Paul, just caught up with this thread.
As a fellow horse owner I understand your, and your wife's angst and anger.
Wiltshire Police have a good Rural Policing Team, it is clear from their reports that theft of vehicles and equipment is on the increase.
Some is people who have lost their job due to COVID, but interestingly the main part are the organised criminals who used to run drugs, the "County Lines", who have lost most of their customers.
We are also seeing sheep rustling become an issue, same reason, and hare coursing. The coursing illuminated and live video feed goes out to places where punters bet on the result. Almost impossible to stop and catch and they trash crops in the process.
Their advice is that wherever possible install motion sensitive lights and CCTV where animals and equipment are kept.
Merlin lives at a DIY livery yard, the owner is on site. We keep the saddle and other tack at home, but other stuff is there.
There are motion sensitive LED floodlights and a sensor on the unlocked gate that starts the CCTV if the gate is opened after dark. Neat.
