HATS off to the Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, her officials and the Government’s legal team who are spearheading the reform of the law in respect of the duty of care and the legal weight of waivers among other key areas.

The duty of care is a crucially important concept as anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of a legal claim well knows and there are many of those in the equestrian sector unfortunately.

And for those who thankfully have not had that worrying experience first-hand, you are all paying the price via increased premiums, even if you and your equestrian business have a claim-free history.

It was heartening to see our Taoiseach Micheál Martin give what is essentially a real vote of confidence to our beloved sport horse industry with his recent comments in the Dáil on the insurance crux and the legislative reform being undertaken.

The Taoiseach spoke of our sector’s importance to rural Ireland in terms of ‘real jobs’, of the ‘ecosystem’ that spins from the equestrian industry down through the various levels from the hobby horse enthusiasts to professional competition and breeding yards.

The equestrian industry is deeply entwined in our cultural, societal and historical fabric and reflecting that, many TDs have raised their concerns in the Dail.

Threats such as that posed by the current insurance problems will be ironed out in time - we don’t have white smoke to point to just yet but detailed work continues on this issue in the background.

The reforming of the law in relation to the duty of care, taking reasonable personal responsibility for your own safety, is essential work that, when complete, will hopefully go a long way towards redressing the imbalance that has existed for so long in this key area.