Horse theft is the crime of stealing horses, and a person who does so is known as a horse thief. Historically, punishment was often severe, with several cultures pronouncing a sentence of death upon actual or presumed thieves, and several societies were formed in the United States specifically to prevent horse theft and apprehend horse thieves. Horse theft continues to occur throughout the world today, with horses stolen for their meat, for ransom, or amid disputes between an owner and another person, and before the invention of the automobile horses were considered essential, since there were few other ways to call for help or to travel long distances.
Facts
Typical PenaltyUnder the 1879 Texas Penal Code, horse theft was punishable by five to fifteen years' confinement in the penitentiary. 1 Classification
Offense GradeMinor or Summary Offense 1 Connections
Has Offense Grade
Entity-backed identity for the offense-grade enum value this offense already carries, resolved to a crime concept by an explicit value-to-entity map (phase 3 bucket conversion, docs\design_entity_backed_browse_buckets_20260928.md). The offense-grade fact itself stays on the offense unchanged.
Sources
1. History Mystery: Was Horse Stealing a Capital Crime in Texas? (Luckett History)
Page body, 1879 Texas Penal Code quotationQuote, Page body, 1879 Texas Penal Code quotation
If any person shall steal any horse, ass or mule, he shall be punished by confinement in the penitentiary not less than five nor more than fifteen years.
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