AMHA vs. AMHR

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JMS Miniatures

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I have been thinking, which at times is hard to do. I have been showing mostly AMHR and I do realize that in AMHR its leaning towards the shetland type, it has been discussed I know, not looking to start anything. Everyone must accept it. Its not as much when you get to the 34" and under but its still there.

I have not attended many AMHA shows to get any difference of feel, I showed at 1, my horse was a terd so I couldn't get the feel how he could do against AMHA vs. AMHR.

So wanted to ask, mostly AMHA people what does the judges like in your area, whats the difference in AMHR. Both registeries I know have beautiful horses that rightfully win so not wanting to start a argument with that, this is not a whos better argument. I just want to see.

Again no fighting. I know these types of posts could get very heated and not asking this one to be as such. I'm just wondering if my horses could possibly hold their own in AMHA.
 
Anyone?
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I would like to hear some opinions from AMHA people cause I am thinking of going to AMHA shows and show? I'm even debating whether or not to go and attend and watch Worlds this year.
 
Jaime,

AMHA...you walk in, Judges look at you, trot away, line up behind each other, check teeth, then get to set up horse to show is one big difference between AMHA & AMHR.

Judges....if you look, AMHA has a lot of the same judges as AMHR. You need to read their rulebook so you can become familiar with their association and how things are done there.

AMHA also hardship some of the AMHR horses into their association, so you will see some of the same one's competing over there too. Those ASPC/AMHR double registered horses that meet the AMHA requirements will be showing in that association as well.

Karen
 
I know the general rules when it comes to showing in AMHA, but what I'm asking about is what do the judges look for over there vs. AMHR. I know ASPC if under 34" can go to AMHA but I don't hear about them so much in AMHA, thats why I was asking.
 
IMO in AMHA the horses that are winning are small,

Proportionate and refined, very refined. In AMHR I see a bit taller, leggier, and thicker horses winning. Again, the "Shetland Influence."

I think less and less people are razoring their horses in AMHR. I went to multiple AMHR shows this year and very few horses were razored. I went to one AMHA show and I believe I saw 1 horse not razored. Again, these were just local shows.

Many of the horses I see shown in AMHR are also ASPC and are shown stretched out. At the AMHA show I went to, almost all of the handlers set there horses up square.

Also, before I showed AMHA I was told that AMHA was extremely political and the people

Were nasty, etc. Not true. There were some of the nicest people

There, and I recieved the best advice I ever have there. No obvious politicts and there was top trainers, top amatuers and novice exibitors. Yes there is politicts and poor sportsmanship in both registries, but neither one has more than the other.

Again, this is all my opinion and just what I have observed.
 
Jamie, if you are a member of amha you receive their magazine Miniature Horse World. Look thru the past year of pictures of who and what has been winning. This past year we have become more involved with showing shetlands and I and my daughter have poured over the last 2 years of the Journal for anything we can learn from them. Very fun and interesting.
 
I think it is hard to say what is winning as it depends on the area I know where I used to live theyhad AMHA shows with like less then 35 horses so that would in no way be a fair representation of what wins at AMHA shows.

Best thing to do is go and watch and see what the difference is. I have seen many a horse cross over from one ot the other in fact I know of several that have done well at R Nationals and then layed over and headed on to World and done well there to
 
I would agree with Lisa that it very much depends on your area. Here, what is the difference between showing AMHA and AMHR? Not much. When we were having both shows here it was AMHA one day on a weekend, and AMHR the other. Judges were the same both days. At one time AMHA day was a bit bigger, then it got to be the other way around--AMHR day was bigger, more entries. The horses you saw win in the AMHA show placed much the same way on AMHR day--the difference was the addition of the AMHR horses that didn't have AMHA papers & so didn't show AMHA....and of course the absence of some of the AMHA horses that didn't have R papers & didn't show AMHR.

Proportionate and refined, very refined. In AMHR I see a bit taller, leggier, and thicker horses winning. Again, the "Shetland Influence."
Again, that must depend on area. We'll see more smaller horses showing AMHA, but there are also plenty of thick ones showing AMHA, while there are plenty of very refined horses showing AMHR too. Of course the R horses are taller, thanks to the 34-38" division. Compare AMHA day to the AMHR under division and there's little difference in heights--again, because many of the very small A horses also have R papers and do show R. I know some people that don't take those very small R horses out to Nationals, just because there is so much more competition and the classes aren't broken down so much by size--so the small R horses have to compete against taller ones, particularly the junior horses I think? I wouldn't say that AMHA judging favors smaller horses--if it did there wouldn't have been the big hoopla that there was over measuring at Worlds a couple years ago.
 

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