Horse theft has been an on going problem for centuries. In the UK last year the percentage of thefts rose by 20% compared to the previous year. In the USA the rates rise even more.

So how do you keep your equine friend safe? In this article there will be hints and tips regarding protecting your horse against theft.

When buying a horse ask to see it's passport. All horse's in England, Wales, Ireland and some parts of the USA must have a passport by law. This is similar to a car's paperwork. It contains past owners, markings of the horse and freezemark numbers. A stolen horse is unlikely to have one.

If your horse is not freeze marked (the white numbers on either the back or shoulder) then get this done straight away. This is a huge deterrent for thieves. The Thames Valley Police force suggest having a freeze mark done on the shoulder as it can be seen regardless whether the horse is wearing tack or not. They also suggest to have your horse micro-chipped.

The micro chip is inserted in the neck by a vet and contains a code along with the owners details. All vets check horses chip's every time they see them, so if a horse is stolen they will know straight away. Charles Harrison, a vet in Berkshire UK told AVH's newspaper team "The chip is worth the money and can also lower your insurance. The horse will still have to be freeze marked however to deter thieves in the first place."

There is a lot that can be done on your yard to help protect your four legged friend. Try and visit your horse at different times of the day so that if any one is watching they can not learn your routine.

If your horse is field kept then ensure you put chains around the gates and that the fencing can not be easily broken. Never turn your horse out in a head collar and make sure none are left near by.

If you keep your horse at a stable, then make sure that the yard is locked at night and that CTV cameras or at least dummy camera's are in the yard. Again do not keep a head collar on all night. A good tip is to make a sign to place on the door saying, THIS HORSE BITES/KICKS. A thief is more likely to leave a horse if they think it will cause problems later on.

If there are many horses on the yard it is worth getting together and buying a guard dog.

Hopefully these tips will prevent the worst happening. For all you readers though who do not own a horse but have one on here you can protect them from thieves also.

Never send your horse to another player for them to show train. This is the what the partner function is for. If you lose your horse this way a mod can not help you.

Be careful who you partner with, although we have a great community on here, there are people that will try and cause problems.

Lastly, when you finish visiting AVH, make sure you sign out properly. There have been quite a few siblings of players that have sabotaged accounts!!!

I would like to thank Charles Harrison and the Thames valley police force for their help with this article. Thank you all for reading and remember to keep your horse's hoof in check because you never know who else is.