So what do we do when our horse comes up missing.
Panic, (no help!! ) Get mad,! (Some help, not productive.!! ) Start looking, great idea, old Dobben may have just taken a walk. When you finally figure old Dobben is missing, or worst stolen, the first thing you have to do is lets some folks know. If your at home, then the neighbors and the local police are the first on the list.. Same thing if your in camp The campers around you and some of the local folks who live close by should all be told. You will need some help to look and if someone else finds him/her walking down the street they will call the cops.
If you reach the worst end and think he/she has been stolen, now you panic.. just to help you over the next minute or two..All the things you have done already, the neighbors and police will give you a leg up on finding you horse.
So here is what you do next. Get on your PC and go
call 1 704 484 2165.
Here is a site that has helped countless folks get back with their love ones. Can you imagine, a national site for getting out the news. that YOUR horse is missing. With in minutes.. Here are somethings that this site can do for you. Once they receive a stolen horse report the will make a flyer, disperse information thoughout the Internet by way of the NetPosse volunteer group as well as offer much more information and support. Click on their site and pick up a list of things you will need to know and things to do....
Now we need to back up here and learn some good things to have on hand.. Kathy has made up a loose leaf binder with 8x10 clear covers, and in that book she has. Copies of all, the legal papers, bill of sale, inc. coggins, health papers, shot records and any thing else that has ever been done on each horse. we own ( this also includes our dogs, as they travel with us on the road.
The coggins paper should be clearly marked in the drawing area. If it is not very well done it could cause a later problem. You may have to prove this horse is your when you find him, The correct description on those papers may be just the thing you need. So just ask your vet to be a little fussy when he does the drawings... Kathy made a copy of the outline of the horse from her coggins papes, and then took a clipboard out the pasture and drew every mark she could fine on each horse to the copy she had made. This doubles up and in much more detail what the vet had done... The health papers ( some folks call them the 30 day ) may not help you right now but you will need them later when yout travel and this record book is put together , for at home or on the road.
We have 8 photos of each horse we own.. ( dogs too) Pasture photos ( no tack or glamour shots, just a plain horse , one of him'/her from all four directions, up as close as possible and still get all the horse in. Four summer photos and four winter photos. We all know they look differant during differant seasons... You may wish to take some close ups of any scars, swrills, color spots, every thing that would stand out and mabe even that one hidden scar that only you know about. We really think that as many photos possible is like money in the bank. Plus a good written description, You would be hard put to describe your horse from memory..
This written record should include, size, color, weight, and all those marks he/she has and just where to find them. You wonder why we photo and a written record.... You can see photos but not over the phone.. You need to be very sure you can tell some one else what to be looking for and the written record is just a very good memory jogger. You will have to make copies of these things for the police and who ever. at some time and you want them to have every tool you can hand them.. Now you can see the advantage of having a good record, for those road side, state to state checks, and, when they ask for your papers at the camp ground. Because these are all copies, we leave it right in the truck or trailer...
I can't say enough how important it is to go to the NetPosse website., they have all the instructions that will help you. and please sign up to be put on their lost horse newsletter. You may be just the person who helps the next person to get his horse back.
