Published: Thursday, 13th May, 2010 6:55am
Bizarre horse incidents baffle police
Comments (11) | 
Print | 
Email
WHITE witches or would-be thieves may be behind a spate of bizarre incidents in West Fife in which horses have had their manes plaited.
Police believe that thieves may be braiding manes to help them identify those horses they can steal when they return at night.
But their investigations are also taking them into the world of paganism, with reports that the practice of braiding manes forms part of a white witch ritual.
Now, police and animal health experts are urging horse owners to sign up to Horsewatch, a scheme launched recently in Fife to help keep equestrian crime at bay.
It's already paying off as, within 24 hours of a recent TV report of a horse attack in Fife, 50 owners joined the scheme.
Inglis Veterinary Hospital, a 24-hour practice in Dunfermline, has also responded to these concerns by launching a special microchipping initiative which would help to identify stolen horses.
And Horsewatch co-ordinator PC Ian Laing urged the area's equine community to sign up to the crime-busting scheme before it's too late.
Inglis client Sam Condie (31), who lives in Kelty and who keeps three horses in the area, called the vets' practice to report that her new pony, Sugar, which she had bought for her six-year-old daughter, had its mane mysteriously braided.
Since then, the same thing has happened to the same horse on no fewer than four occasions within a 16-day period.
"I am really worried about it," said Sam. "I've no idea why this is being done to Sugar though I've heard all the theories."
Within hours of the first incident, Inglis' equine vet, Anne Logan, had Sugar microchipped and Sam urged other owners to do likewise.
"If a horse is stolen it is the one sure way by which it can be identified," she said.
"Hopefully, that will put thieves off. And I would urge anyone who finds a plait in their horse's mane to get the animal microchipped."
Sam explained that the first plaiting incident, in which just three inches of Sugar's long main was braided, took place when the pony was in a field with her two other horses.
Since then, Sugar has been moved to a more secure place but even that has failed to thwart the culprits.
As well as getting Sugar microchipped, Sam has had padlocks, surveillance cameras and floodlighting installed.
She added, "What I am particularly anxious about is that I have no idea how Sugar was being treated while this was being done.
"Were they gentle or rough with her? Did they feed her to win her over? I just don't know.
"However, Sugar is a very attractive pony. She's small, cute and pure white and I think that's why these people keep coming back to her."
PC Laing admitted that he couldn't say for sure why a growing number of horses in Fife were mysteriously getting their manes braided and said both the intended theft and paganism theories were being considered.
That was certainly the case in Dorset a few months ago, where police investigated a rash of such incidents.
They originally believed that would-be thieves were plaiting mains so that they could more easily pick out their targeted horses when they returned to steal them under the cover of darkness.
However, with no actual thefts having taken place - there have been no reported horse thefts in Fife either - police turned their inquiries to reports that plaiting was part of a white magic ritual used when casting spells.
PC Laing said, "We have had four incidents in 10 days involving people deliberately leaving field gates open, obviously hoping that horses get out.
"I am not convinced this is simply the work of vandals. It may be that something even more sinister is going on here.
"Whatever the reason is, microchipping horses would definitely help."
Debbie Miller, deputy head veterinary nurse at Inglis Veterinary Hospital said, "I would encourage all horse owners to join Horsewatch and all our clients who own horses to contact us on 722818 about our new microchipping service."
Police ask that anyone with information about mane plaiting incidents in Fife contact them on 0845 600 5702.
For information about Horsewatch, check out the Horsewatch Scotland website.
Have your say. .
-
Melony
Unregistered User
May 13, 14:00
Comment: 11107
Please don't point fingers till you have proof. All of us Pagans think that this is a load of hog-wash. Not a one of us knows anything about horsehair plaiting, we don't use that sort of nonsense in our rights and rituals. So its got to be a prank by someone. This is a bizzare incident, but pointing fingers at a group that is a different religion is not the answer to the problem.
Report this comment
-
Christopher Blackwell
Unregistered User
May 13, 15:40
Comment: 11109
There are no Pagan religions that would do this, so why try to blame it on Pagans? Most of these horses don't seem to be hurt, are not stolen so why not just admit that no one has a clue as to why it is happening and leave it at that, the simple truth instead of all of this sensationalism?
Report this comment
-
Danielle
Unregistered User
May 13, 19:29
Comment: 11116
Why do the Pagans always get blamed for unexplainable events? That is rediculous, we don't go galivanting around at night mysteriously braiding horse's manes. It's so obvious the author of this story is making things up when the term "white witch cult" is used. In reality, there are no "white and dark" witches, there are only witches. We do not go around battling each other over the forces of good and evil. You have been watching too much TV!!! The next time you can't explain something, point fingers elsewhere!
Report this comment
-
Christine
Unregistered User
May 13, 21:03
Comment: 11123
Oh my... my horse's mane is braided. There's cause for panic! Please.... No horses were stolen or harmed until they started shoving microchips into their neck! And I did notice that they left that fact out until the end of the article. And to blame it on witches with no proof is ludicrous and to be afraid of white witches which honor nature and her creatures is even more insane. More than likely it's just horse crazy kids. Then again, I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't hoax started by somebody profiting from the microchipping. Why not just put the horses up for the night if they're worried? Speaking as a horse owner myself, white witches are welcomed to braid my horses' manes anytime. It'll help keep them from getting dreadlocks from all the wind we get.
Report this comment
-
Maria
Unregistered User
May 13, 22:14
Comment: 11125
Why do people automatically blame pagans for something they don't understand? If I had a horse and randomly found it's mane to be braided, I would say "Oh, that's sweet. I wonder who did that." I wouldn't scream "Thieves! Murderers! AAAH! Quick, microchip the horses!" I also agree, i've yet to come across something that directs me to braid some random horse's mane. Why go so far as to put up video cameras? It happened once, and the horse was fine. It happened again, and people freak out- But still, the horse is fine. Nothing negative happened, so why such a strong reaction?
Report this comment
-
KarenAScofield
Unregistered User
May 14, 00:18
Comment: 11126
There have been numerous articles describing numerous horse plaiting incidents in the UK repeatedly full of suppositions that these acts could be done by members of minority religious practices (witches) or thieves.
This is so despite the fact that we're not seeing articles reporting any actual stolen horses in connection to these incidents.
This is so despite the fact that there is zero (zilch, zip, nadda, 0) actual evidence that these incidents are done by Pagans or witches of any kind.
And yet the articles persist in mentioning thieves and witches or Pagans in the same bit. Together! Over and over again. Tirelessly. Because it***illates and***illation sells.
I wouldn't call this fine journalism. I wouldn't even call what I'm witnessing journalism. I'm sorry, but the coverage of these incidents is overall dreadfully lacking, creedist, and based on persistent purposeful ignorance that's even more bizarre than the incidents in question.
Purposeful ignorance is also known as "a poor faith decision," and the pun unfortunately fits.
Not good form, English journalists. Not good form. Now, how about some honest quality reporting?
Report this comment
-
Dana Corby
Unregistered User
May 14, 02:22
Comment: 11128
I have been a Witch for 40 years. In that time, I have never encountered a single Witches' ritual, spell, cantrip, chant, or even bit of old lore having anything to do with braiding/plaiting horses' manes. The only Pagan society having any relationship to horses is the Horseman's Word, and they don't abuse horses -- on the contrary, they were the first to advocate the kind treatment of them. Even the old folk-belief about the fairies riding your horses at night says that the indicators are *tangled* manes, not braided ones, and in the morning the horse will be in a lather. None of the horses whose manes have been braided in the last couple of years were in any way upset, much less lathered.
I'd look to the people who made crop circles until that got old, not to either Witches or -- as no horse has been stolen -- thieves. But then, the British press are known more for their complete lack of anything resembling common sense than for responsible journalism.
Report this comment
-
megger
Unregistered User
May 14, 03:54
Comment: 11129
How about a nice conspiracy theory....
What if the person(s) doing the braiding, and the person(s)calling in to report that the braids are part of a witchcraft ritual, are one in the same? And what if that person is NOT. in fact, a witch, but a person intent on creating fear and suspicion about witches and witchcraft?
There are many around the world who dislike the fact that witchcraft and Paganism are steadily gaining new adherents, and that these religions/ spiritual systems are gaining more general acceptance and being more tolerated by the mainstream.
Wouldn't it be VERY convenient for those who believe that Paganism and Witchcraft are inherently evil, and should be stamped out by any means possible, if some mysterious happenings would suddenly lead the general populace to become suspicious and fearful about "witches" as they once were in the past? SO convenient, in fact, that maybe these folks would be willing to "manufacture" the mysterious events themselves in the interest of stirring up the aformentioned suspicion? Just a paranoid theory...
Report this comment
-
Ingrid White
Unregistered User
May 15, 03:10
Comment: 11150
"Hey, something weird just happened that we have no explanation for... so it must be related to WITCHCRAFT!"
Honestly. Can anyone provide any evidence whatsoever that suggests that witches/pagans/evil-baby-eating-satanists would want to braid a random horses' mane? For whatever purpose? Really. Grow up and focus on real news.
Report this comment
-
morgoth
Unregistered User
May 15, 19:38
Comment: 11157
ok lets look at this
what types of people like horses and braiding hair??
young girls seem to do both. also look at the fact this is happening to the best looking horses it makes it even more likely. you have good looking horses that have braided hair come on didnt this dawn on anyone?
Report this comment
-
Patrick
Unregistered User
May 15, 20:56
Comment: 11158
Yes, I was thinking the same. Its probably someone who loves horses, but can't afford on themselves, so they hang out with this horse and braid its hair!
Report this comment
