Bizarre horse incidents baffle police

Police believe that thieves may be braiding manes to help them identify those horses they can steal when they return at night.

But their investigations are also taking them into the world of paganism, with reports that the practice of braiding manes forms part of a white witch ritual.

Now, police and animal health experts are urging horse owners to sign up to Horsewatch, a scheme launched recently in Fife to help keep equestrian crime at bay.

It's already paying off as, within 24 hours of a recent TV report of a horse attack in Fife, 50 owners joined the scheme.

Inglis Veterinary Hospital, a 24-hour practice in Dunfermline, has also responded to these concerns by launching a special microchipping initiative which would help to identify stolen horses.

And Horsewatch co-ordinator PC Ian Laing urged the area's equine community to sign up to the crime-busting scheme before it's too late.

Inglis client Sam Condie (31), who lives in Kelty and who keeps three horses in the area, called the vets' practice to report that her new pony, Sugar, which she had bought for her six-year-old daughter, had its mane mysteriously braided.

Since then, the same thing has happened to the same horse on no fewer than four occasions within a 16-day period.

"I am really worried about it," said Sam. "I've no idea why this is being done to Sugar though I've heard all the theories." Within hours of the first incident, Inglis' equine vet, Anne Logan, had Sugar microchipped and Sam urged other owners to do likewise.

"If a horse is stolen it is the one sure way by which it can be identified," she said.

"Hopefully, that will put thieves off. And I would urge anyone who finds a plait in their horse's mane to get the animal microchipped." Sam explained that the first plaiting incident, in which just three inches of Sugar's long main was braided, took place when the pony was in a field with her two other horses.

Since then, Sugar has been moved to a more secure place but even that has failed to thwart the culprits.

As well as getting Sugar microchipped, Sam has had padlocks, surveillance cameras and floodlighting installed.

She added, "What I am particularly anxious about is that I have no idea how Sugar was being treated while this was being done.

"Were they gentle or rough with her? Did they feed her to win her over? I just don't know.

"However, Sugar is a very attractive pony. She's small, cute and pure white and I think that's why these people keep coming back to her." PC Laing admitted that he couldn't say for sure why a growing number of horses in Fife were mysteriously getting their manes braided and said both the intended theft and paganism theories were being considered.

That was certainly the case in Dorset a few months ago, where police investigated a rash of such incidents.

They originally believed that would-be thieves were plaiting mains so that they could more easily pick out their targeted horses when they returned to steal them under the cover of darkness.

However, with no actual thefts having taken place �- there have been no reported horse thefts in Fife either - police turned their inquiries to reports that plaiting was part of a white magic ritual used when casting spells.

PC Laing said, "We have had four incidents in 10 days involving people deliberately leaving field gates open, obviously hoping that horses get out.

"I am not convinced this is simply the work of vandals. It may be that something even more sinister is going on here.

"Whatever the reason is, microchipping horses would definitely help." Debbie Miller, deputy head veterinary nurse at Inglis Veterinary Hospital said, "I would encourage all horse owners to join Horsewatch and all our clients who own horses to contact us on 722818 about our new microchipping service." Police ask that anyone with information about mane plaiting incidents in Fife contact them on 0845 600 5702.

For information about Horsewatch, check out the Horsewatch Scotland website.