Loose Horses on Public Footpath

I was just wondering if anyone knew the law ref the above? Is it legal for land owners to put their horses on a public footpath? I ask as their is a footpath nearby on the edge of a farmers land, he has tried in the past to get the footpath closed and failed, now there are horses there. Someone I know nearly got knocked down by the horses when she was out walking, (it is a narrow ish stretch).

Thanks

Yes it is perfectly legal to have horses in a field with a public footpath going through it.

Do you mean a public footpath across a field

Sorry have now repeated myself

Sorry, I haven't been clear enough. It is a public footpath, at the edge of the field, leading to the river. The field was sectioned off, he has now put a gap in the fence so the horses are free to roam.

If the field was sectioned off, I would ask the council, they can tell by land registry if he can do that, if his land ends where the fence is and he has opened it, then obviously he is breaking the law, which could endanger passing public/the horses

You can have a footpath THROUGH a field with horses in, so along side will be no probs!