Just an idea for AMHA

[kaykay]

Okay keep in mind i am very sleep deprived. I have talked to several other farms about this and they were all for this idea. Its no secret AMHA needs to get members back and get some more money coming in.

This is my story and I know MANY other farms in the same position.

approx 2 years ago I got into a big hassle with the amha office. Not going into details but I was so mad and disgusted that I totally stopped sending in any AMHA paperwork on any of my horses. Stupid? Probably! (I know i cut my nose off to spite my face) People who know me know that most of my herd is amha/amhr. So this is approx 9 horses that I stopped sending amha paperwork in for. I have been a member of amha up until may 2006. I was going to again become a member this year and start updating my amha horses. Then I looked at the cost. omg! Again this is my fault and I accept that responsibility. But financially it just doesnt make sense to spend thousands of dollars to update amha papers. And yes according to the current fees etc it would be in the thousands.

AGain I am not alone. There are many many farms that have done the same thing I have. Got mad and just stopped sending papers in. Now please dont take this wrong and I have heard things have improved.......but the joke with the circle of people i hang with is "send your papers to amha............get a notice that the papers arent right and for only X amount MORE and late fees etc you can have your papers done" It really was getting to the point that every time i sent papers in they were sent back with a late fee requested even if the paperwork wasnt late (growl dont even get me started on that one!)

I have heard great things lately about the AMHA office. I have heard that they will listen now when you call and they will try to help you get papers right etc. I have also heard that it no longer takes 6 months to get papers back, which again is a huge improvement! I would be willing to try again.

Why doesnt AMHA have an amnestly program for say 1 year or even 2 years. Get your horses papers brought up to date with no penalty fees?? This would not require a bylaw change etc etc. or 2 years to put into effect. I know last year they did a temporary reduction in the member fee trying to get people back, so I would think this could be done the same way without a lot of fuss.

Not saying the rules should be changed etc. Just an open period for everyone to bring their horses back in amha.

I know alot are going to say I am bring this up for my own selfish reasons. And yes thats true. But its not just me. There are a ton of us out there.

I do think this would go a long way in showing that AMHA (especially the office) has changed and is listening to the members and wants to get them back.

Okay go ahead and flame me but at least im honest

 

[Buckskin gal]

I sure do understand your reasoning behind wanting the fees lowered to get your minis back with AMHA. I would hope this would help AMHA also but don't know if it would if it were only for people who got mad at the office help and then stopped being members/keeping their paper work up to date. Un fortunately neither registry is withour fault...I have been upset with AMHR over things also but know the consequnces of not sending my paperwork in on time. It is either pay now or pay more later with AMHR also. I was very upset with AMHR for not allowing those of us who did not yet have a farm name/prefix registered a time to get it before prices went sky high. What do I get told by others other than, "if you are a serious breeder you shouldn't mind paying that cost!" I just wonder how many will tell you something similar like "well if you are serious about being an AMHA member pay the dues!" I am all for members getting a break on their costs and if this would help AMHA, in the long run, I hope it happens. I think most people do want to look out for their money and I know I don't have it to throw away. Mary

P.S Just want to add, most of the people I have talked with say they didn't keep their paperwork up with AMHA because AMHA costs were too high for them and they preferred the B horses anyway. There are all sorts of opinions out there though.

 

[kaykay]

You have some good points. But heres the thing. amhr is not losing members. amhr is financially sound. Amha is losing members and is not financially sound yet. Please i am not amha bashing!!! Just bringing up ideas. AMHR is not problem free either and no way am i trying to imply that!

So after I read what you wrote I printed both work orders for amha and amhr

Lets take for example a stallion. Lets say I did not transfer him within 6 months. And I did not bring him from temp to perm within 6 months. Heres is what it would cost me in both registries. (and this is very common not just people like me who stopped sending them in but there are a lot of people that are just late sending stuff in)

amha

Temp to perm stallion after 6 months $100.00

Transfer of owner after 6 months $ 25.00

Total $125.00

amhr

Temp to perm stallion after 6 mnths $25.00

Late transfer $10.00

Total 35.00

Thats a huge difference!!!

 

[PaintedPromiseRanch]

wow! :new_shocked: that is a big difference!! your idea sure makes sense to me kaykay!!

 

[Magic]

I've "gotten out of the habit" of doing much with AMHA. What I mean by that is, say for example I have foals born every year that are going to mature right around 34". If I register them and they go oversize, then I've just wasted all of that money. (This is where the oversize division of AMHA parented horses would come in handy-- we'd still have AMHA horses out of AMHA-registered parents if these horses went over by 1/2" or whatever. But that is another thread). So I've been waiting to see at what height these horses are maturing at, and registering them at 2 to 3 years of age, or whatever, when I am sure of their mature heights. Yes I realize that AMHA horses' papers don't go permanent until 5 years of age but I also know my horses and they are finished growing by three years, or even earlier.

Same thing with buying horses and transferring them-- I can't begin to tell you how many horses I have bought as AMHA registered (and usually AMHA-only) that have grown to far more than 34". I've gotten so I wait on those as well, and if they stay under 34", I transfer them. On the older ones, I may be breeding an AMHA, close to 34" mare to an AMHR-only stallion, so why transfer her AMHA papers? No point in it for me.

I do realize that I am racking up late fees like they are going out of style by doing this, and I haven't compared the costs, but I think I am still saving money by not registering or transferring horses that won't be making the height. And I have a LOT less paperwork to do each year.

I also would like to say that I used to try showing AMHA, but with the height limitations, a great many of my "ending up 34" or under" horses were "too tall" to be shown as youngsters. As I mentioned, my horses grow pretty fast and get their full height quite young. I started showing AMHR instead, and many of my youngsters show in the "over" division but still end up to mature in the "under" division. This way I still get to show my young stock.

:

I'm just saying this so that people can see that there can be other reasons why someone doesn't keep up with their AMHA paperwork. I'm still a member, and I do some registry work each year, but not nearly the amount that I *could* do. And this could be why AMHA is seeing a reduction in the money coming in-- a lot of people like me and Kay doing a lot less or have quit completely. *shrug*

 

[MBennettp]

I would like to say that I think the amnesty idea is a good one. I have one mare that I never transferred into my name because at the time I purchased her, I never seemed to have the money to spare to send in her paperwork. I haven't sent it in since because she will never be bred, she is just a pet and frankly, the papers just don't mean that much to me for a pet mare. However, if there was an amnesty period, I probably would send in her papers and get her in my name since she is the only one I have that is not in my name.

Mary

 

[tiny acres]

I would like to say that I think the amnesty idea is a good one. I have one mare that I never transferred into my name because at the time I purchased her, I never seemed to have the money to spare to send in her paperwork. I haven't sent it in since because she will never be bred, she is just a pet and frankly, the papers just don't mean that much to me for a pet mare. However, if there was an amnesty period, I probably would send in her papers and get her in my name since she is the only one I have that is not in my name.

Mary

 

[Leeana]

I am one of the ones who did not renew my AMHA membership this year. My horses are for the most part B's or Shetlands so eitherway, i didnt have much to do with AMHA in the beginning and dont show through AMHA. BUT i did deal with them last year with a mare we had and got into a HUGE hasle with them over her paperwork and getting it transfered.

Instead of just making it free maybe just lower the price down for a season or so to where AMHR has it, or even lower to make up for all the inconvience's over the years. I think AMHA could be an even stronger registry and there are so many things i would change about it in a second if i worred more ABOUT THE CUSTOMERS needs then MAKING A BUCK, even that way they would bring in a bit more cash.

Another thing i would like to seen change (while we're on the topic

) is the regular annual membership fee's and this goes for AMHA and AMHR, AMHA for the most part. I think you should only have to pay full membership once the first time you join then after that have a renewing membership fee which is lower.

I dont think your being selfish, i just dont think we will ever see any of these complaints actually put into action and taken seriously by AMHA. I dont see them having any 'free periods' anytime soon. To tell the truth, i'm starting to take pity on amha, they have taken allot of bashings this year already ..not saying it wasnt coming though.

 

[tiny acres]

I have been a member of AMHA and AMHR since 1993. I have never had any problem with AMHA getting my papers. I do them every year and I KEEP THEM UP I do them on time and then there is not problem with late fees. They give you 4 months to get your foals application in it then is the same as AMHR $20.00.I DNA test the year that I breed the mare. That way it is done before the foal is born. It save you time getting your foals papers.If a go over I send in their papers. I breed for the smaller minis. I like to keep my breed stock at around 32" that way I don't have many horses go.If I make a mistake AMHA are very good about helping me get them right. I think if you keep them up they are not anymore expensive the AMHR is except for the DNA testing.

 

[kaykay]

now hang on i never said FREE!!! LOL. All i said was dont charge a penalty! so i would still be paying to update papers just with no penalty fee.

And again its not just me there are tons of people that transfer papers late due to whatever. 6 months is not much time espeically in my case where i was making payments on 2 horses so I didnt have their papers to transfer within 6 months but the person i bought them from dated the sale as the date I made the first payment so ta daaaaaaa late fee!!

 

[Boinky]

If i were AMHA i would rather get several thousand people paying up at a reduced rate..than a few that are willing to spend the $$ at the "normal" rates. Honestly AMHA is too expensive for me..the membership alone will kill ya..then you have to pay a TON to go permanent.. sorry but i think it's pretty pricey..i still believe that's a huge part of their problem..more people at less money would equal MORE money in the long run.

 

[kaykay]

I think if you keep them up they are not anymore expensive the AMHR is except for the DNA testing.

Okay then lets compare the two without late fees

amha

transfer a stallion 15.00

stall temp to perm 50.00 (now being raised to 60.00)

total 65.00 (75.00)

amhr

transfer a stallion 15.00

temp to perm 5.00

Total 20.00

Im only putting that as people keep saying amha isnt more but it is!!

 

[Cathy_H]

And there will be those members that feel they should be compensated for being faithful in supporting AMHA during their hard times. Lots of farms hung on giving AMHA a second chance knowing that if they jumped ship they would have to pay more later.................... Lee & I have been AMHA members since 1985. We don't show AMHA shows anymore but we knew keeping our horses A & R registered made better business sense when it came to selling them. As for affording the paperwork, those costs were not easy for us to pay either. What we did was reduce our herd by half from 20ish to 10ish to make them more affordable............ As for the paperwork woes we have not had any more probems with AMHA than AMHR..................... I'm not trying to be snotty and I won't mind if they do something like you suggested. Perhaps you should write up a proposal & take it through the proper channels where it could be considered. Getting a list of farms & the number of horses they would take up to date might help.

 

[Boinky]

LOL kay kay.. was misreading your posts and thought you were REALLY saying AMHA was not more expensive than AMHR and couldnt' figure out how when your AMHR figures were SOOO much lower how you could say it wasn't any differnt..LOL DUH stupid moment there!

I don't honestly know why anyone would try to say they AREN'T more expensive..all you have to do is look at the work order price thingy to know it's far more expensive! You know it burns me that you have to pay twice to register a horse with AMHA basically. You pay the first registration fee..then $50 to bring permanent.. rather stupid!

 

[kaykay]

hi cathy!

I understand what you are saying i really do. But amha is already considering dropping the price of hardshipping to bring money in. If you just went from a financial standpoint I do think this would bring in more money then reducing the hardship fee.

Even the irs has amnesty years to get people filing their taxes again LOL. Its not an insult to people who do file its an attempt to bring back the ones that got behind.

I really dont know why I always had trouble every time i sent papers in? I really dont. But for those of you that never had trouble im happy for you!! But that wasnt at all my experience.

As far as the farms that have always bailed amha out during financial trouble, i would think that bringing members back in and registering more horses would outweigh them being mad because they stood behind amha and other people left?? But i could definately be wrong

I dont think this is something that you submit a proposal for?? I dont know how you would get something like this going around the BOD? Because its not a rule change and its not a bylaw change??

Oh well it was just a thought in my muddy mare stare drained brain LOL

Boinky i got such a giggle out of that!!!

 

[Relic]

You said....amha is already considering dropping the price of hardshipping to bring money in.

Were is that written or is that just still gossip?? l have a farm up here near by who is very on top of whats going on with the A and they have not heard any talk of that...

 

[minih]

more people at less money would equal MORE money in the long run

Thank you!!!!

:

 

[Tapestry Minis]

I agree with you Kaykay...there needs to be some sort of 1 time "forgiveness" type deal.

I have so much I need to update with AMHA & AMHR due to my husband and I both getting laid off from the same company within two days of each other a year ago. This forced us to sell our house in Idaho and move to Texas where the job market was better and easier to get into. Due to this money has been extremely tight and I've not had any money to even register my now 2 year old filly. I'm sure I will pay dearly to get her registered, but getting a house and place for the horses was a bigger focus and a lot more important than getting their transfers/registrations paid for. Should be a "grace period" or "special cercumstance".

Just my two cents :lol:

 

[VernB]

I personally think that AMHA fees are way too high. I don't have tons of money to spend. I love my horses and chose to take care of their needs before th paper work. I really like the AMHR fees they are much more reasonable. I thought of becoming a member with AMHA but even the fees for members are not much different than a non member. I only have 2 AMHA registered horses and I have poured in more money on them than the ones in AMHR. JMO

 

[Lewella]

The Arabian Horse Association has ran amnestry periods a couple of times in the last few years. It brought in a lot of revenue and brought a lot of registration papers up to date!