Bill aims to protect horse owners

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Joseph Crisco
Joseph Crisco

HARTFORD — The General Assembly’s Environment Committee has voted unanimously to approve legislation clarifying in law that domesticated horses are not inherently dangerous.

State Sen. Joseph Crisco, Jr. (D-17), who spoke in favor of the legislation during a public hearing last month, announced the approval in a press release.

“This bill will be welcome news for my constituents,” Crisco said in the press release. “I hope the General Assembly will join the Environment Committee in adding its full support to the measure.”

The legislation comes in response to a 2012 Appellate Court decision, currently being appealed to the Connecticut Supreme Court, deeming all horses to be wild and inherently dangerous. If upheld by the Supreme Court, the ruling could lead to an extreme increase in insurance premiums, potentially making horses uninsurable, the release stated.

The bill, H.B. 5044, would ensure that civil cases involving horses are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, without the presumption that the horse is inherently vicious.