THE British Horse Society has been invited to join the Rural Affairs Forum for England.
The forum is designed to put the needs of rural communities straight to the heart of government and the BHS will ensure that the voice of the equestrian community is heard at the highest level.
The equestrian industry is worth £2.5bn a year to the rural economy and equestrian tourism is a growth activity.
A spokesman for the BHS said the foot-and-mouth outbreak proved once and for all that the rights of way network played a key role in the economic health of rural communities.
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