(Editor’s Note: This is an excerpt from the Horse Theft Prevention Handbook.)

Horse theft is a reality. Regardless of breed or discipline, it can happen to you. Anyone who has ever had a horse stolen can relate to the emotional and financial strain involved in the search. What you do in the first 24 hours after the incident is crucial. Delaying action can cost research time, money, and possibly the life of your horse.

Horse theft is almost always driven by the need for cash. Very seldom does it occur as a random act or for political retribution. The crime is easy due to little, if any, horse inspection at the equine abbatoirs (slaughter houses) and a criminal justice system that seems to support nominal punishment for this type of offense.

At present, there is no uniform crime-reporting category for this type of offense. Sheriff’s department investigators say the number of horse thefts appears to be constant, with most thefts taking place in areas with large concentrations of horses and in states without horse inspection programs. Investigators report that thefts occur both day and night, and that women increasingly are involved. The breeds reported stolen most are Quarter Horse, Quarter Horse-Thoroughbred mix, Thoroughbred, Appaloosa, and other generic breeds and grades. Ninety percent of stolen horses are bays and sorrels. Eight percent are solid black, white, or gray, with very few white marks. Most stolen horses have no form of identification