Stupid Old AMHR Breeder

[JMS Miniatures]

I applaud the BOD for making the decision of this sale for 2012. I think it was a great way to gain new members to be involved with AMHR, and in a way it did work by gaining over $10,000 in revenue this year compared to last year with new members. BUT, we also lost over $7,000 in renewed memberships compared to last year. We also made a loss on Secondary memberships of just $400 but it is still a loss. So really we should be concerned as to why members aren't renewing? Also this year they changed it back to where you had to be a member to do any paperwork whereas 2011 you did not. So really what is going on? So are we really gaining new members because of this sale, possibly, but $2,500 profit doesn't scream success too me. Especially when we are close to loosing members over shadows the new ones we get.

I am glad to hear that hardship money received doubled but without members we have no registry. IMO repeating this sale for another year will not solve the problem of loss of renewed memberships.

 

[LaVern]

I'd have a terrible time coming up with the cash refund, but I could give them 10 hundred dollar mares.

I just found that smoking smiley face.

 

[JMS Miniatures]

Another thing too look at is registrations, transfers, and temp to perm.

Total registrations on ASPC shetlands loss of $440.

Total registration updates from temp to perm in AMHR loss of $3,300

Total of AMHR geldings registered, profit of $620

AMHR Temp. Registered loss of $123

Total of Under Miniature Registrations a outstanding profit of $15,600, just shows the under division is still strong in AMHR

Total of Over Miniature Registrations a loss of $360

So in 2012 we gained $12,497 in registrations and people were saying things were looking bleak in registrations for AMHR

The one thing that is also troubling is we lost $15,780 in AMHR transfers.

ASPC transfers actually made a profit of $275

So why the huge loss of transfers in AMHR?

 

[Lewella]

JMS several years ago then President Glenn Nicolls did an analysis of membership turnover and it was determined then that a pretty significant percentage of members don't renew from year to year - I want to say it was close to 20% but I'd have to look through some old Convention notes (this was a decade ago). In the past the new memberships have always outnumbered the non-renewals so knowing why people were not renewing wasn't a major concern. This year we did do a survey and I don't have that right in front of me right now (not at home) but common responses were "not breeding", "the member died", "sold all my horses", "didn't have any paperwork to do" and so on. The survey covered people who hadn't renewed the previous two years. We did gain renewals from that survey. If I remember correctly, membership numbers for 2012 were improved over 2011 (again, not at home so don't have the numbers in front of me). Renewals for 2013 were far outpacing previous years as of Convention - I'm sure the 500 free books had something to do with that!

 

[Lewella]

When I get home I'll post some previous years transaction data. AMHR transfers numbers are historically not great. ASPC generally transfers more ponies per year than it registers per year. ASPC registrations were above average the previous two years so I'm not too worried at the point by them being off a little last year.

 

[Crabtree Farm]

If there is no club, who wants to buy anything registered to a defunct club/registry.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

I would be one of the people not renewing my membership and it is because I don't breed AMHR horses and have no paperwork to do on the ones I own. I would still have renewed my membership except that last year when I sent in paperwork to change a horse from stallion to gelding I was forced to renew to do so. that made a 'free' thing not so free (Canadian membership) at a time when I was financially strapped (had been unemployed for several months) and wouldn't have bothered to update the papers at all (unless I decided to do a breed show or sell the horse) if I had been aware of the cost since it wasn't changing anything for me. It has left a 'bad taste in my mouth' as they say and I am doubtful if I will ever be a member again. I am moving away from the registries and on to other ways to enjoy my horses now that I no longer breed I don't need to register. It seems likely to me that by making everyone who wants to do a transfer or update papers in any way buy a membership they are getting less and less accurate records on horses. JMO

 

[LaVern]

I need a registry that wants to makes money for me not off me. Tell me what you have to offer me. Why should I stay? I don't care if you made a million dollars hardshipping. What good is that to me. It only hurts me.

 

[Minimor]

Now seriously--how many sales have you lost due to this sale? How many lookers have told you they won't buy after all because they are hardshipping something instead?

 

[dreaminmini]

ROFL...are you serious Disneyhorse??? The Miniature horses of today on the whole after people's selective breeding programs have come beyond that. Sure there are badly conformed minis just as there are badly conformed Shetlands. What about the skinny Shetlands, all the ones with no heart girth, with no substance or bady that would be useless performance horses?? All the double registered ponies that are so skinny that look like a good wind would blow them over...this is what wins and that is supposed to be what is preferred? LOL I may as well throw in the towel and stay out for the AMHR show ring.

 

[disneyhorse]

ROFL...are you serious Disneyhorse??? The Miniature horses of today on the whole after people's selective breeding programs have come beyond that. Sure there are badly conformed minis just as there are badly conformed Shetlands. What about the skinny Shetlands, all the ones with no heart girth, with no substance or bady that would be useless performance horses?? All the double registered ponies that are so skinny that look like a good wind would blow them over...this is what wins and that is supposed to be what is preferred? LOL I may as well throw in the towel and stay out for the AMHR show ring.

Please look at my post before the one, to understand further context. I stated that papers do NOT guarantee quality. No one can automatically say that just because a horse has ASPC papers that it is quality over an AMHR horse.

However, there is no denying that the ASPC ponies have brought some qualities lacking overall (look in old Journal and MH World mags) that are generally highly desired such as long upright necks, long leg-to-body proportions, and big movement.

 

[Deb O.]

yes amhr has a cheap sale on hardshipping last year and the coming year. but in my mind it doesn't devalue the horse at all because unlike amha,who by the way is closing its books in 2013 i hear, to hardship your horse into amhr it must first be registered in an approved registry i.e. amha or aspc. So how does that devalue your current amhr horses??? Maybe i'm still naive but this mess seems like people crying wolf who really have nothing to cry wolf about like the boy in the fairy tale. Be careful crying wolf because like the boy people won't listen when you are talking about something important

 

[Jean_B]

I'm sure the 500 free books had something to do with that!

ROFLMAO !! That was the only way you could get that J. R. piece of drivel out of the office where it was taking up space, since no one was willing to shell out the ridiculous amount of $$ that was being charged for it when it came out.

 

[Jean_B]

Now seriously--how many sales have you lost due to this sale? How many lookers have told you they won't buy after all because they are hardshipping something instead?

Again, this thread was started because - in LaVern's OPINION (which we are allowed to have - at least here in the USA...but maybe not elsewhere???) - the CHEAP hardshipping - in her OPINION (which by the way, I share with her) DE-VALUES the BREEDING program (and if you don't have a breeding program, why care or get your underwear in a twist?????) of her and anyone else breeding "straight" AMHR horses. It's an opinion, folks. Now let's everyone that is celebrating Thanksgiving today, go have another piece of turkey and some more pumpkin pie.

 

[Minimor]

Thank you jean I do know what an opinion is. It just gives one more credibility if the opinion is backed up with facts--otherwise it comes across something like chicken little and the falling sky. So, it is a seriously interested question that I asked.

 

[Jean_B]

Oh for pete's sake.

 

[JMS Miniatures]

I'm sorry I guess I would think the registry would be more concerned about trying to find a way too keep its members. I do know that not every member is going to continue to become a member every year. The only reason I become a member every year is because I do show every year. But when the registry looses over $7,600 of renewed memberships I guess that would send a red flag too me. New memberships are important perhaps if not more so, as we need new members, but too me that would be a big loss of members not returning to AMHR. I would think there has to be a way for AMHR/ASPC have a incentive for you to renew your membership year after year. Even just $10 less to renew your membership vs new memberships would be a nice incentive. I know this year when they had that $20 credit if you apply for membership before a certain date was sure nice.

As far as transfers being so low why is that? It seems to me more people bought horses this year then last year. Are they just not transferring them?

 

[LaVern]

I have loved only AMHR and my only AMHR horses for so long. I have been beyond passionate, about them. Crazy I think is the word.

I need a outfit that is as passionate about them as I am. I need an outfit that will do all they can to protect their breeders and their breeders all important papers. I need directors that just don't see them as money for the outfit. I need to belong to an organization of people that feel as strongly as I do, and that will give their all to promote these horses.

I don't think that the directors mean to stab us in the back, they just don't think about us as anything but a meal ticket.

I need directors that say, Our Miniature Horses are the Best Miniature Horses in the World. Our MIniature Horses Are better than any horse or Pony that has ever walked the face of the earth. No other Horse or Pony can come close to being half as smart or half as talanted or half as pretty. Don't waste your money on any other Pony or Horse. I need directors that would say to someone that wanted to hardship into our outfit. Maybe you can, but it won't come cheap and you have to prove you are worthy of us. WE ARE THAT GOOD

But our directors don't feel that way, and rightly so, they are directors for another breed.

 

[Lewella]

I'm missing a few years data but here are some AMHR numbers:

FY 1998 - Registrations 9927, Transfers 7843

FY 1999 - Registrations 12063, Transfers 8154

FY 2000 - Registrations 9997, Transfers 8924

FY 2001 - Registrations 9977, Transfers 9099

FY 2002 - Registrations 10311, Transfers 9221

FY 2003 - Registrations 9928, Transfers 9429

FY 2004 - don't have

FY 2005 - don't have

FY 2006 - don't have

FY 2007 - don't have

FY 2008 - don't have

FY 2009 - Registrations 7458, Transfers 7508

FY 2010 - Registrations 6191, Transfers 6320

FY 2011 - Registrations 5663, Transfers 6033

Same periods for ASPC:

FY 1998 - Registrations 922, Transfers 908

FY 1999 - Registrations 1034, Transfers 954

FY 2000 - Registrations 1163, Transfers 1158

FY 2001 - Registrations 1139, Transfers 1276

FY 2002 - Registrations 1221, Transfers 1256

FY 2003 - Registrations 1177, Transfers 1311

FY 2009 - Registrations 1175, Transfers 1108

FY 2010 - Registrations 1125, Transfers 1161

FY 2011 - Registrations 1094, Transfers 1282

 

[LaVern]

Last Post for me. I just have to decide if I am going to sort of throw in the towel or keep fighting for the AMHR only horse.