A police force is starting a scheme to help combat the theft of horse tack – mostly saddles for riding – which can be worth thousands of pounds.
Wiltshire Police, which covers a huge rural area, has been training officers to use tack stamping kits for Operation Gallop, which will launch on 28 April.
The kits see an individual code put onto each saddle which can be registered with a national online database and help identify it if it is ever stolen.
Jo McDonald owns Rein & Shine, a horse riding school in Wiltshire, and said tack thefts nearby were "prolific".
Tack – bridles, saddles and other equipment for riding – is not cheap. The cost generally starts in the hundreds of pounds, even when bought second-hand, but can easily run into the thousands.
It is also not easy to replace because each horse would usually have its own individual saddle, which has to be either made to its shape or checked to ensure it fits.
"If our tack is stolen, that horse cannot be used, he cannot do his job, he cannot be exercised," Ms McDonald explained.
"In some cases, horses need to be exercised for health.
"It's a business failure if a place loses it's tack."
