Horse & Hound reports from the first Equestrian Employers Association conference where topics included how to balance the business books while complying with current legislation...
Equestrian businesses have called for the equestrian world to unite if the industry is to have a viable future.
The message came during debate at the inaugural Equestrian Employers Association (EEA) conference, held at Stallion AI Services in Shropshire on 25 February.
The incoming rise in the minimum wage for all ages from 1 April, and the Conservative Party’s election pledge to raise this to £10.50 within five years for over-25s, sparked discussion on how equestrian businesses can survive.
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"}
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