Finding stolen horses by text
Farmkey, the equine freeze-marking company, is hoping to reunite owners with their missing horses through a new service, which utilises mobile SMS (text) technology.
Owners of stolen horses can quickly inform thousands of people throughout the country of their missing horse’s details thanks to the “Loc8” scheme.
Loc8 sends a text message to the mobile phones of other horse owners and organisations such as Horsewatch groups, Police, auctions, ports and Farmkey field-based employees, who may be able to help provide information on the whereabouts of stolen animals.
Peter Mills of Farmkey says: “Loc8 is a new innovation that can help us to communicate information on stolen horses and ponies very quickly.
“The message spreads effectively and can bring an instant response. A brief description of the stolen animal is included in the text, plus details about where the horse was taken from and when.”
The scheme is available to Farmkey members as part of the membership package, which costs from £12.95 per year, although non-members can also use the service for a one-off charge by contacting the Farmkey office (tel: 0870 870 7107).
Peter says: “Everybody seems to use mobile phones and text messaging now. Harnessing this technology in Loc8 means Farmkey members are being provided with even more peace of mind.”
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Anna Brown of the Stolen Horse Register, an online database of missing horses around the country, regularly receives the Loc8 messages on her mobile and believes the scheme is a great idea.
“The more people who know a horse is missing, the better. Texting is a quick way of spreading the word and helps reunite owners and stolen horses as quickly as possible,” says Anna.
For more information about Loc8 contact (tel: 0870 870 7107).
Visit www.stolenhorseregister.com for information about horses which are currently missing.
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Carol is an experienced journalist and editor, who is also a passionate amateur rider and dedicated horse owner, having ridden since childhood. She has a particular interest in the emotional well-being and ethical training of horses, alongside veterinary matters, having garnered extensive first-hand experience of numerous equine health conditions through more than 30 years of horse ownership.