SOME years back a good friend had her horse stolen - the horse was in a field at the time and there was no lock on the gate - the same as in so many similar situations up and down the country. My friend was devastated, but despite doing everything she could - even going to all the local auctions for months - she never saw her horse again.

Having anything stolen is bad enough, as anyone whose house has been broken in to will testify, it will take weeks, months, or maybe never, to get over the feeling of having your property taken away from you. But if that property is a living thing, and something you may well have had for years and developed a close and loving bond with, it can be a hundred times worse.

Horse owners are rich pickings for thieves, if it's not their animals, it's all the kit - and the majority of it very valuable and easy to sell on. Just recently, a stables near Scarborough had £800 of tack stolen and every year, many hundreds thousands of pounds of tack and horses are stolen every year across the country.

When my friend lost her horse, it was in the days before microchipping, freeze marking and passports, so tracing it was like looking for a needle in a haystack, but times have thankfully changed.

PCSO Laura Simpson said Craven and the whole of North Yorkshire was fortunate enough not to suffer a large volume of equestrian crime, but when it did happen, it could be at the cost of thousands to the victim.

"Replacing equipment such as saddles is not straightforward, it is a time-consuming process as they have to be fitted correctly," she says.

"And, replacing a horse that has been stolen is even harder, the theft of a horse can be devastating in many more ways than just monetary value.

"To this end we ask that the crime prevention advice we give out is adhered to as much as possible."

In an attempt to fight back and to enlist owners to help themselves and each other, North Yorkshire Police has set up Horse Watch. The scheme is run on similar lines to Neighbourhood Watch and Shopwatch and sets out to create a network of eyes and ears across the equestrian community.

As a priority, the police ask all horse owners to have their animals freeze-marked and micro-chipped, which will make tracing them if they are stolen, so much easier. Details are put onto a national database and need to be updated, if animals are sold on, or moved to another location.

Tack too should be postcoded, tagged, engraved or chemically marked, and tack rooms themselves should be locked with a five-lever mortice lock, to comply with insurance policies. Gates to fields should also be locked and fitted with anti-lift locks, and owners should resist the temptation to leave head collars and rugs out in the open. After all, we wouldn't normally leave something that cost potentially hundreds of pounds out in the open would we?

In addition to freeze-marking, horses can also be hoof-marked - this means your farrier branding your postcode into the hooves, it will of course need to be renewed as the hoof grows and the mark gradually disappears.

A vet will have to carry out a microchip implant, which are put into the neck. If the horse is stolen, transceivers can be used to detect the signal. Some microchip companies will inform vets, sale venues and abattoirs of the theft - so think carefully before choosing which company to go with. Horses can also be freeze marked with a horse shoe symbol as a way of warning would-be thieves that is has been microchipped.

Horse passports should of course be kept up to date with all the animal's identifying marks, a quick word with your vet will help you here on which marks to include.

In addition to the passport, police advise owners to take colour photographs of their horse in both its summer and winter coats. Photos should also be taken from all angles and can be distributed quickly, if the horse is stolen.

Horse boxes and trailers are very vulnerable to the opportunist thief out scouring the countryside and are safest when parked in a well lit area where you can keep an eye on them. All doors and ramps should be kept locked and for extra security, consider the use of wheel clamps, ground anchors and hitch-locks, as well as alarms and immobilisers. Even at events, make sure wagons are secure and take colour photographs as a record. You can also have postcodes put on trailer bars or the roof, or consider a tracker system if your wagon is especially precious to you.

Saddles, bridles, and all items of tack, including leathers and martingales, and even electronic clippers, should all be security marked - thieves are far less likely to pinch items that can be traced back to their owners, and security-marked tack is far more difficult to sell on. All tack should also be photographed and logged, including identification marks, makes and any numbers.

Tack can be marked in a variety of different ways including electronic tagging, micro -chipping and engraving or stamping postcodes into the leather. Saddles can also be freeze- marked.

Yards should also be made as secure as possible - especially if there is no one living on site. Fences and hedges should be checked on a regular basis to make sure they are robust, with no gaps for horses to escape from, or be stolen through. Gates are more of a deterrent if they are chained and hinges protected with anti-lift locks. Do not be tempted to leave headcollars and lead reins on gates - they could be used by thieves.

Entrances to yards should feature notices saying horses and tack are security marked and careful use of lighting can help. Some yards are fitted with alarms and CCTV cameras, and barking dogs are always useful as an early warning system.

Tack rooms should ideally be built from brick or concrete, but if wood, should be reinforced with steel plate, or mesh.

Windows and sky lights should be kept to a minimum and protected with bars and grills.

Doors and frames should be reinforced with steel and secured with good quality mortice locks, heavy duty shackle pad locks and heavy duty pad bars. Do not make it obvious where the tack room is. Saddles and bridles should be locked to their racks, and the number of keys given out should be kept to the absolute minimum - if keys are lost, get the locks changed.

Finally, if you do suffer a theft, report it immediately. For more information about equestrian security, visit the North Yorkshire Police website.