All this AMHR/ASPC stuff has me wondering...AMHA

[Enchantress]

I've been a little busy and haven't really kept up much on all this stuff, so I apologize if it's already been discussed. But with the AMHA closing its books to hardships coming up..next year? I think, I assume this is to make it more of a "paper breed" and less of a strictly "height breed." So here is where I have questions. If it's going to be considered a breed, are oversize horses going to be able to keep their papers? How could they be pulled if the AMHA is no longer strictly a height breed? And what about horses who've had papers revoked for being over? Or people who have applications for horses who went over height? Can they be reinstated and apply for registration? What about showing? Will there be an oversize division? If not, that still leaves some "oversize AMHA" horses essentially unregistered (What do you do with a gelding who's gone over? That would discourage gelding, I would think).

Or is AMHA staying a strictly height breed and just closing registration?

 

[eagles ring farm]

very interesting way to look at this

I'm anxious to hear what people think or know

 

[AshleyNicole]

Not sure about the answers to your questions but I think closing the books is a step toward making the miniature a breed which is what I am hoping for. I think by getting involved in AMHA and letting board members and the president etc. know how you feel is important. I think it may take a while and a lot of small steps but I think it may be heading in the right direction. I want a lot of the things you mentioned (over sized division or something similar etc.) but it may take time and people willing to stick with it and make those things happen. I believe those things may be necessary if we are going to make the miniature horse a breed and not a height registry. Hopefully someone who knows more than me will answer lol.

 

[JMS Miniatures]

I think they should allow breeding papers on oversize horses. But it can be difficult about what happens to those who turn in their papers in the past? What about the oversize geldings? Them having a show division for oversize horses I highly doubt it.

 

[sfmini]

While I would love to see AMHA become a true breed, it will remain a height breed just no longer open to hardshipping of outside horses.

 

[AshleyNicole]

One of my favorite quotes is--

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Success is often achieved by those who don’t know that failure is inevitable.

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Maybe I am being an optimist lol but if we all just wish and hope that AMHA will evolve into a breed and not just a height registry and do nothing about it than I agree with you it will remain a height registry. I actually think the requirement that horses must have DNA done is another step toward making the miniature a breed and not a height registry.

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[Field-of-Dreams]

I'd love to see both registries close, but have a breeding stock division for any that go oversize. Paint has one that works quite well.