WAHA Jan 2017 Newsletter 🐴🐎❄

It's time for the WAHA Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet - This Saturday!

The 2017 WAHA Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet are combined at the Johnson Creek Community Center. Join us for a social hour, dinner, awards, meeting and an election. This is a big one! Review all of the candidates below, and on our website, http://www.wisconsinarabian.com. Tentative menu includes lasagna, salad, bread, and cake.

This meeting is open to all current members as well as perspective members. Let us know if you are brining a guest with you!

WAHA AWARDS AND ANNUAL MEETING
THIS SATURDAY!
January 21, 2017
6:00 PM Social
6:30 PM Dinner

Please RSVP to Debbie Alt Dalt5940@yahoo.com
Questions? Call Nancy Miller 608-334-5498

WAHA Point System Awards
Youth Trapp Award Presentation
Arabian/Half Arabian Ambassador Award
Youth Awards
Youth Meeting
General Membership Meeting
Board of Directors Election
Officer Election
2017 Budget Information
Regional Delegate Election

*The Dick Hoeft Award will be presented at the 2017 WAHA August Show

Nancy Miller - Candidate for Delegate
I have been a member of WAHA since the mid 1980’s and a Board Member since 1989. During that time I have served as President for 5 years and again as President for the past four years and edited the Newsletter from 1996 – 1999. Since 1992 I have been a Region 10 Delegate and have actively participated on both the Regional and National levels.

I have been and am still actively involved in show management: WAHA Classic – 8 years, WAHA August – 10 years, Arabian Futurity Festival 8 years and co-manager Fall Colors Open show and Arabian Community Show – 3years. In addition I have been assistant manager or manager of the Region 10 Championship Shows since 1995.

As a WAHA Regional Delegate I have been re-elected to serve as Regional Board Secretary for the next two years. As a Region 10 delegate to the AHA Convention I have been the Equitation Committee and National and Regional Classes Committee. Since 1994 I have worked on the Credentials Work Force and serve as vice chair of that committee for the coming year. Previously I was on the Commissioner’s Review Panel for 6 years and am currently entering my eighth year as m member of the Judges and Stewards Selection Committee and am current chair of that Committee. I would like to continue to serve WAHA as a Delegate at the Regional and National levels.

Mary Jo Meier - Candidate for Delegate
Current director seeking a delegate position.

Kevin Price - Candidate for Delegate
Current member seeking a delegate position.

Joan Rose - Candidate for Delegate
Current delegate seeking re-election.

Juli Goder-Larson - Candidate for Delegate
Current Vice President seeking a continued position as delegate.

The President-Elect and Vice President-Elect of WAHA will each have the option to serve as delegate.

Visit our website for the latest biographies and election information.

USDA Announces Changes Aimed at Ending the Inhumane Practice of Horse Soring

January 13, 2017--WASHINGTON-- The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today announced a final rule that includes changes that will help to protect horses from the cruel and inhumane practice known as soring and eliminate the unfair competitive advantage that sore horses have over horses that are not sore. The practice of soring is intended to produce a high stepping gait through the use of action devices, caustic chemicals, and other practices that cause horses to suffer, or reasonably be expected to suffer physical pain, distress, inflammation, or lameness while walking or moving.

APHIS enforces the Horse Protection Act (HPA), a Federal law that makes it unlawful for any person to show, exhibit, sell, or transport sore horses, or to use any equipment, device, paraphernalia, or substance prohibited by USDA to prevent the soring of horse in such events. APHIS works actively with the horse industry to eliminate such inhumane practices and the resulting unfair competition they create at HPA-covered events.

The final rule addresses recommendations made by the USDA’s Office of Inspector General following an audit of APHIS’ horse protection program, which found the existing industry-led inspection program to be inadequate for ensuring compliance with the HPA. The rule also seeks to address the substantial noncompliance that continues to exist among Tennessee Walking Horses and racking horses and the relationship that continues to exist between the use of certain prohibited items and soring in horses, such as the use of permitted action devices alone or in conjunction with prohibited substances.

Under the final regulation—

APHIS will license, train, and oversee independent, third party inspectors, known as Horse Protection Inspectors (HPIs), and establish the licensing eligibility requirements to reduce conflicts of interest.

To allow sufficient time to train and license HPIs and ensure an adequate number before the start of the 2018 show season, current Designated Qualified Person (DQP) licenses will remain valid until January 1, 2018. Beginning January 1, 2018, management of horse shows, exhibitions, sales, and auctions that elect to use inspection services, must appoint and retain a HPI to inspect horses.

Beginning January 1, 2018, the regulatory provisions applicable to Horse Industry Organization and Associations are removed and are no longer effective.

Beginning 30 days after the publication of the final rule, all action devices, except for certain boots, are prohibited on any Tennessee Walking Horse or racking horse at any horse show, exhibition, sale, or auction. All pads and wedges are prohibited on any Tennessee Walking Horse or racking horse at any horse show, exhibition, sale, or auction on or after January 1, 2018, unless such horse has been prescribed and is receiving therapeutic, veterinary treatment using pads or wedges. This delayed implementation allows ample time to both gradually reduce the size of pads to minimize any potential physiological stress to the horses and prepare horses to compete in other classes.

Beginning January 1, 2018, management of HPA-covered events must, among other things, submit certain information records to APHIS, provide HPIs with access, space, and facilities to conduct inspections, and have a farrier physically present to assist HPIs at horse shows, exhibitions, sales, and auctions that allow Tennessee Walking Horses or racking horses to participate in therapeutic pads and wedges if more than 150 horses are entered, and have a farrier on call if 150 or fewer horses are entered.

Congress passed the HPA to end the cruel and inhumane practice of soring horses and stop unfair competition. Strenghtening the HPA regulations and the enforcement of alleged violations is the best way to achieve this goal. In addition, the prohibitions on the use of action devices and pads (with certain exceptions) are consistent with recommendations made by the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Equine Practitioners, and leading industry standards for equestrian sports.

This final rule will be publish in the Federal Register in the coming days. A copy of the rule that was submitted to the Federal Register can be viewed here.

The changes regarding the prohibitions on the use of action devices and associated lubricants for exhibitors of Tennessee Walking horses and racking horses, along with the training and licensing of inspectors will be effective 30 days after publication in the Federal Register. The rest of the rule will be effective January 1, 2018.

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