Imam al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "The one leading the animal from the front, the one driving it from behind, and the one riding it will be liable for the damage the animal causes with its hand (foreleg), mouth, foot or tail." And he cited the hadith of Sayyiduna al-Bara' bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) as evidence for this.
Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "The injury of the foot is of no account."
Imam al-Shafi'i said: As for what is narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that "the foot is of no account", it is a mistake, and Allah knows best, because the hafiz narrators did not preserve it this way.
The Shaykh said: Only Sufyan bin Husayn narrated this addition from al-Zuhri; Malik bin Anas, al-Layth bin Sa'd, Ibn Jurayj, Ma'mar, Uqayl, Sufyan bin Uyaynah and others narrated it from al-Zuhri, and none of them mentioned the foot in it.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الأشربة والحد فيها / 17688