My AQHA Idea Browse Popular ideas

I am proposing a class for people who do not uses professional trainers to prepare their horses for shows. There are a lot of divisions and even types of shows to level the playing field for AQHA members, but all current efforts favor people with professional trainers. When you calculate the yearly income required to employ a trainer it economically excludes 98% of AQHA members from showing. There are still other ...more »

Ranch Horse Pleasure has been a very successful and growing class for AQHA and popular among members and new members wanting to try class. Leave class format the same and let this popular class evolve without structural changes. (i.e. leave as individual pattern class, not adding more obstacles etc).

During the 2015 AQHA Convention, the Show Committee recommended initiation of a ranch horse trail class for the third year in a row and the initiation of a ranch rail pleasure class for the second year in a row. Both recommendations were passed as part of the committee reports during the closing membership business meeting. The stipulation was made that neither class would be implemented until 2017. The rationale for ...more »

After about 20 years away from the horse industry my brother has come back as our farm manager. He is a past AQHA judge including having judged AQHA and AQHYA World Shows and trained AQHA Champions. His first comment after attending a recent show was, "What happened to the rules?' Upon further review we noted that the rules have not changed, they are just ignored. Please read the rules for what is expected of a Western ...more »

I would urge the task force that is examining the idea of raising the Select age to 62 not to make this mistake. The idea that this will increase the size of the amateur classes is untrue. We could already ride the amateur division if we wanted to. Clearly most of us don't. If you raise the age limit, many of us will choose not to show anymore. The loss of amateurs was due to the disastrous idea of the novice roll ...more »

It would be nice if there were a program to allow senior citizen members to upgrade to a lifetime membership at a greatly reduced rate.

Thanks for considering.

Stop charging for watching the live stream of the World Show. Neither Congress or the Select Show charge (or they didn't in 2013). Being able to watch the World show is beneficial on many levels, as publicity for the breed, and as a learning tool. At the least provide it for free to members (it is our breed championship show).

I would like to suggest that AQHA seriously consider moving the implementation of the ranch rail and ranch trail classes up to 2016 if not sooner. The membership has made it very clear that they are very much in support of ranch classes. AQHA has a huge opportunity here. The membership is asking, no, begging for these classes. How can the association not jump in with both feet and do whatever it takes to make this happen, ...more »

I dont not understand the purpose of the novice. I thought it was to encourage new exhibitors into AQHA shows.. why is it then if someone sits out for 3 years or 5 years and may have been showing forever and lots of points, they can come back as a novice.. that doesn't seem right. I have been a trainer for over twenty years, had world show qualifiers, congress winners and is i decided to sit out for five years i can ...more »

AQHA's inability, and sometimes refusal, to correctly register a horse's color is antiquated. Given the advancements in genetics testing, it is not difficult to correctly register color, even given the constraints of the old computer system and failed upgrade. A sorrel horse with the champagne dilution should not be registered as a palomino. Grey is not a base color, it is a type of white pattern and can easily be noted ...more »

The Fees are getting out of hand for the average quarter horse show. $8 dollars per judge is rediculous and starting to become not worth the showing. Soon AQHA is not going to have people showing because of the fees, The small fry and novice are there to learn to get better not to spend all of there money on one show! Not only is it getting too expensive for people it is starting to become a rich person sport, what happened ...more »

A lot of members funds are wasted sending out useless letters when an email would be quicker & more cost effective, as well as allowing a response to be directed back to the person handling the paperwork/issue.

The AQHA need to get n the 21st century & use the tools available.