Horse & Hound spoke to a solicitor specialising in equine matters, the British Horse Society and Defra to find out where riders stand if they find themselves involved in an incident with an out-of-control dog...
A number of recent episodes involving out-of-control dogs have highlighted that individual police forces have discretion on how to deal with incidents under current legislation.
The British Horse Society (BHS) recorded 168 incidents involving dogs in 2019, including three horse fatalities, 45 horses injured and 43 humans. Sixteen incidents were recorded in January 2020.
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Credit: Sue Hamley-Richards
‘He was bucking and kicking and I think he got his leg caught over a trace, then he bolted with
‘I asked the owner if I should get off and he said ‘No, because the dog might bite you’.’
The maximum sentence for allowing a dangerously out of control dog to injure a person has been increased to 18
The British Horse Society says more needs to be done to reduce the number of dog attacks on horses
