currently offering a reward of £5,000 for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of any person or persons responsible for assaults on horses, and we appeal to anyone with any information to write to ILPH headquarters, marking the letter 'Horse Attacks'.

Please help us to stamp out this sickening crime.
Telephone the ILPH on 01953 498682 or e-mail LucyW@ilph.org

Cox the Saddler would like to thank the ILPH for this article.
The ILPH are available at www.ilph.org

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If you have any suggestions please email paul@saddler.co.uk with details.