Police Forces and Partners from across the United Kingdom, are working collaboratively to address issues around Equine related Crime, Road Safety and equine welfare.
The joint operation titled Operation Gallop, is a collaborative response as part of the Police led National Equine Crime Group, being led by Hampshire Constabulary.
As part of this scheme, Wiltshire Police, which covers a huge rural area, has been training officers to use tack stamping kits. The kits see an individual code put onto each saddle which can be registered with a national online database and help identify it if it is ever stolen.
Tack – bridles, saddles and other equipment for riding – is not cheap. The cost generally starts in the hundreds of pounds, even when bought second-hand, but can easily run into the thousands.
Replacing stolen items can be costly as often tack, especially saddles, are bespoke to fit each horse, and the cost to getting a replacement supplied and fitted could be considerable. Some tack these days is highly expensive even when just standard products, plus many often hold sentimental value.
Rein & Shine is one of the stables where police have tested out the new scheme. Jo McDonald owns Rein & Shine, a horse riding school and livery yard in Wiltshire, and said tack thefts nearby were “prolific”.
So far, the centre has avoided what Ms McDonald described as “prolific tack thefts” in the area – but it also has CCTV, locked double gates and an alarm system to alert police of an intruder.
Ms McDonald explained many cannot afford such high levels of security, and said many of the centre’s coaches have had their personal tack stolen at smaller yards.
While there are synthetic options for saddles, many are still made from leather meaning they can be marked as part of the new scheme, with stamps using individual metal letters to mark the saddle at its base, leaving a permanent imprint that cannot be removed.
Wiltshire Police said it had been “inundated” with requests for tack stamping since posting about it on social media. PC Mark Evans called it “extremely positive” and said they wanted to hear from more people.
“It’s good for us to meet people at the stables. A lot live in rural areas – it’s good to speak to people about concerns around safety and welfare,” he added.
Anyone can check the online registry, which means those buying a saddle second-hand with a stamp can see if it has been stolen.
Find out more about Operation Gallop in your area.