Steve Yemm

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Dowd. Much of today’s discussion has focused, rightly, on vehicles, but I want to highlight another hazard that affects riders on roads, pavements and paths: uncontrolled dogs. My constituent Katie Smart tragically lost her horse, George, after he was chased on to the road by an out-of-control dog. The dangers that led to this tragedy are present when horses are ridden on roads, on pavements and in many other areas; riders are frequently confronted by dogs off the lead, which can cause horses to bolt, very often into roads, creating a real risk of collision. I raised those concerns with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and I am grateful to Baroness Hayman for her engagement on the issues. She has since met my constituent to discuss them, and kindly agreed to meet her again to explore what further support can be provided to all riders who face this risk. Baroness Hayman’s willingness to consider solutions to help people like Katie is very welcome and constructive. It demonstrates the kind of collaboration that is needed to resolve these issues. Horse riders should be able to use roads, pavements and shared paths without risk or fear of injury. This is about protecting lives, preventing collisions and keeping our communities safe.