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With equine crime on the rise, it comes as no surprise that people have become increasingly interested in equestrian security.
Theft of horses and valuable equestrian equipment is a common problem among many horse keepers, with criminals often viewing stables and equestrian properties as easy targets.
The high resale value of horses and equestrian equipment, coupled with poor security measures provide criminals with the perfect opportunity to target these properties. It might come as a surprise but there are organised groups specifically targeting horse stables!
Some even go to the extent of harming the innocent horses to get their way. Just last year in 2020, a horse suffered horrific injuries when thieves tried to break into stables in the Wath upon Dearne area in Rotherham, South Yorkshire.
As horse keepers and owners, nothing is as disturbing as finding out that your horses are at risk of being hurt or stolen. Therefore, to ensure that they, along with other expensive stable tools and equipment, remain safe and protected against any targeted attacks, you must maximise security around your stable.
A great starting point is by installing CCTV cameras around the property. Read on to find out how the surveillance systems can benefit you and your horses and where they must be installed for maximum coverage and protection:
BENEFITS OF CCTV FOR STABLES
CCTV cameras, with their advanced security features and remote viewing technology, offer a wide array of benefits to all kinds of property owners. They are used across the country in various applications and the numbers just keep on rising.
Some of the benefits that are more specific to stable owners include remote monitoring, crime deterrence, and protection against unjustified insurance claims.
With CCTV cameras, it has become easier than ever to control day-to-day operations round-the-clock and from anywhere in the world.
Remote CCTV monitoring offers stable owners a smart and cost-effective solution to keep track of everything, from what happens in the yards to each individual stable.
It saves time by allowing trainers and owners to always keep an eye on their precious animals and can be especially beneficial for when the horses are sick or are expecting.
Instead of having to go down to the stables to check on them every couple of hours, you can monitor their safety and well-being from the comfort of your home via a smartphone or tablet.
CCTV monitoring also increases stable security since the system alerts users of unexpected events and unwelcome visitors, and can be integrated with special sensors to pick up on intrusions instantly.
While there is no evidence to back that CCTV cameras help reduce crime, they sure are one of the best deterrents.
Stables are hot targets for theft and petty crimes resulting in not just material and financial losses to the stable owners but also causing severe distress to the horses.
A CCTV camera monitors and records all events in its view as live footage or to be viewed later. The footage helps identify intruders and potential thieves and aids in catching them quickly and easily.
This fear of getting recorded and caught red-handed is what keeps criminals away from properties under CCTV surveillance and the same can be said for stables.
The cameras also help keep an eye on any unknown vehicles and individuals lurking around the stables and alert the owners to take immediate action.
In addition to that, having a well-maintained CCTV system can help lower your insurance premiums since it lowers the risk of being targeted by thieves and vandals.
It also helps protect stable owners from unjustified insurance claims since all critical operations are recorded. For such false accusations, CCTV footage can be used as legitimate evidence in the court of law and can help make decisions easier for law enforcement agencies as well.
WHERE TO INSTALL CCTV CAMERAS?
Where you install the CCTV cameras in your stables will play a huge factor in how effective they are in deterring crime and providing protection.
Regardless of how modern and fully-functional your system is, if it is placed in the wrong place and at the wrong angle, it is as good as not having a CCTV security system at all.
Installing the CCTV cameras in all the right areas is something that all stable owners must give particular importance to so that all the critical areas are put under constant surveillance.
You can start with fitting individual CCTV cameras in each horse’s stall to not only deter and detect any malicious attacks on the horses but also allow you to monitor their general well-being by keeping a close watch at all times.
As discussed above, they can also be useful for special situations such as a horse falling sick or a mare giving birth. Constant monitoring will not just help keep a check on them but also enable you to spot any erratic behaviour or symptoms that might require instant attention.
Each situation is unique but generally, the top corner of the stable is an ideal place to install the cameras since it will enable the system to cover the entire space and will be far away from the horse to be damaged by accident.
You may also consider installing them where people are likely to walk inside stables, and at an angle so that they can be clearly identified.
Apart from the actual stall, other places where CCTV cameras may prove beneficial to stable owners are the tack rooms and storage areas, both of which are common targets for thieves due to the highly valuable and expensive content inside them.
You must also protect your horse-box or trailer, which are again both always high in demand and extremely lucrative targets for thieves.
The general yard area must also be kept under surveillance, especially if it is a shared livery yard. The areas where the horses generally are must be constantly monitored in addition to the areas of pasture.
CHOOSING THE BEST CCTV CAMERAS FOR STABLE SECURITY
A well-designed CCTV system is one of the most effective ways to protect your stables and your precious mounts. When choosing the best CCTV cameras for stable security, there are a few very important features that you must look out for.
Motion sensors
Motion sensors are used to detect and measure movement and are your solution if intrusions and unauthorised access are your main concern. CCTV cameras with motion sensors can be installed in areas of the stable where you wish to be informed every time someone enters. The system picks up on such discrepancies and sends alerts to the users right away.
Notification alerts
Some CCTV cameras offer customisable notifications and alerts to be sent to your smartphone or device as soon as any movement is recorded. It can be an extremely useful feature since unless you have professional CCTV monitoring services enabled, you can’t always keep an eye on real-time events. This feature helps you to always stay in the know, especially when your attention is most required.
Resolution
Security cameras come in a range of resolutions ranging from 720p to 4K. The higher the resolution, the clearer the picture. It’s no use if the footage being recorded on the CCTV camera is grainy to the point that making up the face of an intruder becomes a challenge; therefore, a minimum resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels is recommended.
Night vision
Unless you have huge security lights around the stable and in every corner, night time surveillance can become challenging if your CCTV camera doesn’t support night vision. CCTV cameras used for stable security must have special night vision that helps them see better and farther during the night, with some high-end models even offering colour night vision.
Design
Some security cameras are big and bulky and built in a way to act as a visual deterrent, whereas others are small and discreet and are used as hidden deterrents. The installation location and position, and what you wish to monitor, will play a huge part in determining which type you go with.
Field of view
The field of view is the total area that the camera covers. The wider the field of view, the more area will be covered, and the fewer cameras you will have to install on your property. Some cameras come with a default wide view, while others have adjustable lenses with panning, zooming, and tilting features.
Storage
Security cameras record the footage and save it to be viewed at a later time. There’s the option of storing it on the cloud or using local storage such as a microSD card placed inside the camera or a separate hard drive.
Security
CCTV systems come with built-in security features where you can enable two-factor authentication to prevent the systems from being hacked. Every time you log on to the system, it sends a verification code to your smart device via a call, text, or email, so that it can confirm that it’s you trying to gain access and not some unauthorised person.
Advanced features
In addition to the aforementioned key features, there are certain very useful advanced features such as built-in alarms, facial recognition, and pet-friendliness that can help make the security cameras more efficient and effective.
Integrations
CCTV cameras are part of a comprehensive security solution that include burglar alarms, access control systems, and smart lights. Independently, they provide great benefits at keeping your property secure, but when integrated, they pack quite a punch.
Security cameras can be integrated with intruder alarms to activate an alarm as soon as certain types of movements are detected, the automatic locking mechanism can be activated through access control, and the security smart lights can be turned on to illuminate the stables.
TOP SECURITY TIPS FOR STABLE SECURITY
In addition to installing well-designed and well-maintained CCTV systems around your stables, you can do a lot more to maximise security and protection.
Some of the top tips for stable security, other than installing CCTVs, include:
Good physical security
Perimeter protection and a good locking mechanism are two of the most basic forms of security that act as the first line of defence against trespassers.
When securing your stable, you need to ensure that the gates and fences cannot be lifted up and that the main doors and windows are inaccessible by reinforcing them with a sturdy frame, good quality locks, and steel bars.
Horses must be kept in a secure paddock with a strong padlock on the gate and the horse trailers must be placed away from the barn. All movable objects such as tack, trailers, and other stable equipment must be secured using chains and heavy locks.
Security alarms
Burglar alarms work using a series of sensors that go off as soon as they detect any suspicious activity, notifying the stable owners, keyholders, or anyone in charge to take the necessary action.
They come in different types and offer varying levels of protection. Depending on the security risk and the size and location of the stable, you can choose between bells-only, dialler, smart, and monitored burglar alarms.
Security lights
Motion sensor lights are an excellent deterrent that automatically turns on as soon as someone steps foot under them. They can be placed outside the stables and at the yard entrance and are particularly useful in not just scaring intruders from trying to gain access but also alerting the owners and neighbours of the intrusion.
LED lights are a great budget-friendly and energy-efficient option that works well in all kinds of environments. When placing them inside a stable, make sure to put plastic safety covers on them to ensure they don’t cause injury to the horses if the bulb breaks.
Also, make sure all the internal cabling is in conduits since exposed wires may be a hazard to the horses and rodents, and keep the light switches away from the animals and somewhere a horse can’t access them.
Horse identification
Permanent identification in the form of microchipping helps to not just discourage potential thieves but also increases the chances of the animals being recovered and returned to the rightful owners in case of being stolen.
According to The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), microchipping is a legal requirement for all horses, ponies, and donkeys since it allows the local authorities to easily track down the stolen animals.
CONTACT CALDER SECURITY
At Calder Security, we understand the special security needs that stables have and are here to provide you with a comprehensive solution that includes not just professional installation but also monitoring, maintenance, and repair services of state-of-the-art security systems including burglar alarms, CCTV cameras, access control systems, anti-snap locking mechanisms, and fire alarm systems.
Our CCTV services include professional:
CCTV installation is a specialist trade and one that is best reserved for security industry professionals. While many general electricians may offer this as a service, they simply do not have the specific knowledge and experience to offer the same level of expertise.
We know the market better and can make informed recommendations on the specifications of the system such as the best brand, whether it should be IP or analogue HD, the number of cameras you need, where to put them to minimise interference from weather conditions, and full training on how to get the most from the system.
During a maintenance visit, our specialist engineers will conduct a visual assessment of all the equipment, check all connections and cabling, clean the cameras, lenses and housing, check the positioning of the cameras, assess playback and recording quality, and even re-familiarise users on proper operation of the system.
We also offer CCTV maintenance contracts that include a regularly maintained system by professionals, 24-hour coverage, reduced call-out and labour charges, and a reduction in insurance premiums.
We offer various levels of monitoring via a 24-hour monitoring centre using Dualcom and BT Redcare signalling, which is the most secure alarm monitoring system and the largest supplier of intelligent alarm signalling services in the UK.
All our engineers are security industry specialists and carry a comprehensive range of parts, equipment, and service kits on their vans to ensure that fixes are dealt with efficiently because criminals don’t wait until the repairs are done.
Contact us here or call us on 0800 612 9799 to talk to our leading experts right away!
Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash