This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] I'd like to join the discussion with Ruthie and Beth on the matter of stallion prevalence and our evaluation system. Ruthie does have a legitimate concern. There's one very simple way we could monitor our registry for this problem -- publish annual breeding statistics. I am not suggesting that any individual identifiers would be attached, but certainly the Registry receives stallion reports and can release an aggregate report. I suspect that the Registrar has some inkling on the appropriate measurement units (i.e. 1 or 2 mares, 3 - 5 mares, etc.) It would be helpful to know if 2 or 3 stallions are breeding a significant portion of the mares being bred in a given year.
On the matter if evaluations, I do agree with Beth that they are educational. I certainly have never heard any suggestion not to breed a red ribbon horse. I distinctly recall evaluators making suggestions about what type of mating could improve a particular horse. That being said, I do have some real concerns about support for the evaluation system itself. I've been involved with the planning of two evaluations and frankly, the NFHR's concern over losing money on an evaluation has created many problems. BTW, I am not advocating that the NFHR should be fiscally irresponsible, but this "Brigadoon" system of holding evaluations has to go. Until the NFHR members can be sure that evaluations are going to be held when and where stated, it's going to be hard to support the system. I'd also like to see the Evaluation Committee publish its rule changes for member comment WELL BEFORE an Evaluation. This has been a major problem in the past. There is one announced evaluation for 2005 at this time. I'd like to be know now what rules are in effect for the 2005 evaluations. I do appreciate that the EC is a volunteer committee, but it needs to be more responsive to the membership if it expects us to support the evaluation system. Somehow the evaluations have to become more user friendly if they are to be widely embraced. Margaret Bogie Ironwood Farm Rixeyville, VA
