KATY, Texas — Lauren St. Hilaire has loved horses since she was a child with dreams of owning her own someday.
After 20 years, that dream came true when St. Hilaire adopted two horses, El and Bella, from the barn where she grew up riding. She wanted them to spend their retirement by her side.
Silo was the first horse St. Hilaire 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," St. Hilaire said. "They made me happy."
St. Hilaire was on her way home to Katy earlier this month when she discovered her three beloved horses were missing.
"I just cannot believe that people out there do this. I am so worried about my babies. These horses were not in a place you do not see as you pass the property," St. Hilaire posted. "Someone, somehow, knew where they were located. They cut the fence and led them across the road. They may have escaped with them through the levy."
She thinks the thieves drugged her horses because one of them is "impossible to catch."
St Hilaire hopes they're getting good care.
“I hope whoever has them loves them as much as I do," she told us. “I’m really hoping they’re getting fed, they have water, and that they’re not getting hurt or beaten or traded through the market anywhere”
Since then, she has been working with the non-profit Stolen Horse International, also known as NetPosse, to spread the word. They issued a NetPosse Alert, the horse industry equivalent of an AMBER Alert.
St. Hilaire also reported the theft to the Harris County Sheriff's Office, who confirmed their livestock agents are investigating.
Game wardens, auctions and kill pens have been alerted, as well.
Netposse.com's first Facebook post about the stolen horses has been shared over 3,300 times.
St. Hilarie's property is near the Katy ISD ag barn and FFA students have helped pass around flyers.
"At first, I panicked because I couldn't understand how three horses could vanish, but now I see flyers everywhere, and people are sharing them and offering helpful advice," St. Hilaire said. "I'm still devastated, and every day is a struggle, but I'm hopeful."
Netposse.com says horse theft is more common than most people realize with horses stolen in the U.S. daily.
Descriptions of horses stolen from Katy, Texas
El
El is a 22-year-old dark bay mare with a white star and snip, a hind left white foot, a white spot on the right side of her whithers and white at the base of her tail. She wears front shoes and has a hematoma on her right hip.
Bella
Bella is a 12-year-old bay mare with a long black mane, a dished face and a front right club foot so she wears therapeutic shoes.
Silo
Silo is a 10-year-old sorrel with a full white blaze and four white socks. She was last seen wearing a light blue/grayish halter.
Anyone with information on the horse theft case is asked to contact St. Hilaire at 281-413-2543 or email lnsthilaire@gmail.com.