Rider suffered head injury when horse attacked by dog
A woman was thrown from her horse and knocked out when a dog attacked the animal on a bridleway, a court has heard.
Elizabeth Christian was riding in South Normanton, Derbyshire, on 16 June, when her horse was attacked.
Her horse bucked and she fell, hitting her head.
Dog owner Christopher Clarke, of Hallfield Road, Newton, admitted being the owner of a dog that was dangerously out of control in a public place when he appeared at Chesterfield Magistrates Court on 31 October.
He said 18-month-old Labrador cross Charlie (not pictured) had slipped his lead and run off.
Ms Christian was taken to hospital with a minor head injury and her horse needed veterinary treatment.
Clarke, aged 36, was ordered to keep the dog muzzled and on a lead in public areas for two years.
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
He was also fined £94 and ordered to pay £500 compensation to Ms Christian and £141 to her vet Denise Beastall, plus £85 court costs.
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
A self-confessed newshound, farmer’s daughter and journalist of many years' experience, Charlotte worked on regional papers before joining H&H in 2007. A regular rider, she visited Ireland in 2010 to investigate the fate of Irish horses through the recession, to much acclaim, and reported from the FEI General Assembly in Rio de Janeiro in 2011. She left Horse & Hound in March 2013.