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LEMHC Senior Program Requirements
(Revised Nov., ‘05)

This is a program to aid qualifying Senior members of LEMHC with certain expenses of
belonging to/ showing in AMHA.

Program Requirements:
1) Applicant must be a current member of LEMHC, in good standing, and have
fulfulled all LEMHC membership deadlines and requirements of membership,whether as a
new or a renewing member.

2) Applicant must be age 62 or older at the time of application for program benefits.

3) Application in writing(mailed or emailed) to be submitted to the LEMHC Senior
Committee(in 2006: Margo Cox-Townsend, Chair; members Delores Anderson and
Merille Kelley)

4) Funds of $300.00 are to be set aside(at the start of 2006) for this program; program
will be reviewed when this amount has been utilized). Priority in consideration will be to
those who have never before benefited from the LEMHC Senior program; then,after
March 1, if set-aside funds are still available, applicants will be considered on a first-come,
first-served basis.

6) Applicant may be required to present proof of current year membership in AMHA, or,
of holding a current year AMHA non-member Amateur card. Also, applicant to be able to
show participation in three or more LEMHC activities in the current membership
period--examples: volunteering for at least 1/2 day of work at club activities, such as the
Spring Fiesta show, NM Horse Council Horse Faire, and the like; participating in or
helping participants in parades; attendance at LEMHC meetings and/or clinics, and
submission of articles of general interest to the LEMHC Newsletter.

7) Program benefit to consist of $50.00 reimbursement ,from LEMHC, for AMHA
costs(see above),for the current year, for qualified Senior applicant.

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Gelding Program
Chair: Winona Kennedy (505) 865-8366 wkennedy101@comcast.net

LEMHC Gelding Promotion Program Updates: Reimbursements Available!

LEMHC Gelding Promotion Program

Purpose:
· To support members of the LEMHC
· To encourage the gelding of horses for improved quality of life.
· To encourage breeders to geld colts before selling them.
· To encourage ownership of geldings.
· To provide more geldings for the youth market.
· To support AMHA gelding incentives
· To decrease the numbers of miniatures going through public auctions.

Overview:
The LEMHC will reimburse qualifying members up to $150 for the gelding of AMHA horses. Up to $100 will be reimbursed for the first, and up to $50 will be reimbursed for the second surgery.

Rules:
1) Horses in program must by owned by LEMHC members in good standing
2) Horses in program must be AMHA Registered miniature horses.
3) A copy of the vet bill showing horses full registered name and owners name must be submitted to the LEMHC. Bill must be on veterinarian’s letterhead and have veterinarian’s signature. A copy of the horse’s registration papers must also be submitted.
4) The program will begin reimbursing vet bills dated on August 28th 2004 and after.
5) To begin with reimbursement will be limited to two horses per family, per year (Program year begins and ends on August 28th).
6) When a total of $1000 has been spent on the program, the program will be suspended and reviewed by committee. The committee will then report to the board or general membership who will decide whether or not the program should be renewed.

Recommendations:
That a committee be set up to track how useful this program is to LEMHC members. Eventually I would like to see no limits for the numbers of horses enrolled in this program, but if everyone takes part it could be necessary to find alternative funding to make this happen.

Notes:
In the past there has been a lot of talk about creating a fund for LEMHC members who are involved in mini horse rescue. This program does not take the place of that, but could help to reduce the problem. If LEMHC breeders encourage selling more geldings than colts, first time mini owners are less likely to end up with a pet stallion that they want to breed. By reducing the numbers of breeding animals that we put into the market we can reduce the number of pet quality animals that are produced. This will give the horses that are produced a better chance of finding the type of home they deserve.

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LEMHC Novice Program
An adult novice exhibitor cannot have earned twenty (20) performance points
in Open, Amateur and/or Youth competition combined in any recognized equine
association, in order to compete in Novice classes.

Once a Novice exhibitor has earned 80 points in Novice, they will no
longer be eligible to compete in Novice classes in subsequent years.

If an individual is considered a Novice upon application, they will be
considered a Novice for that calendar year. If an individual is
considered a Novice on January 1, they may continue to show as a Novice for that
calendar year, regardless of points earned.

LEMHC reserves the right to check all equine associations/breed
registries for points earned. If a Novice is found to be in violation, LEMHC
reserves the right to remove Novice status.

Novices are welcome and encouraged to show in Open and Amateur/AOTE
classes, in addition to Novice classes.

LEMHC will award Novice points in the following manner: Points will be
accumulated a point for every exhibitor placing below you plus one.
For example : you place 1st in a class of 5, you will receive 5 points (
one for each exhibitor you are over plus one).

For the 2006 year, Novice classes will be as follows:

Novice Halter Mares
Novice Halter Geldings/ Stallions
Novice Showmanship
Novice Hunter
Novice halter obstacle
Novice Country Pleasure Driving.
Classes will be judged based on AMHA standards but may be simplified.

LEMHC will provide year end high point awards for each Novice class as
well as an overall year end high point novice award. To qualify for an award,
you must be a LEMHC member in good standing, during each show in which
points are accumulated. Non-members may show in novice classes but
will not accumulate points toward year end awards.

Horses shown in the Novice division do not have to be owned by the
exhibitor. Horses who have won a world or reserve world, national or
reserve national title or a world/national top 5, in any equine
breed/organization cannot be shown in novice classes. Professionally
prepared horses are strongly encouraged to enter open or amateur
classes.