Riding Schools Insurance Bill 2nd Reading

A private members Bill which aims to protect horse owners from rising insurance costs and spurious compensation claims, receives its second reading today in Parliament.

Tory MP Stephen Crabb introduced his amendment to the Animals Act 1971, last June, seeking to reduce the liability of owners of animals that are not normally classed as dangerous (such as horses), but whose normal behaviour has caused damage or injury of a third party.

Currently insurance companies take the view that where a no fault accident occurs, strict liability still applies to the keeper of the animal. This view and the prevailing compensation culture, have lead to rising insurance premiums forcing many riding schools and other stables to close.

Mr Crabb, told reporters

"My Bill has cross-party support, support from a wide range of organisations, and it's really aimed at limiting what lawyers describe as strict liability, whereby an animal owner, even if they're not negligent in any way, can still be held strictly liable where their animal causes injury to a third party.

"We don't think that's fair, we think there's a fault in the law there and we're going go back and amend the 1971 Animals Act to try and clarify that."