Missing Horses
This page was created to assist in the recovery of lost or stolen horses,
and to help reunite former owners with beloved horses from their past.
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To find a lost or stolen horse is a heart-wrenching and difficult
experience. What happens to these horses and where and how far can
they go?
- Many of these horses go to auctions to be sold for slaughter.
- Horses stolen and recovered have been found in auctions and on farms
many states away. Not all stolen horses are sold for slaughter. Some are
bought at sales. Many of the horses are sold in the black market horse
business. People involved in this type of business know who their contacts
are and how to move a horse quickly and quietly. They have been known to
take pictures of horses in pastures and represent them as their own. When
they find an interested buyer, they steal the horse. Once the horse is
stolen it may be transported by trailer for great distances. The trailer
may be transferred to another truck so that the horse is never seen
until it reaches its destination.
- Many victims give up too soon. Horses have been recovered anywhere
from weeks to years following their disappearance. Most people are too
quick to assume they can't find their missing horse(s). Keep looking!
Being prepared for a theft and taking steps to minimize it and maximize
recovery will go a long way toward protecting your horse and getting it
back. Here are just a few things you can do:
- Identify your horse(s) with tatoos or freeze-branding.
- Take color photos of your horse.
- Keep all records pertaining to your horse.
- Know what auctions operate within a 500-600 mile radius of your area.
- Locate how-to publications on recovering stolen horses.
- Post no-trespassing and warning signs.
- If you keep your horses out at night, wrap padlocked chains around
both ends of your gate, install a motion-detector security light, move
your trailer out of the immediate area and keep it locked!
- Observe the movements and behaviors of unfamiliar people. If they
seem suspicious, report their actions to law enforcement authorities.
Here are some things you can do if your horse is stolen or lost:
- File a report with the local police, then contact the local Dept. of
Agriculture's Equine Section. The Dept. of Ag. can notify equine livestock
inspectors, auction markets, slaughter establishments, bordering states, and
the USDA office for your state. You need to have a complete description of
your horse, with age, sex, height, color, markings, tattoos, brands, scars,
injuries, and other identifiable traits or marks.
- File a report with
Stolen Horse International.
This free service will help you create an online flyer, and notify
Netposse members worldwide.
Click above link to go there.
- Send at least eight (8) photographs to the state Dept. of Ag. so that
equine inspectors can use the pictures to aid in recovery. Photos should be
recent and clearly show color and markings.
- Contact or visit equine auction and slaughter establishments. While
the Dept. of Ag. can notify the establishments, they can't force them to
look for your horse. You can also send photos directly to the facilities.
Your state Dept of Ag should have a list of all these facilities.
See the Equine Identification & Horse Theft Prevention links below for
more.