Crisco pleased by Senate OK of bill saying horses not inherently dangerous

HARTFORD - The state Senate gave unanimous approval Tuesday morning to legislation clarifying in law that domesticated horses are not inherently dangerous. 

State Sen. Joseph J. Crisco, Jr., D-Woodbridge, spoke in favor of HB 5044 during a public hearing earlier this year, and shepherded the bill through the Senate in the closing days of the legislative session.

“There was great concern among my constituents in Bethany and neighboring towns that recent court decisions would make horses nearly impossible to insure,” Crisco said.

“I’m pleased that this legislation offers a positive remedy for their concerns. I particularly want to thank Senator Meyer and the members of the Environment Committee for their leadership on this issue.”

The legislation comes in response to recent court decisions deeming all horses to be wild and inherently dangerous. The rulings had the potential to cause an extreme increase in insurance premiums, putting into question the insurability of Connecticut’s farm horses, privately owned horses for riding and therapeutic horses.

HB 5044 addresses this problem by ensuring that civil disputes involving horses are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, without the presumption that the horse is inherently vicious.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy applauded the legislation: “With final passage secured by the state legislature today, I look forward to signing this bill, which has been a top concern to many horse owners and handlers, and our state’s associated agriculture industry. The agriculture sector of Connecticut's economy has been growing significantly over the past couple of years, and we need to ensure that the laws in our state statutes encourage this growth.

"I'd specifically like to thank Environment Committee co-chair state Sen. Ed Meyer and the entire Connecticut General Assembly for their support of this bill."

This is a press release from Crisco's office.