Look, I am not against horses, they are a part of our countryside and I respect that and always drive slowly and cautiously near them. My point is what if they do cause an accident? There should be a law that requires compulsory insurance if ridden on a public highway. How would you feel if your motor was written off due to accident caused by an uninsured horse rider?
There are about 1000 accidents a year involving horses. 5% result in horses death, 12% the horse is injured, 13% the rider is badly injured or killed. 0% the driver of the car was badly injured.
Motor vehicles are considered a major danger to other road users, it is therefore compulsory their owners be insured for their liability for injury or death to third parties or damage to their property. Horses, bicycles and pedestrians are recognised as 'vulnerable road users', and do not represent the same level of danger to other road users - as it is considered such low risk, it is considered unnecessary to insist on compulsory insurance to cover their liability.
You have to realise that nearly all our country roads were built for pedestrian and horse-drawn traffic. The motor vehicle is the guest on these roads, the horse has the right and priority over the motor. So in an accident, you will be considered at fault unless you can prove otherwise.
This does not mean the horse rider is not liable should they cause injury or death. Nor does it mean they are not liable for damage, but it does mean it's extremely difficult to prove the horse rider was at fault. So the onus is generally on the driver of the motor vehicle to prove they have done everything correctly.
That's why, if you have collision insurance on your vehicle (most insurances include this except third party), then your vehicle is covered against an accident with a horse whoever's at fault.
If your insurance doesn't cover it, you can demand settlement if the rider is deemed negligent. Even if you do have insurance and it pays up, you can still demand the rider pay your excess if negligent.
Worth noting a few things about cars being damaged by the uninsured:
• most horse riders on roads are actually insured (for their own peace of mind), though it isn't a legal requirement.
• there is an estimated 1 million uninsured drivers in the UK which poses a far greater threat to your vehicle.
• there are 75x more road accidents with wild deer than horses.
• bicycles and pedestrians can damage your car too - they won't be insured either.
So, if your car is written off or damaged by the uninsured, your insurance will likely cover it. Should you only have third party coverage: you are clearly prepared to 'run the gauntlet' against the greater risks of uninsured hit n run, cyclists and wild animals - the low risk of horses should cause you no additional alarm.
This was one unfortunate car driver over the weekend. A car in a ditch signifies the start of winter around here. 
