My horse was stolen and sold

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

. Please look into your state laws. Find out what is really needed to protect your horses. I don’t wish the last 24 hours I’ve had on any one. I knew that Montana was a brand state. We need a brand inspection to cross every county line. Even if the horse isn’t branded they need the inspection. What I never realized was that I wasn’t protected in any shape or form of my ownership of my horse.

I

HOw frustrating and scary but makes you wonder if they dont keep any records nor legally care if the horse ISNT branded why on earth do we have to do a brand inspection on horses that dont have brands? I somehow thought that was some form of protection obviously it isnt

 

[just_4_kixx]

I'm hoping I can word this right. Please bear with me. I'm really tired.

If my neighbor has three non branded horses in their field. They have brand inspections on all three. I wait until they leave, load up two of them, haul them off to the sale. I can lie to the brand officers and say they are my horses, I raised them, and I can sell them. If my neighbors aren't there to say they are their horses, and don't have the brand inspections to prove it, the animals are sold. What happens is, like my mare, the "trainer" lied and said she had this horse dropped off in the middle of the night, and needed it gone. They believed her, she went in the sale. Because they can't take all the brand books, and a copy of all of our brand inspections with them to every sale, they can't and don't check the records. If the horse has a brand on it, the person bringing the horse to the sale is FORCED to prove ownership of that horse, because it is branded with someone elses brand. Even if I'm selling a horse I raised and it has my brand on it, I need to show proof of my brand, and any other paper work on the horse. What the brands do is put a kink in those who steal horses and resell them. If they can't prove they have paper work on that horse, with my brand, then they call the owner of the brand to see if you ever sold that horse or not. Will it totally put an end to horses being stolen, no, but it will slow down the process, and the odds of you getting your animal back are way higher.

I have a brand inspection on the mare that was sold yesterday. Didn't do me any good. She was still sold with out me knowing. Because I didn't have a brand on her. Brand horses are safer then non branded horses.

I hope this is easier to understand. I haven't gotten much sleep since she sold. I'm sure my wording was hard to understand. Sorry about that.

If you live in a non brand state, I would be really intersted in what your laws are to protect your horses. Please share with us what you can do to protect your animals.

Gina

 

[Westwood Farms]

Gina,

I am pleased to know you are getting her back. I was afraid to read your latest posts. What is her name anyway? We would love to have a name to call her by. It seems she is a Miracle horse.

Again, I will stress, TELL THE MEDIA!!! I had a lady on a local news crew tell me that if there is any place in question, the station will investigate them, and something will be done. They will not stand for cruelty around here. And maybe file a police report on them. You also might contact a reputable rescue and tell them about this place. They usally will do something, too.

Good luck, and please tell us her name, and get some rest for yourself

alicia

 

[Windstorm Minis]

Here in New Mexico it is a brand state. I can get a permanent brand inspection....a laminated card with any markings, brands, scars shown on a diagram, plus reg. number(s) and all that or you can get an inspection just for certain days....

In order to get ANY brand inspection papers you have to show Proof of ownership...reg. papers in your name and/or bill of sale & inspection papers if they come from another county or another state that is a brand state......I could not go over to my neighbors - grab a horse - and take it off to a sale and sell it....the brand inspectors at the sale would not let it go through as i would have no proof of ownership.

I'm wondering if it wasn't the brand inspectors at the sale that dropped the ball...just doesn't seem right. If the State is a brand inspection state...how did she get the horse into the sale with no proof of ownership and why did the inspectors let the horse stay...

I would look up your brand inspection laws and see if they did their jobs right......just my thoughts.

Here if you take a horse out of your county w/o the brand inspection it is a misdemeanor - if you take it out of state it is a felony.

 

[outlawridge]

Windstorm Minis,

My sentiments exactly. This is why I could not understand that Gina could not reclaim her horse without a long drawn out process and court proceedings. Gina, I totally agree with you and understand what you are trying to explain re: brand horses being safer than non-brand horses regardless of brand inspection papers. Of course, a visible brand on any horse is a deterant and makes them a bit harder to steal and sell (although I have heard of cases where the brand was slightly altered). My point is why would they not return the horse with permanent brand inspection papers, and why would they accept a horse into a sale without any form of proof of ownership? Here in WY, like in NM, you must prove your ownership and a copy is on file in the sale office before any horse is accepted at a sale.

Gina, I am so happy that your mare will be back home with you tomorrow, that is a blessing. However, I don't think you are being treated fairly if you have permanent inspection papers. Good luck with this mess, I really feel for you.

 

[HGFarm]

That is utterly ridiculous if you have to go through that on a horse. Horses here are not required to be branded and as long as you have proof, like a bill of sale, etc... that you own the horse (photos, witnesses, etc...) then they do not need to be branded. (Cattle here have to be)

 

[slaneyrose]

Gina, I am delighted to hear that you are getting her back. I had a mare that was extremely frightened of people when I got her but eventually she would let me do absolutely ANYTHING with her so I sold her to what I believed was a really kind and knowledgeable home, boy did I get that one wrong!!!! It took me over a year to get her back but i finally did because no one could catch her or handle her unless they were feeding her. From the day she came back to me she was almost back to what she was before and now is her old confident self again!! Never going anywhere again but wanted to share with you as I`m optomistic your mare will be the same when you get her back. I really hope so!! That poor little girl, what a nightmare!! I agree with the previous poster.....GO PUBLIC with this and do all you can to stop this awful woman ever doing this again!

 

[Devon]

WOW Thats not to Fun. I wonder if thats in play here in Ontario?

 

[okla-paints]

My heart breaks

I'm so sorry this happened.

I'm glad you are getting her back.

The poor girl, after you get her home time will heal her.

Bless yours and hers hearts.