Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

At 07:41 PM 6/18/2004, Rae Callaway wrote:
> How much more do you want them to do?

I don't want AHA to do anything for me except to do what they say they're 
going to do:  To protect the breed, to promote the breed.  (Actually, I 
just went to their website and they don't even say that any more).  I felt 
let down expecting that years ago.  Yeah, I guess I've got some negative 
feelings now, having developed the idea over the years that I'm pretty much 
a second class Arabian owner citizen because I don't show, don't have a 
"name" trainer and because I think it was pretty obvious what I felt when I 
was at shows and saw the kind of treatment of horses there that literally 
made me sick.

As for the "ambassador" program, aside from the sign and about 5 pamphlets, 
that's as far as that went, no referrals.  Zero, nada, zilch.  Too bad, 
because I enjoy mentoring, and I've had a good time training people to 
teach their horses all sorts of stuff via email (spinoffs from RideCamp, 
Endurance.net and other horse lists) as well as in the flesh, and I've been 
doing it for quite a long time and quite successfully, too, thank you very 
much.  It does appear that the Discovery Program has been spottily 
administered - Chris seems to have had good experience with it and you 
have, too.  Lisa and I are just unwanted orphans, cast away on the 
sidelines.  Just kidding - but really, I would have liked to 
participate.  It doesn't ultimately matter any more, because I do the 
ambassador thing anyway and don't need Discovery Program referrals to do it.

To protect the breed, to promote the breed - I do want something from AHA 
after all:  I want a little thought about what's really going on, I want a 
commitment to the breed, not to show/trainers/money/flash, but to the 
*horses* and new ways of thinking.  I want open minded thinking and I don't 
want changes to come about only because of court orders or because of 
desperation due to falling ownerships and registration.  I have hope - in 
spite of the fact that I'm a second class Arabian owner citizen - because I 
believe distance riding is key to revolutionary thinking about the Arabian 
breed, and that deep in those genes, the ability to do the miles and do 
them well has not been lost and will shine through in spite of it all.

________________________________
   Lif Strand      fasterhorses.com
           Quemado NM USA

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Common sense should also be a part of the decision making process. If you
see someone who doesn't have any, hand them your tool box.
~ Lisa Salas - The Odd Farm

ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/

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