I wasn't going to get on this evening, but something really strange happened sometime Friday night after dark. Earlier Friday eve, my daughter bathed my mom's horse, Sonny, along with Metawa and Emily to ready them for Saturday morning's parade.....all was fine at that time.

Come Saturday morning though, Sonny's tail hair was all but gone! We didn't have time to fully investigate at that time, but someone, during the night, cut his tail, not straight across like one might imagine, but clear up on his tail bone about 3".....all the way around, like a very short crew cut.....they did leave some wispy hair at the tailbone tip, which helped hide what had happened until further investigation that morning when we at first thought he caught it on something until we went to braid it for the parade.
At first, we thought maybe he caught it on something... .I walked the entire pasture today, checked the sheds, nothing..... I looked again, and it was very evenly done, all the way around the circumfrence of the lower 3" of his tailbone..hair there is about 1/8 of an inch long, perfectly cut.. like it was done with clippers, but I can't imagine not hearing clippers.... ..however, late Friday night, the dogs did some barking, Lorne went out to investigate but saw nothing, figured they'd seen a deer or something so ignored it after that....it was dark, except for our security light which only lights up a portion of the pasture.....
I don't know if I should file a report or not......Lorne says no unless it happens again to one of the other horses, but they'd never stand for it, except Emily, who has a broomtail already..... .Sonny's was thick and long and beautiful
I'd like to see them just TRY and do Oliver! I hope he kicks them to kingdom come!

Has anyone else ever experienced anything like this? It's to neat to have been done by a prankster kid. Maybe we're crazy, but Lorne wondered if it might've been stolen for braiding purposes. (like making bridles for sale, etc.)

About a month ago, I had to file a report when someone let my horses out.....it was no accident nor was it mischevious escaping horses.

Keep an eye on yours.......

A few years ago there was a rash of horse tail thefts. They're in demand for braiding into hat bands, bracelets and other horse hair items. We don't have as much of a problem in Texas as we are a strong 2nd Amendment state.

Unfortunately, there is a market for them I'm so very sorry it happend to you and Sonny. I WOULD file a report - better to have it on record in case they try somewhere else and are caught.

Oh my goodness I thought me and my husband were going crazy when we found a big perfectly cut wad off horse hair laying by a tree we had to check each horse until we found out who it came off some one cut it right out the center of his tail.Just the other day someone has been sneaking in our pasture fishing locking our horses out of the pond when we went to feed we opened the gate and all the horses ran into the pond we are very angry and wish we could catch whoever is messing around!!!

Thanks all. Poor Sonny, the flies won't leave him alone, it's as if they know he can't swish them now and are coming in like bombers

We're a 2nd ammendment state too.....and kiddybar the doors if they try to come back here again! I'm so mad I could spit railroad ties!

I'm guessing that since there is no slaughter market anymore to get those type of "items" from, people have resorted to stealing them??? I have never heard of such. People will do ANYTHING for a buck wont they?

Sonny's tail used to hang below his hocks, even with the top of his socks, full and pretty...now you can actually see his tailbone sticking ot from his tail, it is so short.
It had to have been cut sometime during the night on 8-3-07. This is my mom's horse, her baby, the one thing in her life that keeps her going since my dad passed away.....She is beside herself in grief and worry

I'd like to scalp who ever did this!

I wanted to let everyone know to keep an eye out and protect their own horses tails.

Well, I called the Sherriff out....turned out to be my old friend Cathy from waaayyy back ! She took a look, and agrees that it definately looks shaved....like a mans crew cut would look . She hasn't owned horses in a long time, but was very sympathetic. She is listing it as larceny, as well as abuse and geting Metro involved. There is no sign of his tail anywhere, we believe the chances are high that it was stolen for profit...she listed the loss at $600, but neither of us really have any clue at all what horse tail hair would market for...like for braiding horsehair bridles, etc. which we know the finished product can bring over $3000! If we catch the purp, she is going to throw the book at them for Sonny's suffering, the poor boy's legs are bloody from fly bites even after spraying him with fly spray he can't swish them away.

Be on the alert and keep a vigil eye on your own babies, it could be the start of a new crime spree.

Does anyone know what the value of horse tail is? Is she in the ballpark with the $600 figure, is it that way high, or to low? She wants to stay on the high end, but not be rediculous.
Thanks for any input.
Lona

In the real world bulk, raw uncleaned, not sorted to length just the way it would be as it was taken it is worth 25 cents a pound. Cleaned sorted sized and bundled ( a lot of work) it is worth $25 to 30.00 a pound. Even our precious and probably gone forever slaughter houses were shipping the manes and tails to Mogoloia for processing. Greg

What a crappy thing to have done to your moms horse!
However if I were there I'd go out and buy a really cheap long haired wig, cut a few hunks of "hair" off of it and sew, braid, or somehow stick it on your poor horses tail .
If all else failed I'd spend the bucks to buy a replacement horse tail in his color but I know they go for $80-120+ on e-bay!!!

Good luck !

Unbelievable. Im so sorry. Poor thing must be miserable with the flies. It takes so long to grow a nice tail and mane. Hopefully you can fashion something to help him out. I hope they catch whoever is responsible. Perhaps you could shave their head as punsihment.

O know that the show people buy tail additions but don't know where.

Try asking here.
http://www.horsegazette.com/class/phpBB2/

Just got on long enough to say....he is gone. I'm in total shock! He died very suddenly early this morning... no thrashing, no nothing.
I have to tell my mom, and don't know how, this will destroy her, he was her baby...she lived for that horse.
Metro has not decided yet if there was fowl play or not.
I'll be shutting down after I post this....it's time for some solitude, grieving, and deep thought.

That's a shame. He looked fit but ya just never know. Tell your Mother that a lot of us feel really bad for her.

I am so sorry for your loss. I hope that you find the answers to this heartbreak. My sincere condolences

I echo everyone's condolences for your terrible loss.

I want to thank everyone for their kind words and condolances. It means a lot! My mom was devistated by the news, her heart almost gave out, I almost lost her too and it was a very rough night, but the kindness and compassion of all our friends,both here and online, helped give her strength and comfort. Your kind words meant more then you can ever imagine! Thankyou just doesn't cover my gratitude.

Sonny is now buried next to mom's other late horse, Rusty. Wyoming's "One Call" was awesome in coming out at such short notice and checking for any buried cables or lines, we owe them our gratitude and recognition as well.

Our internet connection has been down for over a week (dial up) and we just got it back. I was so shocked that someone would do this to your mom's horse.

It may not be that they wanted the tail for braiding reins etc. but to suppliment a show horses tail. A friend paid $250.00 last year for an artifical tail for her show horse.

This really worries me for the two horses that are not kept close to our house, we have guard dogs for the barn lot and house area, but Angel and Jethro are a mile down the road at the work shop and I have to trim their tails once a month, because they drag the ground. This has given me something to think about.

Think about it even harder Graywolf....we were home when it happened, at night, in bed...I have 2 big dogs outside, but they were in a pen.
Sonny (who lost his tail) and Emily are the only 2 friendly and trusting enough to ANYONE to approach...Emily is a broomtail, I'm sure that is what saved her.....my mustangs only trust family, and friends and strangers as long as I am out there.
Here's an update...I was filling my mug at the truckstop yesturday and ran into some folks I know that live 10 miles from me further up the road in the country....their Palamino had it's tail stolen around the same time! And their neighbor's had 2 horse tails stolen..shaved just like Sonny's!!!! They found evidence that the perps even washed the Palamino's tail before taking it! Those horses, like Sonny, are extremely friendly...their other horses would've kicked, they weren't bothered.
Stay on the alert everyone, and help watch over your neighbors too.

What ya might consider doing is getting together with the other victims and offering a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction. I'll bet that you'll find that there have been other tail thefts too. If you each chip in $25 to $30 you'll either get a tip or scare off the scumbags.

Thanks Mike, we're on it.
We're also thinking it might have something to do with ppl from all over going to the Wyoming State Fair & rodeo in Douglas, WY. If not, the timing sure is coincidental.

My sympathies to your Mom, you and your family.

Good luck in finding the scum who did this and bring them to justice.

I have just read about the awful experience that you have been through and wanted to also offer my condolences. It is pitiful what some people will do for selfish motives. I can only hope that in some way, they will be repaid in kind.

Wow. How horrible! My condolences on your loss. Isn't it strange what people steal? In my area we have someone going around stealing Labs (dogs). (breaking into locked cars and yards for them. No one knows why or who yet, but I am sure they will be caught.) I hope they catch the little buggers who did that to your horse, and I like the idea of the officer using abuse as a charge when they do catch them.

A neighbor, who is a deputy sheriff no less, had his wife's two horses' tails cut off short one night by some scumbags. His squad car was even in the driveway, and the horses are in a fenced lot next to their house. Goes to show how low some folks will stoop.