Horse tail thieves confuse police

Horses tails are being hacked off across America in a spate of mysterious thefts that have baffled owners and police. The latest outbreak has occurred in a rural area southeast of Denver in Colorado.

An intruder broke into a pasture and unevenly cut off the hoof-length tails of half a dozen Belgian draft horses and ponies.

Other horse owners in Elbert County, Colorado, have also reported tail thefts, while similar cases have been recorded in recent years in Iowa, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Florida.



While the animals were not injured, as the tails were cut off below the fleshy dock, horses rely on their tails to swat away flies in summer and owners say they will take 10 years to grow back.

But police are puzzled as to the motive behind the crime. Horse owners said it would not make commercial sense to steal tails in such limited quantities, as horsehair fetches no more than $80 (£56) a pound.

In the absence of a strong commercial motive, there have been suggestions that a cult may be responsible for the crimes.