One particularly worrying trend is organised crime, which is making its presence known in the countryside. Thieves are stealing farm vehicles to order, and horse owners are becoming a key target, with criminals on the look-out for horseboxes, trailers, saddlery and tack. One convenient solution gaining popularity among the equine community is keyless access control.
Livery yards are busy places, with horses coming and going, and people arriving at different times of the day. This poses problems when liveries forget their keys and can't get in, but also when tack rooms, feed stores and farm offices are left unlocked when they go riding. A simple mechanical coded lock can overcome these difficulties, allowing shared owners to visit horses at any time, as well as keeping expensive equipment and personal belongings secure, without the need for multiple keys. Angela, a keen one-day eventer and stable yard owner from Ludlow, found that coded locks are perfectly suited to her needs. She doesn't live on the site where two-year old Hector, her pride and joy is stabled - but wants to be sure all horses and equipment is secure, and her horse is well looked after: “I wanted to find a lock that would be weatherproof for the farm office, and an easy-to-use coded lock for the tack room and feed store, as I need to give other horse owners access when I am on holiday or have work commitments.”
In larger farms and yards, people typically need to access shared spaces for paperwork, tack or equipment. Protecting kit is important, but nobody wants to waste valuable riding time hunting down the key to the feed store or waiting for the stable office to open. With a modern keyless access control solution everyone can get hold of everything they need, when they need it, with a single access code. Access control is important on the move too. Horseboxes have traditionally been an easy target for opportunistic crime, but by fitting a small and robust lock on the horse area stalls, riders can leave the rear ramp down while they are out competing without the worry of anyone entering the front cab or living area.
Locks in rural settings need to be able to withstand everything the UK climate throws at them. Specially designed locks, treated with a coating, help to prevent damage caused by corroding - making them ideal for rural and agricultural settings. Angela had a CL510 Marine Grade lock, intended for harsh weather conditions, installed at her stables: “So far my lock has seen wind, rain and snow, and it still looks as good as new and operates as smoothly as the day I bought it.”
Installing a modern keyless access control solution means horse owners can spend less time searching for keys and more time enjoying their horses.
30, Apr 2021
