GPS trackers installed in saddles as theft syndicates hoof it with the goods

The horse has bolted for saddle thieves with new technology that is able to track stolen horse saddles - which can cost over R100,000 each.

Netstar and Red Alert Service Solutions claimed in a statement on Thursday they are the first to bring saddle-tracking and recovery technology to SA.

Netstar MD Pierre Bruwer claims that theft of saddles from horse tack rooms is on the rise.

“With some saddles costing anywhere from R20,000 to above R100,000, the loss of these assets has a marked impact on owners’ pockets,” Bruwer said.

“Today, we are able to track nearly any mobile item. If our unit fits it, we can track it.”

Bruwer said once the Netstar Dynamic Asset Tracking & Recovery unit is installed in a saddle, it requires no maintenance for up to three years.

“During this time, if the device is activated it will transmit a strong signal initiating the Netstar recovery process.”

Red Alert Service Solutions regional director Clinton Venter said saddle theft is “rarely a spontaneous event” and “takes a degree of careful planning, with criminal syndicates often behind the robberies”.