NHT Magazine Summer 2019

Tracing Horses
FEATURE
USING ‘TRACE MY HORSE UK’
The majority of horse owners can understand the feeling of guilt and grief
after we lose contact with the new owners and they get passed on to the
unknown; others suffer from their horses lacking a history, one which has
built them into the character they are today.
On the 20 th August 2013, Alison Talbott created the Facebook page ‘Trace
My Horse UK’ with the aim to reunite past owners with their beloved horses.
Alison has brought together a community of past owners and current owners
hoping to find out the history of their horses. The page has proved very
successful, easing the minds of hundreds of owners about their horses.
Stored under ‘files’ on the page consists of month-by-month data on horses
found and records set; these files alone prove how effective the group is,
showing information like the highest record of horses being found in a month
(currently placed in January 2019 – with 104 being traced). Each individual
trace, each connection between owners and horses, offers such a rewarding
experience for all involved.
The group has become a catalyst to many successful reuniting stories, and
often the only reason they were possible. One member sold her horse to a
‘dealer’ as a non-ridden companion, but later found that she had been sold
as a ‘been there done it’ type, to a woman and her daughter. The member
posted on Trace My Horse UK a description of the mare, and another
member who recognised the horse put her in touch with the new owners and
following the new owner’s hard decision to retire the mare, the member was
offered her back and she ‘jumped at the chance’.
Other member stories include an owner who had lost her mare in a stream
of new owners, posted on the page expecting nothing, to very quickly (within
4 minutes) find that the mare is now Instagram and YouTube famous and
has a lovely home. A different member posted about being unable to trace
a beloved cob that they had to let go of and in less than 2 months after posting
her initial advert, she was visiting the pony with his new owners.
The page currently has just over 16,000 members and is aiming to increase
this number - the more members, the higher the chance of reuniting owners.
I urge each owner reading this article to join the page. If you wish to catch
up with a horse you have lost touch with over time or trace your own horse’s
history; this could begin the incredible journey that so many others have ben
able to experience. You may even be able to provide information that helps
another member trace or understand their horses past.
If you planning on tracing a horse on this page, Alison recommends that you
provide the following in your trace post:
● A good quality, clear photo of the horse’s head, body and any unusual
markings.
● An accurate description of the horse’s colour (bearing in mind the
colours of their coat may change, e.g. a dapple grey will eventually fade
into flea-bitten/grey).
● Height
● Freezemark
● Age
● Passport Details
● Vices/quirks/illnesses they may have (hard to shoe/rears/cushings etc)
● Last known location.
Any of the above information will offer Alison a better chance of a successful
trace.
Traced!
For illustration purposes only
Visit the group on
Facebook search for
‘Trace My Horse UK’
This article was written by guest writer Grace Cushnie.
Grace is currently an A Level student and lives in Northamptonshire.
She is a horse enthusiast and a keen writer looking for Journalism work experience.
You can contact Grace via NHT Magazine.
31 NorthantsHorseTrader Magazine
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