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
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H&H senior news writer
Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
