By Kloe Palmer
Some horse owners in Christchurch have taken to using padlocks to stop the theft of the heavy covers that keep the animals warm at night.
They cost more than $200 each, and in the last few unusually cold weeks they're being stolen right off the horses backs in the middle of the night.
The message is clear on Natalie Powell’s property – “Nat's cover” is written on her horse covers.
She's trying to deter thieves after finding her two horses stripped bare last Thursday morning, with their thick winter covers stolen right off their backs.
“They were freezing, they were cold, they were wet and they were shaking,” says Ms Powell.
Her horses weren't alone. Seven other covers were also reported stolen that night.
“That night it was freezing and it bucketed down,” says horse owner Autumn Hunger. “It's a horsey person who has done this. They've ripped our covers off our boys and left them standing there.”
Using social media, the angry owners managed to track down all nine of the covers that went missing from the marshlands area that night.
Police have arrested one person in relation to last week’s thefts. But with most of winter to come, horse owners believe unfortunately people will continue to steal horse covers.
“There were a lot of covers stolen that night of the snow,” says Sue Batchelor of Saddlery Barn. “People came in the next morning saying their covers had been stolen and they had been coverless for the night, so the poor horses had frozen.”
New covers average around $200.
3 News