Letter to the editor

[disneyhorse]

I don't agree that performance horses look vastly different from halter horses. But, competition is so fierce that it just takes a really really good horse to excel in both.

Obviously there are plenty of individuals who place at Nationals or HOF in both. It is like this with almost every breed of dog, horse, or what have you.

Remember, too... Some people only breed for a specific discipline. A fancy-moving, easily-trained stallion might have good conformation but a big clunky head. That head might not catch the eye of a Nationals judge in the halter ring, but be overlooked in the driving ring.

 

[disneyhorse]

I don't agree that performance horses look vastly different from halter horses. But, competition is so fierce that it just takes a really really good horse to excel in both.

Obviously there are plenty of individuals who place at Nationals or HOF in both. It is like this with almost every breed of dog, horse, or what have you.

Remember, too... Some people only breed for a specific discipline. A fancy-moving, easily-trained stallion might have good conformation but a big clunky head. That head might not catch the eye of a Nationals judge in the halter ring, but be overlooked in the driving ring.

 

[Minimor]

Things to consider--many people who show in halter do not drive. It is not that their horses cannot drive/cannot move, it is simply that since the owner doesn't drive, the horse never gets shown in driving.

--a certain number of horses being shown in driving are showing in driving only just because the owner knows the horse won't be competitive in halter. It is true that a horse with a rounded and/or dropped off rear end is probably not going to do well in halter.

If you're seeing halter horses that appear to not move well consider this--how often do you see a handler really trotting their horse out in AMHR halter? Not often--the horses are mincing along because the handler is just shuffling along. When the horse is presented that way, you cannot tell if the horse can move or not!

 

[noblebrook]

Not sure when this topic took a different direction but here goes--when my boy Establo Radiant (avatar) was with a trainer, I was told by him that it wasn't his confirmation that deemed weather he would be a halter horse or a preformance horse. While being shown in halter he did start to drive but I was told that it was throwing off his muscle build for him to do well in halter. So maybe more than confirmation it is that the halter horse needs to be presented in a different way than cannot usually be acheived by them doing both classes at once. IMO my boy does not have that totally flat croup mentioned but he did very well in halter

Now that he has acheived that he is being trained for driving and I have every hope that he will do well in that area as well!

 

[kaykay]

What if we had made rules that would have excluded Buckeroo because his mother was a Shetland. Or some of the Arenosa or Rocky because he is Shetland and some of the others. I don't know if we can change in midstream, just because we are scared. So many love them.I know that it would make it easier for us to have a type, but who's type? I am breeding for a look I like, but the next guy might not like it. So I think that exspony is right. If we had started this thing off with a certain type, but we didn't. So our breed is pretty much dictated by the whims, that year of a few people - that perhaps have never owned a miniature horse- called judges. For a few years, you had to have a doll head, now it is movement, who knows what's next.

This is just so odd to me. And lavern your not alone as shown in this thread.

Everyday we see people post that AMHR is a breed and someone will correct them that AMHR is not a breed "just" a height registry. And you can feel the anger over it. And then someone will post wanting to hardship their mini into ASPC. And they are told they can't because ASPC is a breed and the book is closed. More anger.

Then you see all the "we don't want all of our horses to have Shetland influence" posts. And the "only Shetland type minis win"

But then when the subject of closing the book and making AMHR minis a breed comes up; no one wants it. Then no one wants a set type. Although I guess you could close it and use the same standard. It has to be the biggest oxymoron I have seen.

There are no long range goals for the AMHR mini. Where do people see the AMHR miniature in 10 years? Still a height registry? Twenty years - height registry?

What does it take to make our AMHR papers have value? Which is why this whole thread started. To allow hardshipping but only at a big cost? Or to close the book? Or to run half price sales on hardshipping.

Im not even sure we are at the point where the book should be closed. But it always shocks me that there is no long range plan for it.

It will be interesting to see if AMHA really does close their book. And if they do; where will AMHA go from there? Will they create a "breed"? And if they do become a breed, what affect will that have on AMHR registered horses?

Okay I will stop rambling. This is just the stuff that floats through my mind. Its a scary place LOL.

 

[LaVern]

I have never heard anyone sum it up better Kay Kay.

It is such a dilemma. We don't have a plan. I can't even make up my own mind.

I think that this closing of the AMHA is having more of an affect on me than I thought it would have. Do I hardship 8 - 10 mares that I really like, into AMHA or not? At 600.00 a head (6,000-7,000,by the time I am done) There is only so much money.

So is it better to give them the money than AMHR? I had pretty much decided that I would not. But then I think what if after they close it up they decide to let their Overs be breeding stock. Then I would be sorry.

 

[JMS Miniatures]

With no planning AMHR has no future. We will still continue to be a height registry and we might as well just open the books up competely. It's not something I personally want to see, I want to see us close the books, keep to our current standard, DNA, and breeding papers. I think excluding a certain type will loose members, who's to say what type AMHR wants after all these years, draft, stock, hunter, pleasure, you have them all. I rather we continue to breed for better quality miniature horses of all types that each breeder desires.

As far as I know AMHA doesn't have much of a plan concerning closing its books. I think things will pop up that will hurt them in the long run. The registry itself is younger altho I think its more developed then AMHR as they are the only ones that require DNA on breeding horses and first to use pictures on their registration papers and I like their championship driving classes vs AMHR's stakes classes. But I continue to do AMHR as I feel it has more to offer and would hope to see AMHR's future bright and become a recgonized breed, but we defintelly need a plan starting now, I feel like the registry is kind of stuck. The quality of horses are improving but the registry is going no where in long term goals.