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The Maryland Horse Council
supports efforts by the State of Maryland to control and reduce
the deer population, including, but not limited to sharp shooter
hunts, extension of the hunting season, etc. However, MHC does not
support efforts which will further limit or eliminate the use of
parks by other user groups at least one day per weekend during the
established season.
The Maryland Horse Council
supports shared use of parks by multi-users one weekend day per
week during each week of firearms season, one weekend day per week
in which a firearms ban is in effect.
The Maryland Horse Council
supports efforts to ban the use of double-decker trailers, a.k.a.
opossum bellies, for the transportation of equine.
The Maryland Horse Council
supports slots at horse racetracks.
The Maryland Horse Council
supports the legal definition of horses as livestock.
The Maryland Horse Council
supports the Maryland Feed Fund for the purpose of funding the
Maryland Horse Industry Board.
The Maryland Horse Council
supports AHC's recreational trail riding efforts.
The Maryland Horse Council
supports education efforts for the care and welfare of horses,
supports efforts that govern the enforcement of current or future
regulations ensuring the humane transportation of horses for
slaughter, and supports the development of an infrastructure for
end of life options for horses.
The Maryland Horse Council believes the most promising
approach in Maryland is for the horse industry to work together
with other industries on general tort reform while protecting the
positive aspects of Maryland’s tort law.*
Maryland’s contributory negligence and assumption of the
risk defenses need to be safeguarded. Maryland case law shows the
positive effect of such defenses on the horse industry. Therefore
we oppose attempts to change the basis upon which Maryland courts
assess liability from contributory negligence to comparative
negligence, and any reform aimed at limited the existing
defenses.*
The
Maryland Horse Council favors a more general reform approach
focused on limited lawsuits and damage awards. As a member of the
Maryland Chamber of Commerce, the Maryland Horse Council works
with the Chamber’s Liability Reform Committee and the Maryland
Tort Reform Coalition to improve Maryland tort law without losing
the positive parts of the present system.*
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