New Connecticut Law Helps Horse Owners, Stables

State Senator Joe Crisco (D-Woodbridge), and State Rep. Lezlye Zupkus today joined horse owners and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy for the ceremonial signing of a new state law that will protect horse owners and equestrian businesses from paying significantly higher insurance premiums for owning or boarding horses and other, related animals, according to a press release.

Here is the rest of the press release from Crisco and Zupkus’ press office:

Crisco, Malloy and others were on hand at Locket’s Meadow Farm in Bethany for the re-signing of Public Act 14-54, which requires that in any civil action brought against the owner or keeper of any horse, pony, donkey or mule to recover damages for any alleged personal injury, the animal shall not be found to belong to a species that possesses a naturally mischievous or ‘vicious’ propensity. The bill passed the General Assembly in early May on a unanimous and bipartisan vote.

“I was alerted to this issue earlier this year by calls from my constituents in Bethany, many of whom own horses or board their horses at places like Locket’s Meadow,” saidCrisco, who co-sponsored the legislation. “From a personal perspective, insurance coverage for these animals would have become unaffordable if they were automatically deemed to be vicious in nature. And from an economic standpoint, horse farms, stables and training centers – which contribute quite a lot to Connecticut’s economy – could have been put out of business. So I think this new law gives everyone a little peace of mind.”

The new state law was passed in reaction to a state Supreme Court ruling earlier this year which found that an owner of a domesticated animal has a duty, under a two-part test, to use reasonable care to restrain the animal so as to prevent it from doing injury.

“Connecticut has a large population of horse owners and handlers, and as such, I’m happy to sign this legislation so that we can ensure their operations can continue without possible negative consequences,” Malloy said. “I am proud of Connecticut’s growing agricultural sector, and I remain committed to the growth of this industry and to the hard working farm families of Connecticut.”

Zupkus on Wednesday joined local and state officials and horse enthusiasts at Locket’s Meadow Farm, where Malloy signed legislation that protects the owners and handlers of domesticated horses from a March court ruling by making it clear in state statute that these horses don’t possess a “naturally mischievous or vicious propensity.”

Zupkus, like Malloy and others at the event, talked about the long history of horse ownership in Connecticut as well as the important role the industry plays in the blooming agriculture sector of the state’s economy. The event was hosted by Locket’s Meadow Farm, a sanctuary for at-risk farm animals.

Zupkus joined Malloy and other officials in checking out the horse stable and other site features. Malloy, like Zupkus, said that horse owners were under threat from the possibility of skyrocketing insurance rates due to the March court ruling, and many people on hand Tuesday agreed that without the legislation many horse owners would have considered giving up their horses or leaving the state with them because of those increased insurance costs.