Menacing dogs put an end to my rides In 10 years of riding on the Downs, I have encountered the ignorant, the arrogant and those in plain denial about their dogs" behaviour. Ignorance of the way horses - which are flight creatures - will react to a predator, and ignorance of the damage half-a-tonne of panicking horseflesh can do to itself, rider and innocent bystanders. And breathtaking arrogance in people's belief that it's their "right" to let their dogs rampage out of control. There was the owner of a young Golden Retriever that leapt out at us who explained, gaily: "Oh, he always chases the horses." And the woman whose Giant Poodle charged at the mare I was riding, making the horse rear, spin round and bolt for home. Furious, I pursued the dog's owner, after regaining control of my horse. She, at least, gave an apology - of sorts. "I am sorry," she said, "but don't worry - I always put him on the lead for the racehorses." Epsom, of course, is home to hundreds of racehorses, which are exercised on the Downs every morning. Large signs warn that dogs must be kept "under strict control" before noon. You might think that "strict control" means "on a lead," especially if the dog has a tendency to chase livestock - but no. Show jumper Amy Watkins rides out for trainer Robert Mills every morning. While I have somehow managed to avoid hitting the deck (as we call it), she has not been so lucky - and had a crashing fall last New Year's Day. We'd just had a canter and were coming off the gallops when this terrier ran at us. It chased us for a while, then ran right under my horse," she recalls. Pegasus, Amy's highly strung four-year-old mount, threw her. Luckily I didn't break anything, but I was so badly bruised, I couldn't get up the next day. The owner just walked away; he didn't even say sorry. The law is as good as useless against these people. Unless a dog is deemed to be dangerously out of control, it is not a criminal offence for one to attack another animal. One rider who has brought a successful prosecution is the BBC commentator and former eventer, Mike Tucker. Two years ago, he was out riding near his home near Tetbury, Gloucestershire, when his horse - former Grand National runner, D'Argent - was attacked by two Staffordshire bull terriers. "They caught hold of the horse's legs and hung off its elbow," he said. The horse reared but they hung on. I only had a small whip and couldn't do anything. They chased Mike through fields and along a mile and a half track before a neighbour intervened. "The horse ended up with 20 stitches; it was the most terrifying experience of my life," Mike said. In court, the owner pleaded guilty to not keeping his dogs under proper control and was fined £460. But this is all too rare. When we print a story about problems with dogs at Horse & Hound, we are inundated with responses from readers who have suffered in a similar way - and find they are powerless. In one case, a reader from Rochdale, Lesley Butler, reported a dog attack on her son's pony - so serious that the animal required emergency veterinary surgery. Police told her it was a civil matter. Until the inadequate, ill-conceived Dangerous Dogs Act of 1991 - "the worst bit of legislation ever," according to the Dogs" Trust - is amended or replaced, riders and responsible dog lovers will remain impotent against these owners and their hell hounds. But the clamour for change is getting louder. The British Horse Society has been gathering data on dog attacks for lobbying purposes. The statistics - 194 attacks on horses last year alone - are handed to dog legislation officers at West Midlands Police. They have been tasked by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) to move the law on dog attacks forward. Until that time comes, I won't be riding out again. Why risk a fall for something that is avoidable? Without our regular spins on Epsom Downs, the area lost its appeal and eventually I moved my horse to a stableyard a few miles away. What convinced me to move to the new place, Littleton Manor, was its mile-long private gallops. Falcon and I could enjoy a good blast in safety, and I no longer had to be on the lookout for undesirable dogs and their owners. The gallops stopped earlier this year, when Falcon succumbed to arthritis and had to be put down. But I've just heard that I have been accepted as a weekend support rider for the Household Cavalry. I'm looking forward to riding chargers across Hyde Park in the company of burly troopers. I'd like to see the dog that dares to have a go at us. Flora Watkins is news editor of 'Horse & Hound To support a change to the laws concerning dog attacks on other animals, email dogpetition@telegraph.co.uk