A Leitrim suckler farmer is seeking the public’s help in locating four miniature ponies stolen from his farm on Wednesday night.

Four mares were taken from Brendan Flynn’s rented out-farm at Gorlough, three miles from Carrick-on-Shannon between 10pm on Wednesday night and 10am Thursday morning.

The mares, which are valued at €1,000 each, were part of a larger herd of pedigree-registered Falabella blend ponies.

Just 24 hours earlier, the farmer had exported eight of their comrades for a new life in India. A member of a royal family bought a stallion, a colt and six mares from Flynn which are currently in quarantine in Newmarket, England, before flying to India.

“I think whoever stole the mares might have been coming for those eight ponies but they were a day too late for those ones,” Flynn told the Irish Farmers Journal.

The farmer was reluctant to reveal how much the eight exported ponies were worth but their transport to India alone cost €60,000.

The stolen ponies were all coloured, but the thieves did leave behind two stallions.

“The ones they took were all mares and coloured. There’s certain clique that likes coloured ponies,” said Flynn. “They brought bread with them to catch the mares and there were a few cigarette butts thrown around too. The gardaí have taken samples.”

The thieves took a 26in seven-year-old tricolour mare, bay with a black mane and tail and white socks, who was heavy in foal.

They also took red and white skewbald mares aged six and seven and a three-year-old tricolour (bay and white) mare with a blue eye from an old injury.

“They are all microchipped and booked. They are registered with the International Miniature Horse and Pony Society,” said the farmer.

He is now calling for anyone who might have information or might have seen the ponies to come forward.

“If anyone saw anyone acting suspicious, with a horsebox or a van, these are small enough to be taken away in a van. You wouldn’t need to have a box they are so small,” he said.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Carrick-on-Shannon Garda Station on 071-9650510 or Brendan Flynn on 087-7702112.

Monaghan farmer gets suspended prison sentence for handling stolen cattle

Rural crime: frightened old people sleeping with guns under the bed