If I could paint spots on Kody I would leave AMHR behind for Pinto shows in a heartbeat for all the reasons Targetsmom mentions.
They've got a great class list, don't require checks in driving classes if I recall, and I'm a SUCKER for all those cumulative awards.
Dude, so cool!!
Unfortunately he remains stubbornly solid-colored so my choices are AMHA, AMHR, and ADS. I choose not to show AMHA because I personally (and this is only a personal feeling, not a judgment
) PERSONALLY feel uncomfortable in the beauty-pageant atmosphere. I like many aspects of AMHA as a club like the class list and amateur programs but am just not comfortable with the fancy atmosphere. It seems like everything in my admittedly limited experience is prom dresses and glitz and glitter and very very fancy little horses, etc. That's not a bad thing! But for me that isn't a good fit and I'm not overly comfortable there. Nothing against AMHA.
AMHR seems more laidback and a little more accepting of different styles of harness/turnout so I find I enjoy those shows. I wish the class list was a little different but most of the so-called "problems" I'd correct are things related to the individual shows that happen to be offered in my area, not AMHR as a whole. The Evergreen Miniature Horse Show for instance is great, I love some of the special classes they offer like Reinsmanship and Disciplined Rail and Pair Liberty.
I go to AMHR shows strictly because I like to compete in jumping, obstacle, liberty, etc., and once you're too old for 4-H the opportunities for showing minis in my area are pretty slim. When I was riding the local saddleclub shows were great and if I had a jumper, dressage horse, endurance horse, just about anything full-sized there'd be plenty of opportunities to enjoy small shows on weekends. But there's not really anything local for driving once you're out of 4-H so it's AMHR or nothing. I choose AMHR!
I find the people there very friendly and fun as well.
My favorite of the available options is ADS. Having grown up in 4-H where the emphasis was on bringing along one horse from green horse to finished campaigner on your own I was used to having steady progress rewarded so I really like that the different levels in combined driving are based not on action but on the horse's level of training. You can take a completely green horse in and still do well without pushing them because they're only competing against horses of a similar level and only being judged on whether or not they show the proper foundations for later work. As you get better you move up the levels so there's always a challenge available, always something more to learn. Plus each show has a completely different course so it's never the same pattern twice except in the dressage ring. The horses are also scored 1-10 on each dressage movement then the other phases are placed based on timing and accuracy (not knocking tennis balls off cones) so there's no chance for bias there. To me that leads to a very objective, very fair system where you know exactly WHY you placed as you did and how to improve for next time. Even when you don't agree with the judge at least you know what they were thinking.
ADS showing has its own pitfalls like the fact that in many parts of the country minis are not taken seriously and officials can get awfully persnickety about little tiny details of turnout but in general it's a very knowledgeable, friendly, welcoming group of people. I like the ongoing education and the focus on taking as much time as the horse needs.
My personal favorite venue is county fairs but again, my local fair only offers rated classes for 4-H, FFA, rodeo and drafts.
Leia
