KATY, Texas (Covering Katy News) — The Harris County Sheriff's Office is investigating the theft of four horse from a field on Katy Hockley Cut Off Road in Katy.
Between August 15 and August 16, Bella, El, and Silo—were stolen in what the the Harris County Sheriff’s Office calls it a case of criminal theft.
Bella, a 12-year-old dark bay mare; El, a 22-year-old dark bay mare; and Silo, a 10-year-old sorrel mare, had been together as lesson horses for years. Their owner, Lauren St. Hilaire, purchased them because she grew up taking lessons on them.
St. Hilaire is heartbroken by the theft. She describes the horses as her safe haven, bringing joy and comfort to her daily life.
"I was on my way home from a work trip in Oklahoma when I discovered they had disappeared," she said. "I rushed straight home and have felt breathless ever since."
"El and Bella are two horses that I was fortunate to adopt from the barn where I grew up riding for the last 20 years. El was the horse I always dreamed of owning, and after 20 years, I finally had the opportunity to do so. I wanted her to spend her retirement with me by her side. Silo was the first horse I ever bought. They were my safe place, where I could relax and enjoy myself every day after work and every weekend, regardless of the weather or bugs. They made me happy."
St. Hilaire is working with Stolen Horse International (NetPosse), a nonprofit organization with a history of reuniting missing horses with their owners. A post on their Stolen Horse International-NetPosse Missing and Stolen Equine Facebook page generated more than 3,000 shares in the first 24 hours. The organization encourages everyone to share the post to help locate the horses, which could be anywhere in the U.S. by now.
"I'm still devastated, and every day is a struggle, but I'm hopeful," St. Hilaire said. "I see flyers everywhere, and people are sharing them and offering helpful advice."
"I just cannot believe that people out there do this. I am so worried about my babies.
The horses were not visible as drives pass the property. pass the property. Someone, somehow, knew where they were located. They cut the fence and led the horses across the road.
After discovering her horses were missing, St. Hilaire began her search on Facebook. Recommendations led her to contact NetPosse, which has a 27-year history of reuniting missing horses with their owners, sometimes even after a decade. She filed "Stolen Horse" reports on NetPosse’s website.
"When they first went missing, I made a flyer and posted it. Everyone suggested NetPosse, so my friend and I looked it up. NetPosse went above and beyond, sharing the flyer, making phone calls, and providing advice and additional resources. They want to find them just as much as I do," St. Hilaire said.
If anyone has information or leads, please contact Lauren St. Hilaire at lnsthilaire@gmail.com or 281-413-2543. Every piece of information is valuable. People can help by circulating the flyer below.
Net Posse
Horses stole from the Katy area.