The British Horse Society is advising horse owners to be vigilant and take the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of their horses and equipment.

The BHS has received many reports over the last few days of stolen horses and people acting suspiciously around them. These incidents usually involve photographs being taken of horses in fields with unknown individuals showing a high level of interest in particular animals. While such activities in isolation may not appear suspicious, the descriptions of the vehicles and of the people involved are remarkably consistent.

Horse owners are advised to ensure their fields and property are secured to make the removal of horses as difficult as possible. Such precautions must be sensible and not put horses at risk in the event of fire. Tack and other equipment should be locked safely away and, where possible, kept at a separate location to the horses.

Horse owners are advised that it is a good idea to vary the times of their visits to their horse and to have an unpredictable routine. Where possible, owners should work together to keep an eye on one another’s horses and it may be useful to ask friendly local residents to join in.

Freeze-marking and microchipping are both excellent deterrents to horse theft although, as microchips are not externally visible, signs should be displayed to advertise that horses are microchipped. Tack and other equipment can also be chipped or marked to prove ownership.

The BHS advises anyone who observes suspicious activity around horses to note down as much detail as possible and report it to the police. Time, date, vehicle registration details and descriptions of any persons involved are particularly helpful.

5th Jun 2008

The search is on for the 2008 BHS Young Instructor of the Year. The competition is open to anyone who is 30 years of age or under on 1 January 2008, who holds a minimum of the BHS Preliminary Teaching Test and is actively involved in the equine industry.

The competition is split into ten regional qualifiers across the country. Each qualifier is used as a training day for selected applicants and allows them the opportunity to question, discuss and debate coaching and teaching skills with a Fellow of the BHS.

Contact the BHS Training Department for further details 01926 707820.

2nd Jun 2008

Congratulations to several riders from the East who made it into the top ten placings at the Winter Championships, held recently at Hartpury. It is an achievement to even reach the finals, so to get placed as well is pretty special! Well done to Aimee Witkin, Alison Berman, Margaret Phizacklea, Simon Laurens, Nick Burton, John Bowen and Bobby Hayler to mention a few. By the time you read this, we will have picked our teams for the Senior Inter Regional Team competition, being held at The College, Keysoe on the 24th and 25th May. This event looks like it is going to be very competitive as well as fun, with teams coming from all over England, Scotland and Wales. We have had a great response here in the East from riders wishing to be considered, and I will hopefully be able to give you great news next month all about our success.

If you are not aiming as high as the Winter or National Championships, there is still plenty for the majority of riders to get involved with. Besides the training for both BYRDS, riders under 25 and seniors for the team competitions, there is also the Pet Plan Area Festivals. These festivals become more and more popular every year and have a truly 'championship' feel, with high listed judges, music, flowers and mounted prizegiving's. To qualify, all you need to do to is compete at affiliated shows and score just 62% twice at one level from Preliminary to Elementary and 60% twice from Medium to Prix St Georges between 1 January and the closing date for entries for your area festival. Your score sheets are your proof of qualification. You need to send the original sheets, with the date and venue of the class written on them, to the show organiser of the area festival you would like to go to, together with your entry form. We have two Pet Plan Area Festivals in our region; one at Patchetts EC in Herts on 27/28 September and the other being run by Dressage East at Unex Towerlands in Essex on the 11/12 October.

2nd Jun 2008

Telford Police Plan Tack Theft Awareness Day Telford police have confirmed that plans are now almost complete for the Tack Theft Awareness Event that they will be holding in the early June.

The event will take place at Telford Saddlery and Equine Supplies in Long Lane on Saturday 7th June in an attempt to raise public awareness about a recent increase in the theft of horse equipment since the turn of the year. Telford's Safer & Stronger Communities Partnership is helping to sponsor this event and several anti-theft products will be available to view and purchase on the day. In fact, 50 'SelectaDNA' kits will be given away free to the public, while any additional kits sold on the day will be available at half the normal price. PC Fred Jones, Telford Police's Crime Risk Officer, said: "'SelectaDNA' is a revolutionary product that is one of the most secure forensic marking systems available today. It comes in liquid form as a safe, non-toxic water based adhesive with a unique forensic code. "Property can be marked with the liquid and it is virtually impossible to remove. Any traces of the liquid will then be shown up under an ultra-violet light and, because of the unique forensic code, the property can then be traced back to its rightful owner. Therefore, it goes without saying that this liquid can also link offenders to specific crimes too. "As well as SelectaDNA being on offer on the day, plenty of experts will also be on hand to share general crime prevention advice. Members of various local policing teams will be attending the event alongside myself and Telford police's Anti-Social Behaviour Officer Brad Milburn. "Members of Telford Police's Neighbourhood Watch and Rural Watch Schemes will also be attending to offer their input on crime prevention issues. "The event will run from 11am until 3pm and we would encourage as many people as possible to attend on the day. It will be a great opportunity for the public to learn how they can protect their property from potential offenders. "We have noticed an increasing trend in this type of burglary since the turn of the year and would like to make the public aware that they should to be on their guard. Facts to be aware of:

Between 1st January and March 31st, 32 tack thefts were reported across Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin. This compares to a total of 21 incidents between 1st April and December 31st last year and demonstrates a worrying growth in this type of offence.
More than £80,000 of equipment has been stolen across the two areas during the past 12 months and on only one occasion has equipment been recovered in relation to an offence. That is why we are so keen to warn the public to be vigilant about this type of theft.
With this in mind we would encourage people to take every precaution possible to protect against this type of crime.
As with any property, we would encourage people to always ensure that their property is secure when they leave it for any period of time and that they never leave doors or windows open or unlocked.
We would also like to warn people against buying riding equipment from someone they do not know or from anyone who is unable to prove where the equipment came from.
If anyone does become suspicious about someone who is offering to sell them riding tack, please contact the police so we can investigate whether the property is being sold legally.
Anyone who believes they may have information about any of the above incidents, or any other incidents of this nature, is asked to officers at West Mercia Constabulary on 08457 444 888.

Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be called anonymously on 0800 555 111. For more information about this event please feel free to contact Fred Jones on 08457 444 888, or Nicky on 07973 540 098.

2nd Jun 2008

OTECC - the Oliver Townend Eventers' Challenge Championship, is to run again this winter. There will be more venues, more dates and more competitors than last year.

Over 3,000 competitors took up the challenge last year and the organisers expect to double this number this year, ensuring that it remains the largest pre-Christmas indoor eventers' challenge. The OTECC is a winter indoor series of Eventers' Challenges aimed at riders from Pony Club to adult weekend and competitive riders. It comprises a mixture of show jumping and cross country fences. The winners of the regional events, which take place in September, October and November go forward to the final in December. There are different heights, 2'3"; 2'6", 2'6" to 2'9"; 2'9" to 3'; and 3' to 3'3" with each height having two classes, age restricted and open, except the 2'6" which is just age restricted. The OTECC has already attracted a number of equine related sponsors including Jump4joy (the jump manufacturing specialists) and Anivac, a horse grooming revolution. Redpin Publishing and all its associated equine titles are also sponsors of the OTECC and will be running regular updates on the event; plus winners will appear on the front cover of their regional magazine accompanied internally with a full profile and report on their championship win. Oliver Townend says: "The OTECC is an exciting indoor event which I am pleased to be part of. It is a great opportunity for all riders to experience the fun and exhilaration of both show jumping and cross country. "Some use the OTECC to hone their skills, others for introducing a new horse to event-style jumps and others for gaining experience on their trusted pony." More information and booking forms can be found by visiting www.otecc.co.uk or calling 07768 173108.

2nd Jun 2008

Richards Dunwoody is just one of many sporting celebrities who are helping to launch MySpine.org, a dedicated social networking site for people whose lives have been affected by spinal cord injury.

Dunwoody commented: "I have suffered, as have many close friends of mine, from varying forms of near miss spinal injuries and paralysis whilst riding. Anyone who is involved in riding should understand that it only takes one nasty fall for your life to be changed forever. A site such as MySpine.org can play a really important role in connecting people with spinal injuries. I am honoured to be supporting the launch of MySpine." The online community, can be found at www.myspine.org

21st May 2008