As a current board member and having completed the measuring clinic I would like to give a few suggestions that will help us with our job of hardshipping horses into AMHA.
First of all, we want to HELP you to register your horse with AMHA.
The first thing you need to do is contact Registration at AMHA and tell them that you would like to hardship a horse. They will then contact a director either in your region, or the director closest to you. I have mostly been asked to hardship horses in neighboring states... not my region, but I was the closest director.
When it is decided who will conduct your hardship inspection the you and the inspector will receive a packet from AMHA. You will need to pull hair on mares and stallions for DNA AND the inspector will also need to pull hair for DNA testing. YOU may not hand the inspector the hair from the horse for them to send in, the inspector will have to pull the hair themselves. You do not have to DNA test a gelding.
To help things go more smoothly,it is quite helpful to have a horse that will stand for the few minutes it takes for us to get an accurate measurement. While we realize that most horses we are going to hardship are not going to be seasoned show horses, it would be helpful, if your horse is not used to standing, to work with it before we arrive so that we can position the legs and place the measuring stick on the horses back.
If you are hardshipping a horse, especially if the horse is in the 33-34" range please make sure that the horse has had it's feet trimmed recently. ESPECIALLY if I am traveling hours just to hardship your horse. I can not make an allowance for hoof growth.
In the winter months, some people may want to clip the area around the mane and withers... that doesn't really matter....the last mane hair is the last mane hair.
Have an idea where we can measure on a hard surface that is flat and level. We cannot measure in a field.
We also need to see teeth for mares and stallions,and for stallions, check testicles. It is helpful if when we examine the horse it isn't the first time these exams have been attempted.
You will need to take photographs of your horse for the registration, but also understand that the person inspecting is required to take photographs to submit with their report.
It is helpful if you can arrange transport to a show or to the inspector. Remember, YOU are having only one or maybe a few horses inspected, but those inspecting horses may have quite a few requests to examine horses within a short time.
