Self care board and theft

[LCDR]

A motion-sensing motorized snake cat toy coiled up inside the bin might cause enough of a fright to deter future visits.

[Alterwho]

@LCDR

A motion-sensing motorized snake cat toy coiled up inside the bin might cause enough of a fright to deter future visits.

I’m picturing a giant version of those old, fake spring snakes-in-a-peanut-brittle-can trick/joke. That would be hilarious to see

[jvanrens]

I was picturing the same thing! Almost choked on my drink.

ETA there would definitely need to be a camera involved!

[eightpondfarm]

Ya never know…the worst they could do is say no.

[Zevida]

Oh man I bought one a year and a half ago and they still had the handle on the lid. What a bummer they’ve changed it!

[TheJenners]

@BlueDrifter

Game or trail cameras are cheap. Less than $100. Just having one pointed at your stuff might be deterrent enough.

Me being me, I’d say one visible as the “deterrent” and one not so visible as the backup in case someone throws their jacket or whatever over the visible camera. If the first one works, awesome, nothing else needs to be done. If it doesn’t, you have proof on the second one that this is a determined little thief.

@Djones

If you KNOW who is doing it, ask them. “hey, I saw you borrowed X amount of hay. What’s your plan to replace that?” If they deny doing it, fine, just reply with 'there’s maybe a misunderstanding somewhere then. Either way, I bought this hay to get me through the winter and that’s what it’s going to do. I will have to think further about how to handle this". so you aren’t backing off, rather you’ve sent a clear message that you know. And that may stop it.

This is my actual recommendation tho. I’m not afraid to be direct, since it’s my pocket book and horses being directly affected.

[OnAMission]

I’m with Djones too, be direct! Sneaky people rely on others being unwilling to speak up. This feels like a “be nice” pressure when really you don’t have to be. I’d be locking that stuff up and telling all around that “something” is getting into my stuff and I can’t afford it, this is Stage 1.

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

It wasn’t clear in the OP’s original post, though, if she knew who was doing it, only she saw a steady trickle of skimming off. Or even if multiple people were doing it. Otherwise, I would be all for direct confrontation.

I still say at least locking the grain up. In my experience, honest people are never bothered by locks, it’s only dishonest people who get huffy, “who does she think I am, I just take a teeny bit, barely a handful.”

[furlong47]

@OnAMission

I’d be locking that stuff up and telling all around that “something” is getting into my stuff and I can’t afford it, this is Stage 1.

My first step might be putting up some kind of sign. Something like “Privately owned feed/hay, please do not use” In my experience, this is often enough to stop things. It takes away any confusion about what may or may not be used. A lot of people will only take as long as they think it’s not being noticed, and this lets them know you are onto it. It might also guilt the type who think they are just borrowing a bit but keep doing it and then never replace it. If the theft continues after that, you can also feel less strange about confronting the thief because they absolutely know they are in the wrong and are still taking.

[clanter]

@furlong47

My first step might be putting up some kind of sign

caution electric fence charger is attached to metal trash can, touch at your onw risk

[Willesdon]

I’m a tough old bag with a great line in looking really scary and I’m old enough not to really care what some random person thinks of me. If a new boarder was (definitely) stealing my horse feed I likely would walk up to said new boarder with my wheelbarrow and help myself to an equal amount of their horse feed and hay and, if challenged, smile sweetly and explain I need back what they had previously “borrowed” from me - as of course I’m absolutely certain they could not have been deliberately stealing my stuff. Then one of my medusa glares should finish my point. Don’t mess with me, sistah.

[trubandloki]

The OP does not know how is taking their stuff because there is no proof of who is taking their stuff. They can assume, but until one takes back their stuff that way, they need to know who it is, not guess who it is.

[Scribbler]

@trubandloki

The OP does not know how is taking their stuff because there is no proof of who is taking their stuff. They can assume, but until one takes back their stuff that way, they need to know who it is, not guess who it is.

Yeah you can’t be confrontational if there’s a chance you are wrong. Then you become the asshole big-time.

I would secure and lock the grain if possible. No one will notice except the thief. Maybe tuck the tarp all around the bales and keep the current open one in a locked hay bag. You can do all this in a way that’s not a super obvious statement to the world. I also like the idea of a motion sensor alarm but that’s maybe me being mischievous.

I would also lock down all your gear because they might be generally light fingered

[Nancy2]

Maybe a game camera that is motion sensored and lay it in your grain bin. Takes a picture of the thief opening your grain.

[FormalAlter1]

Thanks for all the replies! Definitely will be trying some and keeping others in mind. Would so love to try the refrigerator alarm but I’d probably forget and set it off myself at 6 am! Although I am not going to confront anyone at this point, it is pretty clear who it is as the rest of us have been there over 10 years with nothing missing. The new border also lives there so she is there at times no one else is. I’ve walked into a pitch black barn a couple of mornings and she comes quickly out of the loft or the feed room. She said she didn’t want to wake up the horses…it is a little suspicious. When she first moved in she was taking it upon herself to handle everyone’s horses as she saw fit. I told her that wasn’t how it worked there and ended up in a huge argument with her. Now anything I say to her turns into a confrontation unless i just agree with her and go about my business.

[Scribbler]

@FormalAlter1

Thanks for all the replies! Definitely will be trying some and keeping others in mind. Would so love to try the refrigerator alarm but I’d probably forget and set it off myself at 6 am! Although I am not going to confront anyone at this point, it is pretty clear who it is as the rest of us have been there over 10 years with nothing missing. The new border also lives there so she is there at times no one else is. I’ve walked into a pitch black barn a couple of mornings and she comes quickly out of the loft or the feed room. She said she didn’t want to wake up the horses…it is a little suspicious. When she first moved in she was taking it upon herself to handle everyone’s horses as she saw fit. I told her that wasn’t how it worked there and ended up in a huge argument with her. Now anything I say to her turns into a confrontation unless i just agree with her and go about my business.

Oh.oh.oh. you have 5 kinds of cray cray in one giant package, a live-in boarder with no boundaries who thinks she’s Barn Manager. This is going to end very badly. Stealing hay is the least of your worries

[Tarlo_Farm]

What she said. ^^^

[blue_heron]

How many people are at this barn? If I suspected someone was taking/using my stuff, I might just go around and mention to everyone that I’d noticed some of my stuff had gone missing. Don’t confront one person but hint to every person there that you’re at least aware of it. Don’t name names. Usually that’s enough to stop people who take a few flakes of hay thinking you won’t notice.

[Scribbler]

@blue_heron

How many people are at this barn? If I suspected someone was taking/using my stuff, I might just go around and mention to everyone that I’d noticed some of my stuff had gone missing. Don’t confront one person but hint to every person there that you’re at least aware of it. Don’t name names. Usually that’s enough to stop people who take a few flakes of hay thinking you won’t notice.

I think OP just told us this person is craycray and now I wonder if person is stealing deliberately from the OP because they had an argument about craycray handling other people’s horses

Lock up your feed. This person is trouble. Then be prepared to find other stuff tampered with. Person may target OP and make OP look like the problem. Once OP is run off the property and person starts harassing other boarders then they will see who the problem was, but too late for OP.

Lock you gear then put up a discrete trail cam to get photos of person interfering with your feed. Then go to barn owner and report all the problems to date. Just say you want to get this on record in case it escalates. Because it will.

[luvmyhackney]

@FormalAlter1

. The new border also lives there so she is there at times no one else is. I’ve walked into a pitch black barn a couple of mornings and she comes quickly out of the loft or the feed room. She said she didn’t want to wake up the horses…it is a little suspicious.

She’s sounds a bit interesting. I’d lock up my stuff up yesterday and buy and install a camera as a gift to the barn.

Then consider moving if the owner doesn’t do anything about it.