I don't know anything about plaits in the marking of horses to be stolen, but I do know the difference between a plait and windtugs.
It's only a matter of weeks till Appleby fair. There are horses stolen every year at this time, and some of them will be sold at Appleby. Others may be destined for Ireland, perhaps to be sold at Ballinasloe later in the year.
It's coloured cobs I keep, so I am particularly careful about their security. Anyone trying to steal mine would have to pass my house to get to them, and the way the neighbours are fenced would make it extremely difficult to take them out any other way. However, I never say 'never'.
I've had travellers in my field (where I kept horses years ago) taking photos of my youngsters and, when challenged, they just walked away. I don't know what that was all about to this day. Several weeks later the tails were cut from three of my four horses. The police weren't interested. I moved my horses immediately. Within a week there were other horses in the vacated field.
Four are inside at the moment, for the first time in ten years, due to that awful storm of a few weeks ago. That worries me too. Although they are right next to the farm house of my landlord, they are all in one place and could be stolen easier, I think, than if they were out. My young colt is still out during the day and stabled next to the house at night.
It's grass sickness weather at the moment here, and I'm worried about putting them back out because of that too. I've already heard of two GS deaths near here in the past week.
Does anyone want to buy some horses?
