I am Shocked,

[lvponies]

:aktion033: :aktion033: Heather Glen Farm!!` :aktion033: :aktion033:

 

[Michelle@wescofarms]

Very well written Laurie!

The intent of this Alliance may be pure, but it just smacks of underhanded the way it was handled. To form a marketing alliance, host not pointed shows, increase International awareness, etc., any number of people or a group could do that - the fact that they've hinted at a possible future without AMHA and gave a laundry list of 'or else' while sitting in these very AMHA committees and board seems odd.

 

[HGFarm2]

Very well written Laurie!

The intent of this Alliance may be pure, but it just smacks of underhanded the way it was handled. To form a marketing alliance, host not pointed shows, increase International awareness, etc., any number of people or a group could do that - the fact that they've hinted at a possible future without AMHA and gave a laundry list of 'or else' while sitting in these very AMHA committees and board seems odd.

Hi, Michelle. This is actually Lauries daughter, Jennifer. She is HGFarm and I am HGFarm2. Thank you though. She had been reading this for awhile before me and I came on and read the initial post then went and looked at the website and posted before even getting to read all of what others had said. I was angry and frustrated and didn't agree with the contradictions right off the bat from what they had in the articles posted here and then what was said on the site and they say they are working with AMHA yet it seems they have nothing nice to say about AMHA what so ever. The post of owning a mini versus a big horse made it sound like you could be an unknowledgable moron to own a mini and there was nothing nice about owning a big horse. I am fortunate enough to have both however I know a lot about riding and nothing about driving so I at least took the time to ask someone who knew. Would someone less experienced think to do that? Unfortunatly, not always, which could lead to a potential disaster. What a mess!! I don't know what else to think on this. I feel it is being handled in a shady, sneaky way and I don't think there is going to be a lot of good cooperation and communication between AMHA and IAMHA which will cause more problems rather than fixing anything. I don't feel comfortable handing over my hard earned money to an organization that will not or can not identify their founding members and exactly what your varying levels of membership will be going for.

Thanks again.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

hat was a very well thought out post, Thank you.

If this is a business and we join as business partners, rather than members we would also be responsible for any losses made by this "club"

If it goes under so do we?????

 

[just2minis]

HGFarm2 Jennifer,

I have been reading this post since it started and your comments are right on !

 

[HaazeMinis]

Very well thought out post HGFARM2!

:

I agree with Mary Lou! Makes you really think about it!

: HMM!!

Also, didnt read all the information on their site, so I didnt know about all the "big" horse verses "little" stuff. Very interesting!

The absense of some certain LB Members posts on this topic really has me wondering if they are or could be behind this "organization" as well?

: Especially ones from that area? Why be so "secretive" about who these "founding" members are? :no:

It is stated in the post regarding response from AMHA regarding this and other statements made in earlier topics brought up here that most all the founding members of this group are from Texas and most all of them have been/are on the BOD and/ or have been/are Presidents of AMHA. But yet NO ONE else has come forward except John with statements. I figured someone else would have come forward by now?

I just find this very unsettling now! :no:

Jeri

 

[kaykay]

everyone seems to have a hard time finding the bod of this group on their site. I agree they did not at all make it easy to find but it is on their site. here is the board of iamha

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Susan/Al Bulgawicz

Director

Willow Crest Farm Inc.

18463 Cypress Rosehill Road Cypress, Texas 77429

[email protected]

281 351 9770

Burdette, Don/Beverly

Director

Bar B Ranch

3405 Bethlehem Rd Lufkin, Texas 75904

[email protected]

936-875-4432

Cherry, John

Director/President

Cherry, Cindy

Secretary

Cherryville Farms

4503 Cherry Lane Santa Fe, Texas 77517

[email protected] – John

[email protected] – Cindy

281-898-1247 – John cell

281-898-1248 – Cindy cell

Covington, Joyce/Felix

Director

MCC Farms

6109 FM 390 N Brenham, Texas 77833-7216

[email protected]

979-830-9046

979-277-4951 Felix cell

Goodsell, Kenny/Dianne

Director/Vice President

Dianne Farrell

2031 Greystone Dr. New Braunfels, Texas 78132-3237

[email protected]

830-624-1951 – Office

830-624-1952 – Fax

210-326-6943 - Cell

Hickham, Martha/Will

Director/Treasurer

1712 Lynn Rd Chappell Hill, Texas 77426

[email protected]

979-865-3313

Jenkins, Bob/Dorcas

Director

Rio Red Ranch

16747 FM 1155 E

Washington, Texas 77880

[email protected]

936-878-9997

Weisberg,Polly

Director

Los Arboles

5710 Chatham Hill Road

Dallas, Texas 75225

[email protected]

214-363-6987

Wilson, Mark/Suzy

Director

Ranger Creek

141 Ranger Creek Rd

Boerne, Texas 78006

[email protected]

830-249-9176

Zoercher, Ray

Director

Windflight

1193 Rifle Rd. Pollok, Texas 75969

[email protected]

936-853-3989

 

[Cathy_H]

I think it is funny that someone has discovered that these same people who want you to pay a fee for them to give your ideas to AMHA already sit on the AMHA board now. Why are they not opening their mouth at this point? Why go behind the club you are 'supposed to be representing's back? Why do we have to pay for these people to speak on our behalf? What are our regional directors for then? I also find it funny that their is no introduction on the website proudly stating who they are as new founders/buisness partners of this little scheme? info@iamha is the email? Gee, is it a big secret on who they are? Are we supposed to blindly send our money to some mystery person? If you are out to do such great things, why don't you step up and introduce yourself? We have one name for the person in the initial post, are the others silent partners? Oh, apparently so, since they are sitting so silently on the A board now? For the Texas Mystery Mini Club, I will not be traveling to Texas to attend your shows, I will not pay you to act like a union to go between me as a member and the A board when as board members you aren't accomplishing anything and if the A fails then so be it. I will have an AMHR her

Better late than never & I so agree with much of what you have written............ If these people as AMHA members would not /could not fix AMHA problems, then why would we trust them to fix the problems in a new ( registry ) ?? ........

“Our founding member group has an American Miniature Horse herd inventory valued at more than $5M

If the founding members horses alone are valued at what they think they are, then they have enough horses to sell to support their club by themselves - they don't need my small change............. Sounds like a door being slammed into my face from the get go.

In the event AMHA fails to continue to establish and maintain itself as a strong viable organization, this group will be prepared to lead the Miniature industry,

Put this energy into fixing AMHA problems instead of standing there holding the door open, waiting to shove them out the door if they stumble................... OR get out of the way & let someone else have the job.

 

[just2minis]

The more I read about this I think the people who formed and fund this Alliance should NOT be on the AMHA Board of Directors. It is a conflict of interest, and the alliance obviously has their own agenda which is going to take up so much of their time and money that I don't see how they are going to help improve the AMHA. JMO.

I am all for the AMHA and they need our support !

 

[miniwhinny]

:aktion033: :aktion033: :aktion033: :aktion033: HGfarm :aktion033: :aktion033: :aktion033: :aktion033:

 

[Lauralee]

I'm from Texas.

I have read the majority of these posts on the IAMHA topic. Some I just skimmed but I got the gist of most of the information.

I am not happy with the way AMHA is run. I do see many things that should be changed. I am tired of the constant drama with AMHA and the bickering. The politics in their show ring and with everything else. Because of this, I no longer show AMHA, even though I live close to the shows and worlds show.

However, I don't support the formation of IAMHA. I don't feel it will solve anything. I'm not sure how I would personally benefit from being associated with IAMHA. And it does appear to be designed as a "union" to force the hand of AMHA, and pick up the pieces if AMHA goes under. That part I don't like.

I think its great to form a club to promote miniature horses. There is the Smallest Horse Group, CDE clubs for VSE, and so forth....but none of those are posing a threat to the organization of AMHA.

So I do not support IAMHA.

 

[HGFarm2]

In answer to the question what does AMHA and AMHR get out of this. It is very simple, if we have activites that people want to come to, they must own a horse that is registered with either AMHA or AMHR. These activities we are planning should create more interest in mini's, thereby create a market for the mini's so many of the smaller farms are having trouble selling according to the posts on this and other groups and therefore increase the number of horses and members in the respective registries.

If you look at the historical data from other breeds such as AQHA, when a group started offering activites such reigning, cutting and just got active in promoting the breed the number of people involved increased as far as membership and number of horse registered.

That is what we are really about and that is marketing the product we all have if you will "The American Miniature Horse", which we think is the most exciting under appreciated breed going today.

John Cherry

IAMHA

There have been a lot of contradictions and bad mouthing already but to touch on the promotion of the American Miniature Horse...how and what materials will be distributed? Are they pamphlets with info on the breed as a whole or will you just be promoting the farms of those 'founding' members? Why is it that in the Q and A area of the site, one question was 'Where can I buy a small Miniature Horse?' and the answer was to email your site at the info@IAMHA address. Who answers or checks that email and where will those people be directed? To your or one of the other founders financially backing this, farm? Why could you not have listed the AMHA site, Lil Beginnings, Dreamhorse.com, equinehits.com or the many other sale board sites? Is this using this 'club' as self promotion of certain farms and the heck with anyone else who may have nice horses to offer? The rich get richer and the heck with anyone else. I don't get this. If you are going to promote then you should promote the breed as a whole with an unbiased opinion and be a little more open with information. I agree with others on here that if you want to start a group of your own to do with as you like, then so be it but mind the way you go about it and mind what you say and how you say it or you will do nothing but drive folks away versus bringing them on. Why don't you create a page for each of the founding members to introduce themselves and how long they have been into miniatures/horses in general? Why were you not more open about your intentions and why are half the suggestions made, already taking place within the A club? If some of these same people that are in this club are sitting on the A board as well then they should have already known that unless they missed the meeting that day because they had other agendas in mind? Also if AMHA has a certain way that things are brought to the board and approached and voted on etc... and this is the way it has always been then what makes you think that as a seperate buisness you are going to get things through and done any faster? Does it still not have to go to the board for approval and all of the same avenues that it does now?

Jennifer

 

[oakgrove]

I think it would be helpful if you knew where the AMHA is as far as membership goes. Here are the official membership numbers from the AMHA office.

Year Total Members as of 12-31

1999 11674

2000 11722

2001 11317

2002 11966

2003 12036

2004 11106

2005 12090

2006 12025 as of 12-11-06

Dave Miller

 

[PrestigeMiniHorses]

:new_shocked: i am only now hearing about this. im thinking ive been sheltered or something. but umm yeah i think that some people have the right to try and start up something new since that is how AMHA was formed anyways. however whether or not this new Association will last is a different story but I have to agree if there are more breeds show where there arent any right now then thats not a bad at all...

 

[Lonesome Dove]

"If these people as AMHA members would not /could not fix AMHA problems, then why would we trust them to fix the problems in a new ( registry ) ?? ........

Put this energy into fixing AMHA problems instead of standing there holding the door open ....."

A lot of us tried to make changes in the AMHA ... at last years annual business meeting we voted in several new executive board members. They tried to make some desperately needed changes. They were block every step of the way by others.

As for marketing ... in 2005 AMHA had no marketing budget. NONE. An organization lives or dies by it's marketing. People don't know about us as one postee lamented. They don't know because we don't market. Does anyone remember a DIRECTV commercial from last Christmas ... a little girl wishing for a pony, a dad wishing for Directv ... at the end of the commercial the dad gets his wish and little girl runs to a delivery truck yelling "MY PONY!" Only it wasn't a pony ... it was a miniature horse. At last years pre-Emmy party, they asked some mini owners to attend and show off their minis ... I probably don't have the details right but you can ask Alison at AMHA. These were not AMHA sponsored events because we don't market to the public.

This year we had a marketing budget. However, so many constraints were put on the way we could spend they money that we were prevented from being effective and successful. You have to spend money to make money.

And who among us was at the 2005 AMHA National show? I refuse to show in Open because of the shenanigans that went on at that show. At the 2006 show, we showed only youth and amatuer. They lost probably $300 from my small farm ... multilply that by numerous others and then add some of the bigger "rich people" and that's big money lost because AMHA can't/won't clean up it's own act.

Numerous people have spent massive amounts of time and energy attempting to change the AMHA from within. There have been surveys of the membership ... several in fact. They're not listening. So, it time to try something new.

 

[HGFarm2]

I agree that marketing is very important. I believe they had broadcast one of the shows on RFD tv at one point though I do not remember how long ago. POA registry is fairly large but not as big as many registries and they were looking at putting something together to promote the breed there. Why could we not do the same. Make some sort of video of showing, driving, the drill teams, some parade footage etc... and do a narrative about the breed and submit that to run once every couple of months or so on there? There are many things you can do. A lot of people from many different horse industries watch that channel. They have, training, cutting, and all sorts of other things on there including the big FFA convention. They also host auctions on there. Just a thought. A little more known and getting the word out to those other than at a livestock show and rodeo and other than only in Texas. Horse and non-horse people alike watch that channel. Horse people and non-horse people alike read Western Horseman. Why not put an ad there as well? Just some ideas.

What about broadcasting the big sale that goes in conjunction with the World show to show that there is a market and that these horses do bring money?

Why was there no budget for marketing? Where did the money go? Who was holding up the progress of things trying to get accomplished through AMHA.

Jennifer

 

[anita]

Lonesomen Dove you wrote the truth nothing as the truth.

Write letter, paper is patience. You might get an answer like Thanks or Funny thats it.

AMHA stays and falls with its member. A member registry thats it, not more or less. And they don't listen to member? No, they won't.

Like I said many times on this forum: I saw the best horses hidden at home. They need to get on shows!

Folks are frustrated!

This spring I'll prepare educational seminars at my ranch.

Have a wonderful day

Anita

 

[shminifancier]

As I see it it would be a win win situation for Both registries. and the selling and marketing of both ,and both shows would be having a move playing field. Why do Oh One Is Better then the other thing? Have Both equal both doing the same and that would be a benefit for both AMHR AND AMHA and everybody concerned would have a level field to sell, show, breed, as well as competition then would be equal in both seems neat to me. Those that would want to stay small can and the classes would reflect that and those that would want some also in B can also do that better for shows, better for show competition, better for the number of classes for year end awards. Gee sounds like a cool plan to me.

 

[mistyrose]

Lonesome Dove stated; "A lot of us tried to make changes in the AMHA ... at last years annual business meeting we voted in several new executive board members. They tried to make some desperately needed changes. They were block every step of the way by others."

Were you at the June meeting when we heard how they managed the AMHA employees? I expected much better from two experienced businessmen. They were also not forced out but resigned from the position. Mark Wilson at least came to the meeting so people could talk to him. Felix Covington was not present.

I can not tell you how pleased I was when Felix was elected. I had to miss the February meeting due to family obligations but when people called me and asked me if I knew him I told them I thought he would be great because of his business background and polite nature. I was so embarassed by the way OUR (because we are AMHA) employees were treated. Staff changes are often needed or desired but there is a proper way to hand it. They were blocked by the board because of the way they handled the situation not because the changes weren't needed. The changes in staff have now been accomplished. Employees have to right to expect to be let go with some dignity. No employee should be discussed in a memo as "the old girls or the young girls".

I did attend the 2006 world show. The issue at the 2005 show was caused by a lapse in the rules. Changes are being voted on in February to close the lapse. ( can't show in a shorter division at the championship or World show) In my mind the real issue was the behavior of a trainer to his client. That isn't something AMHA can control.

I do agree that AMHA has a problem with their level of marketing. It is the members who need to speak up in the meeting to direct that the funds be sent that way. To form an "organization" to market your horses and host shows is great. I don't think that anyone has a problem with IAMHA doing that. The problem is the threat of a new registry if AMHA doen't fall into their line. They say that isn't their intent but as soon as they mentioned stepping in if AMHA fails they declared it to be an intention. If it wasn't it would have never entered their minds.

I have been trying to not add to this subject but I am couldn't let the last comments go without reply. I have to go be apart of Christmas now. I hope we all can discuss this and listen to both sides and move forward in the spirit of all the holidays of December.

 

[DunPainted]

SAME INFORMATION PROVIDED ON CHARLOTTE'S SUBSEQUENT POST:

QUOTE(Bess Kelly @ Dec 23 2006, 10:50 PM)

I'd like to see some type of "off site" attendance for the meetings similar to college classes that are viewed by many in different areas.

Gosh, we can go to class online and get a degree but can't "attend" our annual meeting in a similar fashion It can be done, we know this.

We just have to get the proper documentation, assemble estimated costs, etc., etc., to then submit a request to vote on a change, with the intent clearly stated. It's the challenge to excel that keeps us moving forward.........

FRANKLY, I DON'T KNOW MUCH.... but Miss Bess has a TERRIFIC IDEA

However, based on folks who've been in the mini horse world/business, and the MAGNITUDE of this situation coming down the pipe (complete with lack of confidence of those charged with operating a world-wide, respectful oganization -- inclusive of one taking great pride in EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE -- this is an excellent format for members to participate in said meetings.

NOPE, I'm not an AMHA member (at the moment -- need to register three horses prior to year's end). However, based on the material provided by knowledgeable members, I wonder if this particular registry is worth spending funds from our family's limited budget. However, based on the current state of affairs and marketability of said horses, it seems the right thing to do AT THIS TIME. (By the way, THANKS TO TAMI OF OAK PARK MINIATURES for entrusting me with "MR. ROYAL", and A/R stallion in my avatar).

Just sayin is all,

Cindy

--------------------

DUN PAINTED RANCH

To The World You May Be One Person

BUT......To One Person, You May Be the World

http://www.dunpaintedranch.com

REHS ROYAL GEM - Thank You Tami of Oak Park Miniatures