H&H’s hunting columnist on pandemic pressures, and horse and hound wellbeing
Best dressed Winner Robert McCarthy The devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic have been felt far and wide across all job roles and walks of life. Just as a lot of hunt staff were looking forward to winding down after a busy and long winter, finishing off a wet and at times unpredictable season, the lockdown was announced. My thoughts are with the many staghound and minkhound packs whose seasons have been more or less completely wiped out.
Like many other small businesses, hunts across the country have had to furlough or make more permanent changes to staffing numbers. While sad, this has unfortunately made sense and has been the right thing to do. However, it has put further pressure on remaining staff to fill in the gaps.
{"content":"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"}
