Rural Security

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Horse security

Not only are horses a loved and cherished pet, they are also a an expensive investment and a valuable asset to a business. Keeping your animals safe from harm is very important, as is keeping them safe from thieves. Horse insurance can give you some comfort, but there are some security precautions that can be made to protect your livestock.

Try to vary your routine in order that your movements are not predictable for a thief.

Try arriving and leaving at different times throughout the week if there is not always someone at the yard.

Keep photo's from both sides and a head shot and descriptions of your animals.

Horses can be freeze marked - a visible deterrent to thieves, making the horse instantly recognisable.

A microchip can be implanted under an animals skin. Giving the horse it's own identity number which can be read by a simple scanning device.

You can have your postcode branded into the horse's hooves.this does have it's disadvantages though, this must be repeated fairly often as the horse's feet grow.

All fields and hedges should be made as secure as they can be, padlocks and chains should be fitted to all gates, make sure your gates can't be lifted off their hinges in any way. If you leave your horses out in the field, consider leaving their headcollar off, doing this should at least deter or delay potential thieves or persons with intention of doing wrong.

Put up notices on the entry points to the yard and field gates stating horses and tack are marked and can be easily itentified, these can help as a visible deterrent.

Access should be as restricted as possible- make sure visitors report to reception when they arrive if possible and consider the option of visitors badges in an attempt to stop unidentified people roaming around the yard.

The yard itself can be made secure, with provision for suitable exit points in case of emergency preferably into fields adjoining the yard which should have secure fencing/hedging with padlocks on any exit points in the boundary.

Think about lighting your yard, it is useful for security and safety at night, movement activated lighting is cheaper on the electric and can alert you to any movement.

If you have expensive equipment at the yard, the best option for you may be closed circuit television. It is an excellent investment as it can be used to identify intruders, thives and can give vital information the the police in the aftermath of a crime.

Some of the above tips may not be applicable to you, but if you do as many as you can you are making hard for any potential criminals.



Agricultural Security, 109532

Landowners and farmers need to use vehicles and machinery to run their businesses, some of which are expensive purchases and valuable assets, the loss of such assets can be a huge loss for a rural location, especially those with livestock or buildings in remote locations, it is preferable but not always possible to properly secure animals in remote places, in these situations marking anuimals and property is essential. Animals can be marked by Freeze Marking, Microchipping, Ear Tagging and hoof branding all of which are available from commercial companies. Non organic property can also be marked with similar methods and new technologies are constantly hitting the market. Rural area are increasingly becoming the target for criminals as the towns and cities are beefing up security and because rural areas are more remote and often dark at night. Diesel, horse equipment, vehicles and livestock are regular targets for criminals.

For your safety you should keep detailed records of your property including written descriptions and photo's of your animals where possible from all sides in winter and summer, sometimes when this is not visable such as in herd or flocks, visible marking is a better deterrant.

Fuels thefts can be about more than just an economical loss, there can be spillages caused by less discerning criminals this can lead to environmental issues and costly clean up costs. There are some theft deterrents available for fuels such as cap covers and locks, diesil dyes, double-skinned tanks and there is always the option of CCTV cameras throughout your yard, which is often the most secure option but also fairly expensive to install.

Look out for scams, as a rule if something seems too good to be true it often is, there have been cons involving scammers renting outbuilding for short term lease, often at high rent values, paying 1 months rent in advance then disappearing leaving a barn full of dumped materials such as tyres which must then be disposed of in an environmentally friendly fashion.

It is however understandable that some farmers feel the need to diversify in ways such as caravan sites or storage units, these enterprises can be profitable but also encourage more comings and goings by previously unknown persons. In these circumstances is is essential to beef up security in such ways as previously mentioned CCTV options or electric gates at entrances.


There are also many types of wheel clamp, hitch locks, anchors, chains, padlocks, security posts, etc on the market all of which will also act as a deterrent.

The unfortunate truth is that some criminals often target previous crime scenes once insurance premiums have paid out and the stolen items have been replaced, this can have devastating effect on a business due to insurance ramifications and lack of proper operations in the business.
Whilst farmers cannot be expected to be vigilant 24 hours a day, it is possible, through sometimes simple precautions to protect property, valuables and machinery.