Hot Saddle News

“Hot Saddle’ News”

Seen the latest stolen saddlery reports?

These are just a few. We’ve been looking through the media and the results are pretty frightening. We don’t know if these saddles had any indisputable identification, but we suspect not. If you have a livery stable or are fortunate enough to have your own stables you maybe should know…….

Sheepgate Equestrian was burgled at some point between 8.30pm on Saturday 10th September and 7am on Sunday 11th September.

Any information leading to the return of anything taken will be gratefully received. Please contact sarah@sheepgate.co.uk or 07768 156262.

Please be suspicious if you get offered any of the following items at a below value price.

An extensive amount of tack and rugs was taken including the following:-

1 brand new Amerigo Black Dressage saddle, new model with soft padding on the top, includes padded bright yellow saddle cover.
1 used Amerigo Black Dressage saddle
1 Ideal Black Dressage Saddle complete with ‘bling’ stirrups.
2 used Black Ideal Dressage Saddles
2 used Equinefit Black Dressage saddles
1 Black KN Dressage saddle with a distinctive crease and small tear in the seat.
1 GP Brown Leather and Synthetic Saddle Company Saddle
1 Native Company leather Brown working hunter saddle, 16”, quite distinctive as it has short saddle flaps.
5 Elevator (comfort headpiece) flash bridles with reins and bits
1 used Stubben bridle.
1 Leather lunge roller with recently replaced leather girth strap.
2 Black Amerigo leather girths.
4 Leather girths, 2 with coloured cable ties attached.
Ecogold grey numnah
Numnahs and rugs labelled with BELL.
Various brushing boots including Woof Wear and Westropp, over reach boots – all fairly new.
1 pair of used leather running reins
1 pair Ariat leather gaiters, fairly new.
In excess of 40 rugs including the following:-
Bucas Sunshower rugs in 6’9”, 6’6” and 6’3” – brand new still in carrying bags
Bucas Shamrock Power Cooler, 5’, 6’9”
Amigo Fly rugs 4’9”, 4’6”, 6’3”, 6’6”, 6’9”
Comfort Zone fly rugs 6’3” x 2
2 new fly rugs, Amigo 6’6”, Bucas 4’9”.

Various stable rugs, Mark Todd, Masta, Rhino,
2 red / orange check Fal heavyweight stable rugs with detachable neck
New Masta turnout and stable rugs.
Blue fleece rug with cutaway shoulders.
All recently cleaned – heavy weight rugs
Fal heavy weight check rugs, Masta turnout 6’9” blue, black Masta anti chew mesh covered rugs x 2, Mark Todd summer turnout and check rug, Equenox red stable rug.
Winergy navy edged in yellow summer sheets
Navy edged in red summer sheets
Mark Todd checked summer turnout.
Navy edged in red wool rugs, embroidered with ‘Team Sheepgate’
Green with cream piping and Equus Insurance Services Ltd.
A selection of riding hats, including one distinctive green skull cap type hat with shiny surface and one blue childs plastic coated hat.
Numerous white nu-med wool lined competition dressage squares,
Cream competition numnahs as above
Equinefit new white numnahs.
3 Ecogold white numnahs
White Eskadron exercise bandages in black Eskadron bandage bag
White riser pad and half pads
White stretch and flex used white brushing boots.
1 full set white Anky medicine type boots.
Numerous amount of spare tack and leather work
Liveryman Mustang green heavyweight clippers.
2 smaller sets of rechargeable clippers, one is purple and lightweight, the other is black with a charges that has a silver electrical box attached to it.
3 blue and green clipping overalls – I’d like to see someone make use of these as they have been used for many seasons clipping! They are embroidered with Sheepgate Equestrian
Box of various spurs
This is so far everything that we can recall.
If you get offered anything that is priced significantly below its value or you have suspicions that it may be from the above list I would be sincerely grateful for any information.
A reward is offered for any information leading to the return of any items.

Robbery between 6.30pm and 7.30am 25th November - Tack and rugs have been stolen from our trailer in Rottingdean
1 brown leather saddle.
1 new GP thorogood saddle with red fleece saddle cover
1 black GP leather saddle.
2 new cob size black bridles - snaffle bit and straight black rubber bit
3 old brown bridles - 1 happy mouth, 2 snaffle bits martigales etc
new blue travel boots in carry bag
3 hats
1 blue bag with 3 new rugs
1 blue 6' medium weight rug
first aid kit - no drugs
2 black leather headcollars, brass fittings and black lead ropes
I green stable rug with MATTY in green paint
There is probably other stuff missing as well. Makers details or identifying marks to follow

17^th November – List of saddles stolen from Wadswick Country Store, Sussex
                                                                                       Retail prices
Jaguar 17m Dressage saddle black                                            1,700
Jaguar 17.5 mw Dressage saddle black                                      1,700
Bates Dressage 17.5 W saddle black                                             950
Ideal Jessica (suede seat 17,5MW dressage                               1,040
Albion X country 18M x deep gusset                                          1,225
Albion X country 17.5MW Black                                                 1,225
Ideal Impala 17.5 MW brown                                                    1,100
Ideal Impala 17.5 MW Ranch (very unusual)                               1,100
Ideal Impala 17M brown                                                           1,100
3 x Thorowgood pony saddles                                                      325 each
2 second hand dressage saddles                                               1,200 approx?
At least four other second hand saddles – details to be confirmed Wednesday

Culworth, Northants. During the early hours of 06/11 an American Barn in the Culworth area was broken into and a quantity of specialist saddles were stolen. The saddles in total were worth approx £13,000 and were a mix of close contact XC, SJ and dressage saddles such as Buet, Vega, Albion, Amerigo Pinerolo and Bruno de Heusch.

Saddles Stolen Include:-
• Butet - Dark Brown - Cross Country saddle single flap with quilted design and leg blocks saddle marked "720" ;
• Vega Jumping saddle - close contact, brown with green piping around seat
• Bruno de Heuser close contact saddle
• Albion Black Contact Saddle
• Black Albion Dressage saddle
• Amerigo Pinerolo Brown Dressage Saddle
• 17 1/2 " Black Albion SL Dressage saddle
• Albion Brown Close Contact jumping saddle

Cowlinge, Suffolk. Date Between 18:00 and 22:45 on 09/11/10

20 saddles – some inscribed V Smith; Bridles; Horse rugs

Additional information During hours of darkness offenders have forced open the door to a tack room and taken horse riding equipment including saddles, bridles and rugs as above. No detail.

Theft – Tack - Everton, Hants. Crime Reference, JD/45425/2010 A burglary took place at a stable yard in Everton, overnight on the 30th to the 31st of October. 3 padlocks were removed from a tack room and the following property has been taken.

1 x Lovatt & Ricketts saddle; 1 x Falcon Event saddle; 3 x leather bridles; 10 x head-collars; 6 x lead ropes; 1 x lunge cavasson; 2 x lunge lines; 1 x breaking bridle

Balcombe, Sussex. THEFT OF TACK: Between 25 and 30 items of tack, valued between £15,000 and £20,000, were stolen from a stable in the Balcombe area between 11.30pm Saturday 30th and 07.30am Sunday 31st October. Thieves gained entry to a tack room by forcing a padlock and used a wheelbarrow to remove the items to an unknown vehicle. Some of the saddles were security marked by Sussex Police with a unique registration number between D0307 and D0328 (see below). These numbers along with the Sussex Police contact number can be found below the stirrup bar embossed in the leather. D0307 - Frank Bains / GP; D0315 - Ideal / GP; D0316 - Fieldhouse / GP; D0317 - Albion legend 5000 / GP; D0318 - WOW / Dressage; D0319 - Unknown / Dressage

NOTE**Sussex Police cannot ID mark synthetic saddles. If you have a synthetic saddle and want it indisputably ID marked then contact Chips4Tack who do have the equipment and expertise to undertake this simple, effective measure.

Holsworthy, Devon. 23rd Sept. 2 Albion saddles stolen from Leworthy Farm, Pyworthy. Only the 2 Black JUMPING 17 1/2 inch. no bridles, rugs or other saddles taken.

Master Saddler Michael Marren has had almost all his stock — £60,000 worth of saddles and bridles — stolen. Thieves hit the saddler's Cheshire home at around 10pm Saturday, 18 September. Saddlery stolen includes serial-numbered Stubben saddles and easily recognisable handmade bridles.

Yapton, West Sussex: Monday 13th September a door was removed from a tack room. Items stolen include a whittaker saddle and bridle, and a pair of brown leather boots.

Overnight 24/08 - Barn, Station Rd , Warboys, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire was broken into. stolen items:

1 x Saddle Company Black Leather Saddle

1 x Heather Moffat Treeless Saddle

1 pr Leather Riding Boots

1 x Racewear Black Back Protector

Schooling Whips

Lunging Equipment

Jackets & Gloves

1 x Horse Size Shires Exercise Sheet

2 x Riding Hats

Durley, Hants. 25th August. Between 11.30am & 7pm, at Durley, a tack store was burgled and 7 saddles, bridles and other items stolen.

Report - Huntingdon Area - Last night (25th August) our yard was broken into. Brand new Ifor silver Trailer and a load of tack stolen. Thieves broke through all padlocks and was a very professional job.

Overnight 22nd to 23rd August 2010 stables in Copsale Road, Maplehurst. Sussex were burgled by forcing the locks and a horse saddle has been stolen.

Storrington, Sussex. Between 23rd and 24th August farm premises in Hurston Lane had the tack room burgled and 4 saddles were stolen.

Chatham Kent area. 26th July 2010. Tack & Saddle Theft
Livery Stable break-in. 8 saddles stolen plus lots of other bits. Thieves entered over fields at the rear and used wheelbarrows to take the saddles etc back to their truck. At least one saddle was definitely ID marked with a microchip AND an engraved code on the stirrup bar.

Fleet, Hampshire. 13th August. Reported that some £3000 worth of tack has been taken. No makes reported

North Cadbury, Somerset. 12th August. A brown, leather, E Jefferies, Walsall saddle was stolen from a yard. The saddle has been marked with SD24 on the left stirrup bar by Avon and Somerset Police. Other stolen items but details yet to be confirmed.

Royton, Oldham. Tack & Saddle Theft - 19th February
Stable break-in; All saddles stolen - awaiting detail.

Several yards in the Chorleywood, Hertfordshire area were broken into on 19th November. NEARLY 100 SADDLES IN TOTAL GONE, ALSO, BRIDLES, ETC AND SOME TRAILERS AND VEHICLES.
A lot of the saddles are reported to have a unique ID mark under the pommel that can be seen by using a UV light. PADLOCKS AND CHAINS WERE BOLT CROPPED.

Thousands of pounds of riding equipment stolen during Hunts burglary
HORSE riding equipment worth several thousand pounds was stolen during a garage burglary in Great Gransden.
The break-in took place at a property in Meadow Road between 11am and 12.45pm on Saturday (November 7)
A large amount of riding equipment, including saddles and stirrups were taken during the theft. Some power tools were also stolen.
DC Sue Swales, who is investigating, appealed for anyone with information, particularly anyone who has been offered riding equipment for sale, to get in touch. INFORMATION: Anyone with information is asked to contact DC Swales on 0345 4564564

Oxfordshire area - 6th November
5 saddles, 6 bridles including inhand ones, 3/4 bags of horse food, my grooming kit, 3 headcollars and leadropes, a 2 stroke blue and black petrol generator.

North Yorkshire - 9th November
"We have cctv and padlocked gates.....these were taken off the hinges!"
Trailer gone (which was hitch and wheel locked), 17 saddles taken, rugs and stable equipment.......big job.

October 2009 - Surrey
Stolen from competition yard in Fernhurst, Surrey.
7 saddles - 2 butet / pessoa / john whittaker etc
Bridles (about 25 - show and work ones)

October 2009 from Peterborough, Cambs
Tack Room broken into by cropping bolt on door.
Various Saddles, Bridles and Bits Stolen

October 2009 Stable, Peterborough, Cambs
Tack Room broken into and Approx £4000 of Tack stolen

October 2009 from Cambridgeshire
Two outbuildings broken into and large amount of tack stolen - fence cut and wheel barrows used to removed equipment.
2 x Dressage Saddles - Unknown Make
Albion Dressage Saddle
Ideal Jessica Dressage Saddle
1 x GP Saddle
Albion O Dressage Saddle
3 x Jumping Saddles
1 x Passier Double Bridle
1 x Passier Bridle
Various Bridles and Show Bridles

August 09 – Lancashire
3 saddles stolen. Probably lifted over the walls from the tack rooms. “Including my 17inch, wide fitting Havana working hunter saddle” said the owner.

October 2009 - Leicestershire
Bridles and a saddle were stolen from East Carlton, nr Market Harborough, Leicestershire. "I was the only muppett to leave my saddle up there. Gutted" said the owner!

August 09 – Norfolk
A livery yard was broken into. Thieves cut through the main gate with cutting gear and smashed the lock off the tack room. They stole 2 trailers (one Ifor Williams, one Rice), a Suzuki quad bike, several bridles including two Stubben saddles, a Stubben Eidlewise, a Wintec Isobelle dressage saddle, several head-collars and breastplates/martingales
.(The owner) said: “We thought our yard was really safe but obviously not. These people will go to any extremes to get what they want.”

August 09- Hertfordshire

Another livery yard, this time near Watford had saddles and bridles stolen on 27^th Aug. They took a f/s Kieffer black bridle with drop noseband and martingale, a brown cob snaffle bridle, an EDI gp wide brown saddle and a Thorowgood black saddle plus of course the girths, stirrups, bits etc.