The Best Line of Defense – Guard Against Horse Show Theft

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262 – November/December, 2014

By Delores Kuhlwein

“I felt so violated. All our saddles were gone as well as our hats that were pure beaver. They chucked the rest across the tack stall like it was garbage,” recalls horse trainer Carly Veldman-Parks of Colbert, Georgia. She vividly remembers the awful experience she and husband Wade Parks experienced two years ago at a major horse show when they lost all of their show saddles as well as some show clothing.

In 2013, trainers Craig and Joni Nelson of Long Grove, Iowa, were also the victims of theft. The thieves stole tack, equipment, and show clothing from the tack room of their horse trailer during a major event, to the tune of $80,000.

“We were done showing on Saturday, so I loaded up the horse trailer, got done around lunch time, took it to the hotel, and dropped it off,” explains Joni Nelson. “I went back to enjoy some of the show, got up early the next morning, and headed home, not realizing anything had happened. I got to Lincoln, Nebraska, where I stopped to drop off a customer. When I went to get her things out of the tack room, which is on the passenger side door, I looked back at the broken latch. I knew right then and there exactly what had happened.”

Even though Nelson’s experience happened outside the show grounds, it’s a chilling reminder of the growing string of thefts surrounding horse competitions. Stories abound on social media and in local and national news of tack, trailers, and clothing disappearing at the drop of a hat.

For a closely-knit community of exhibitors, who generally trusts and knows most everyone who comes and goes, a change in thinking or habits might be on the horizon. Theft happens quickly, still there are some common-sense methods of handling equipment and protecting personal belongings at shows that can be easily implemented.

Take Some Simple Preventative Measures

Nelson learned from her experience that thieves often work in packs and are watchful of the happenings at major horse shows. “They knew where everything was, because they didn’t break into our dressing room. They knew what to grab,” she says. Although Nelson knows every theft can’t be prevented, her barn has made a few basic changes in their habits.

“In our case, we have installed an alarm system on our trailer, which was purchased for us by a customer, and we often have a video surveillance system at our shows hooked up through Wi-Fi to our iPad. We bring our Australian Shepherd, who is a great watchdog, to keep in the tack stall as security. Also, we try to change up our combination on our stall padlocks now,” she explains.

Trainers and clients at Parks’ Show Horses are more conscious of the way they manage their show tack in particular. “I’m way more careful now,” Carly Parks says. “I will wait to get the show saddles out until the night before we’re showing, and the customers’ saddles stay at home if they’re not showing at that event.”

Check Your Insurance

“The biggest thing that we all need to do differently is to check our insurance,” Nelson says. “You need to know what’s covered on your insurance policy and add an umbrella or increase your insurance as necessary. We were lucky that our homeowner’s insurance covered our items and most of our customers’ insurance covered their items, but I know now it’s really important that you have the proper insurance and check your coverage.”

“I’ve been a lot more proactive about making sure our customers have their tack on file with their homeowner’s insurance,” agrees Parks.

Diane Paris of Markel Insurance explains the basics, since when it comes to tack coverage, it’s not offered as a separate policy. “Horse owners working with a trainer need to have their tack scheduled on their personal homeowner’s policy since trainers don’t have coverage for non-owned tack. Markel does offer coverage for tack when personal horse owners purchase a farm package policy. Trainers can also obtain tack coverage by purchasing a commercial package policy. Trainers should always remind their clients to review their personal farm or homeowner’s policies for tack coverage and make sure it is accurately scheduled.”

Get Busy Documenting

Keeping records on all equipment and items of value is highly recommended, and it’s sometimes required for items to be covered if the unthinkable happens.

For instance, Markel requires trainers to list all their tack on their farm or liability policy to ensure coverage.

Nelson agrees wholeheartedly and recommends going one step further. “Go through and video or take pictures of the serial numbers of your tack, including the reins, curb chains, and more,” she says. “It’s a ridiculous amount of money you have in that trailer or tack room. A video is easy and quick, and that way you have proof to help get it replaced.”

According to Bill Johnston, a Paint Horse owner who is a 21-year veteran officer of the Glendale, Arizona Police Department, keeping proper records, photos, and details of your property can make all the difference. “The important thing that helps law enforcement is any unique marks that are easily identifiable, such as a torn fender on a saddle. Specific photos of the items or video and an inventory list that you can keep in a safe is very helpful,” he says. “We also must have the make/maker (i.e. Blue Ribbon, Pessoa, Oster, etc.), model number, the serial number, and if the owner has applied their own owner-applied number, and where that is located.”

The good news is that an even larger source of protection exists through the National Crime Information Center (NCIC). The NCIC database is part of the FBI repository on files involving persons or property, and it’s commonly known as a way for law enforcement to track stolen guns, vehicles, electronics, and more that may make their way to places like pawn shops for resale.

“Any law enforcement agency has access to this database nationwide 24/7,” Johnston explains. In order to have a stolen item recorded into this database, the property value must exceed a $5,000 total. If the total value of a theft doesn’t meet the $5,000 total, but one single item has a value of $500 or more and it has a unique manufacturer-assigned serial number or an owner-applied number, it can be entered into the system.”

“The idea of an owner-applied number is to make a number as personal to you as possible and record it,” explains Cassie Gaarder, a Police Communications Specialist of 17 years for the City of Glendale, Arizona. “For example, I could do my initials and my date of birth, or you could use your house number and the first part of your name. I would suggest, if a person does an owner-applied number, definitely photograph it and describe where that number was put. Even a phone number can be used, because someone may recognize it as being a phone number and call it!”

Gaarder, also an American Paint Horse Association Amateur exhibitor, suggests stamping and engraving your own personalized owner-applied number directly on to tack and other items of value.

Take Advantage of the Latest Innovations

If exhibitors still wish to add another layer of protection, technology has provided more ways to monitor and protect valuable equipment. StallWatch’s Portable Video Surveillance System is an innovation beginning to make its way into horse show tack stalls across the country as a way to monitor equipment and foot traffic near stalls. “Having cameras on high profile horses and tack rooms is a great way to give you peace of mind when you can’t physically be there,” says Darla Duncan of StallWatch.

What makes StallWatch different than a typical wireless camera system is the fact that it doesn’t depend on Wi-Fi. Instead, it uses a wireless carrier to provide the feed, and the system can be moved anywhere in the United States. The company simply charges a monthly rental fee and they take care of all the technological details. Basically, all the subscriber has to do is set up the equipment at their current location. “We’ve made the system to be easy! We handle the Internet connection and any warranties on equipment, replacements, etc. We also don’t store any of the video on site, but rather everything is streamed and kept on our cloud-based servers. Thus, there is no point in stealing someone’s cameras because they can’t steal the video. We can also track and shut down any equipment that might be tampered with. Customers may subscribe to our all-inclusive service for as short a term as one month. The monthly rentals are great when someone might only need the cameras for a specific horse show, foaling mares, or watching injured horses,” Duncan explains.

Having a StallWatch system set up at a horse shows provides a side benefit too, according to Duncan. “We believe that having our signs on the stalls at horse shows alone is a deterrent. Having security cameras and letting people know they are in use will keep most trouble away. In the last four years, we have only had two customers robbed, and both times the thief was caught on camera.” More information about StallWatch can be found online at www.stallwatch.com.

If exhibitors prefer a more concrete method of protecting their possessions, SaddleLockers are another modern concept quickly gaining momentum. While the company offers a full line of lockers, the product line that’s been making a splash for events is the Mobile SaddleLockers. The solidly constructed lockers have movable bridle racks, adjustable shelves, saddle racks, and quality wheels for easy rolling, and they come in three sizes. The lockers are designed to be portable and roll over rough terrain, and they can be ordered in hunter green, blue, galvanized, or Baker Plaid. They also come with the option of custom-wrapping the locker door in barn colors and the barn logo.

Megan Herrmann of SaddleLockers describes this method of protection that has been popular in Europe for some time. “From a security standpoint, what makes the locker unique is the three-point locking system; it locks at the top of the door, the bottom of the door, and in the center where you put the key in. Customers get a set of four keys, and the keys are not the universal type you can order at a home improvement store. It deters theft because it’s difficult for thieves to get into.”

SaddleLockers also discourage theft due to their steel construction. “Each locker is designed with a gasket on the bottom to prevent water from leaking in, due to its mobile capacity for any terrain, and it has air ventilation while still providing ultimate protection,” Herrmann says. Side benefits include having your tack packed and set up when you arrive, just by rolling in the locker, because there’s a place for your saddle inside. Unlike a standard tack trunk, your saddle is safely secured along with your other equipment. More information and their event calendar can be found online at www.saddlelockers.com.

What to Do if the Worst Happens

Despite safeguards, if the unthinkable happens, all hope is not lost, if you act quickly. Officer Johnston advises victims to file a report as soon as possible. “Time is of the essence. Criminals are crafty, and when it comes to making a buck, they know that. Ideally, it’s helpful to have an officer come out, especially if they can get fingerprints. Some agencies will do reports over the phone. Each city has their own policies and procedures on how they handle burglaries and thefts.”

In addition, both Officer Johnston and Police Specialist Gaarder recommend using your newly acquired knowledge to follow up. “If the police report meets the qualifications as stated by the NCIC guidelines, the agency should follow protocol and enter the stolen items into the database. However, it doesn’t hurt to ask and do follow-up with the officer and/or detective that is assigned by asking something like, ‘were my items that met the requirements entered into the NCIC database?’ You are the victim, so the system should be working for you.”

Keep it in Perspective

Even though the thought of horse show theft might be scary, Parks has learned that all anyone can really do is change some habits, increase security, and move on. “If something does happen, life goes on, even though it doesn’t feel like it in that instant. I would just do the best you can to have everything insured and locked, because you can only do so much, and horse shows still have to be fun.”