A reader commenting on last week’s blog about giving horses the benefit of the “one free bite” rule mentioned attractive nuisance laws as the other side of the coin, a way to impose liability for injuries to careless children. “Attractive nuisance” sounds like a contradiction in terms. How can something that’s attractive, like a painting or a sunset also be a nuisance? And what does it have to do with horses?

The phrase is legal shorthand for an important principle that imposes liability on a property owner for injuries caused by a dangerous condition (possibly including horses) on the land