Owners warned after £80,000 tack theft
A livery yard owner from Nottinghamshire is warning others to be vigilant after around £80,000 worth of tack was stolen from her property last week.
Rebekkah Hepburn, who runs an equestrian centre and livery yard near Newark, told H&H 37 saddles were taken in the early hours of Friday, 24 May, as well as brides and girths. A quad bike and ride-on lawn mower were also missing.
She discovered the theft when she went down to see the horses at 5.45am.
“I noticed one of the sheds was open when they are usually all padlocked up,” she said. “And when I went in it was all cleaned out. They had cut off padocks and broken doors.”
Rebekkah believes the thieves had planned the attack very carefully.
“Somebody had definitely come round before to do a recce,” she said. “This has been a huge lesson in what we should have done. We are now being extra vigliant and have installed further security measures such as a laser system across the gates that sounds an alarm if crossed in the night.”
She thinks the yard was burgled around 2.30am. “They used a stolen transit van to transport the stuff,” she said. “This was later dumped about 15miles away and there were stirrup leathers inside.”
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“I just want others to be careful,” she added. “And if anyone sees any tack for sale — on eBay, at carboots or at Appleby horse fair (6-12 June) — that’s going for cheap prices, to please let us know via www.professionalequineservice.co.uk.”
A spokesman for Nottinghamshire police told H&H the force was investigating.
“If anyone is offered any items for sale, or sees anything suspicious please contact us on 101,” she said.
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A graduate of Exeter University, Amy joined our news team from Redpin Publishing in 2008 as news writer. She was promoted to deputy news editor in May 2013 and became news editor in April 2015. She left Horse & Hound in March 2016 to take up an editorial position in Dubai.