Going poor renewing memberships...

[n2dressage]

Anyone ever feel like they are going below the poverty level when they renew all of their memberships?? I just did USDF... USEF... and I need to do USEA...! By the time I'm done I feel like I won't have any $$$ left for actual entries!!! :eek:

[unbridledoaks]

LOL! I totally agree with you. Throw in 4 lifetime recordings for both USDF and USEF with that for mature horses then breed memberships...

[Thoroughbred Hunter Lady]

Ohhhh, I too agree with you! What with the association, federation, etc. memberships, let's not forget the various magazine, periodical subscriptions, etc. too! And, as much as I think it's important to belong to your chosen discipline's clubs, etc. and I must say that I do enjoy the magazine reading, sometimes it seems like such a chore to write those multiple checks every year!

[JRG]

This year, I felt much better about my memberships. Specifically because, I don't have to register a horse this year. Like a poster had mentioned, the lifetime horse is steep!

[rabicon]

I had to do it all also and also my local schooling asso. :eek: I'm broke :lol: It really surprised me how much I had to spend. I hate that there are so many different ones to join. I'd hate to have to join USEA also this year but I think I'm cutting out eventing all together and just going to do c/ts at the local. Its just crazy.

[TouchstoneAcres]

It is painful. I think I benefit more from GMOs and regional breed club so don't mind them at all. Plus members get free classifieds with the GMOs so that can pay for itself. The others---well I feel I have to, that's all. It wouldn't look that professional to skip USEF and USDF. In fact I got a mass letter from a local "trainer" seeking business and looked her up--no memberships. I concluded she wasn't all that professional. Pay to play.

[FriesianX]

We also HAVE to join our GMO if we're going to show - otherwise a whole 'nother non-member fee to pay. And then there is horse recording with USDF on top of horse registration with USEF. And my stallion's registry requires a whole 'NOTHER fee if we are going to participate in All Breeds awards... The money just keeps dribbling away, doesn't it?

I wish there was ONE fee we could pay if we're showing in ONE discipline - and then we could have ONE membership number, ONE card. And our horses could have ONE number and ONE card too! It isn't just expensive, it's kind of archaic... Think of all the people trying to monitor that at the various organizations - and the poor show managers trying to track it all. :eek: There's got to be an easier (and less expensive) way...

[merrygoround]

Hmmmm! I wonder if I paid my GMO dues? If I don't get a newsletter I'll guess I didn't. :no:

Dragging my heels on the breed membership. :sigh:

Paid everything else back in Oct/ Nov, when I was still feeling rich.

[slpeders]

Did my GMO in November, but still need to do USDF and USEF I think. :( Guess I should figure out first if I'm even going to be able to show the new girl or if I'm not quite ready for prime time yet! How come everything has to be on the calendar year?!? I'm also getting hit for website renewal, massage insurance renewal and group membership for that. I'm steadfastly ignoring the magazine renewal cards. If they expire, so be it I guess. I'll miss them, but can get them at the tack shop once in a while if I REALLY miss them, or just re-up later. The stack on my table might finally shrink...

[JMurray]

I never get to all of mine until February. Having all that money to shell out at holiday time is a hardship!

I have to include a participating membership for all breeds and a DAD class sponsorship in the renewal budget as well.

[Sandy M]

AAaaaargh....I feel your pain.

I had to join AHA in order to SAVE money in registering my half-Arab.

I had to rejoin (against my will!) ApHC to register the same horse's "other half."

I always join my local GMO. I've foregone "participating" USDF membership and just go with the GMO/USDF affiiliation, and I didn't renew USEF membership since at this point, I'm only showing Intro, which is unrecognized. I suppose I ought to pony up the $$ for USEF and USDF, though, since I certainly HOPE to be showing Training Level by mid-year. Sigh.

Because I always have color horses, I used to join ApSHA, but geesh, who can afford it any more. Just getting to the shows is expensive enough, and these days, I'm only riding one class instead of two.

[STF]

Tell me about it! Grrrr!

Try adding on if you have a stallion and have to pay all the active stallion fee (300-500 per year depending on which registry!!) My tax return is going to "stallion costs"..... this year! :(

[Mardi]

Yep, just paid my USEF, and USDF, and then comes the breed registry membership invoice too. Total: $227. Total does not include a GMO fee.

So after that and after reading all the above posts, here's the solution.

WE need to charge THEM (equestrian associations) for the privlege of having US be affiliated with THEIR organziation.

The way it is now, it's all backwards.

We need to charge a fee for being able to have us as members.

Aren't we worth it ?

Of course we are. Without us, they're nothing.

Let's see. How much should we charge them ?

[STF]

Mardi has the right idea! :lol:

[Ambrey]

LOL, I just joined the CDS for the first time and that was bad enough! I think I'd have a heart attack paying for all of them!

[unbridledoaks]

Tell me about it! Grrrr!

Try adding on if you have a stallion and have to pay all the active stallion fee (300-500 per year depending on which registry!!) My tax return is going to "stallion costs"..... this year! :(

Oh I know! I have 2 stallions this year....

[n2dressage]

Crap... I haven't done the local GMO yet... Well there's some more money to shell out! I think I need to do more overtime at work... but then when shall I ride my horse that I'm paying all these dues to be able to show him??? I *hope* to get my bronze medal this spring in which case the joy of earning that medal will hopefully erase all the bad memories of being poor! :yes:

[ise@ssl]

Well consider what it's like for us breeders!! I get Lifetime numbers for all our horses and ponies and have to pray that the new owners or future owners will keep that number to at least give me credit as the breeder.

I have had a Lifetime USDF membership through my GMO for over 30 years. Now I have to pay an additional fee each year to them to be LISTED as a member. And I also have a Participating Membership. My horses are all owned by a corporation so I have to register my corporation EVERY YEAR with USDF and pay a big fee.

On the USEF side - I paid a very large fee to register the corporation and purchased a Lifetime membership for myself. NOW - if any of the horses are going to show in the Hunters we have to pay for this Hunter Jumper Association fee. AND we've had some go into eventing to that's USEA fees as well.

What frosts me as that there is NO GUARANTEE that the horses and ponies I bred will continue to be registered in the system with full breeding information including me as the breeder.

I Europe they get ONE NUMBER FOR LIFE for ALL DISCIPLINES. Everytime I ask the various horse organizations why we can't do that I get a bunch of hooey from them.

[STF]

I Europe they get ONE NUMBER FOR LIFE for ALL DISCIPLINES. Everytime I ask the various horse organizations why we can't do that I get a bunch of hooey from them.

I so agree with you. Maybe one day, ONE DAYYYYYYYYYYYY, it will happen.

[rugbygirl]

I'm a bad member and stretch them out. No rated shows until April? No Canadian Equine Gold membership until April :D

I have to buy Alberta Equine to ride at my barn, it's not so bad, and thankfully AHA memberships are 12-month, they don't all automatically expire in January. You also have to do the local club thing at the same time.

I'm a total Amateur, Local-only show person though, can't imagine what you have to do if you actually show at a high level!:eek:

[Sandy M]

I'm a bad member and stretch them out. No rated shows until April? No Canadian Equine Gold membership until April :D

I have to buy Alberta Equine to ride at my barn, it's not so bad, and thankfully AHA memberships are 12-month, they don't all automatically expire in January. You also have to do the local club thing at the same time.

I'm a total Amateur, Local-only show person though, can't imagine what you have to do if you actually show at a high level!:eek:

But I begrude paying for a full year in April. They don't give "partial discounts" if you join USEF or USDF for half a year, nor do they carry the membership from April to April. It's Dec.1 to Nov. 30,. and if you join anywhere in between, you still pay the full membership, so might as well do it in January. Sigh.

Oh yea, I also join my local breed club (Lordy - now that will be TWO local breed clubs - Arab and Appaloosa). The Appy one is only $10, plus $5 per discipline; don't know what the Arab clubs charge. More, no doubt. Double Sigh.

[rugbygirl]

It's always the dilemma for me, the CE Gold. The way I figure it though, is that if I pay for the membership in January, I might jinx my horse for Spring shows. Counting chickens and whatnot. I know, that's really stupid. Still.

I believe I paid just under $100 for AHA last year, but it covers all disciplines and included the local club membership.

I agree with whoever talked about supporting local breed clubs, I think it's important if you're out there representing your horse's breed in any way.

[Perfect Pony]

Sandy I don;t even KNOW what I am supposed to be a member of? I joined CDS and USEF I think. What all do you have to be a full member of for the 3* shows? Is the USDF membership that comes with CDS good enough?

Do I need to join anything for my horse?

I am so confused.

[FriesianX]

Sandy I don;t even KNOW what I am supposed to be a member of? I joined CDS and USEF I think. What all do you have to be a full member of for the 3* shows? Is the USDF membership that comes with CDS good enough?

Do I need to join anything for my horse?

I am so confused.

If you don't care about USDF Regional CHampionships, USDF Awards, etc, then you are fine with just CDS and USEF membership. But - if you want to qualify for All Breeds, USDF HOY, show in USDF Regionals, or show in anything other than dressage, you need to pay, pay, pay more... Oh, or if you want to show in DASC shows, ANOTHER flippin' membership :eek:

ISE, I'm also a breeder - and yeah, seems like the memberships and fees never end, does it? And - you've probably seen the thread on the Breeders Forum about those USEF "lifetime" registrations that just disappear. For many of the BREED memberships, you need to be a member in the year you BREED your mare, as well as the year she FOALS just to get the foal registered. Isn't it enough they get registration fees, inspection/keuring fees, a little mark up on the DNA fees, blah, blah, blah?

[Sandy M]

Sandy I don;t even KNOW what I am supposed to be a member of? I joined CDS and USEF I think. What all do you have to be a full member of for the 3* shows? Is the USDF membership that comes with CDS good enough?

Do I need to join anything for my horse?

I am so confused.

If you want to participate in the USDF Awards Program (and avoid paying non-member fees), you have to be a "Participating" member of USDF, rather than just through CDS (more $$), and you need to register your horse with USDF ($85 lifetime - was $40 not that long ago. Sigh.) You need your horse ID number from USEF, but that's free (assume you already have one?). You need to belong to USEF for Training Level and above (again, for awards and to avoid non-member fees), but only need to register the horse with USEF if you want to participate in the regional (used to be zone?) championships.

So, if I were showing Markey-Mark at Training Level and wanted to do USDF Open/All Breeds, I'd have to have USDF participating membership, CDS, ApHC, AHA (If I chose Arabian recognition rather than Appaloosa), and USEF. If I wanted to qualify for regional championships, I'd need registration of Mark with USEF. Since I'm only doing intro, and obviously not interested in regional championships, I'm putting off rejoining USEF and/or registering him with USEF.

[Perfect Pony]

Thanks for the input. I am showing training level, but my only goal is the local AA championship show, maybe the CDS championships since they are at Murieta.

So it sounds like I will be fine with just CDS and USEF?

My plan is first show Denville Kanani in March, see you there??

[Ambrey]

Sandy I don;t even KNOW what I am supposed to be a member of? I joined CDS and USEF I think. What all do you have to be a full member of for the 3* shows? Is the USDF membership that comes with CDS good enough?

Do I need to join anything for my horse?

I am so confused.

I just joined CDS- I figured I'd just do 1* shows this year. How much are USEF non-member fees? How many 3* shows do you have to do to make it worthwhile to join USEF?

Also, if you want to be eligible for any USDF awards, I think you need an individual membership rather than the group membership you get through CDS.

But I have no clue either, LOL! I only decided last week that I was definitely going to get my horse in at least one show this year!

[Sandy M]

My plan is first show Denville Kanani in March, see you there??

Probably not. They don't offer Intro, and while his canter departs are improving, I doubt they'll be show-worthy by March. Most likely, I'll mostly be doing Yarra Yarra and Dressage in the Almonds this year. Haven't gotten the Omnibus yet, so I don't know what else might work - maybe some Marin County shows, or the Vacaville ones. I hope maybe Denville Kenani by, say, June or July? (probably MHA in July......) That's assuming I have the $$$, not a sure thing, by any means.

[Sandy M]

I just joined CDS- I figured I'd just do 1* shows this year. How much are USEF non-member fees? How many 3* shows do you have to do to make it worthwhile to join USEF?

Also, if you want to be eligible for any USDF awards, I think you need an individual membership rather than the group membership you get through CDS.

But I have no clue either, LOL! I only decided last week that I was definitely going to get my horse in at least one show this year!


Since I'm mostly just schooling (and since I'm still at Intro), yeah, CDS is enough. Since Intro is not recognized, I can do 3* shows and NOT pay a non-member USEF fee. Usually - when I was showing my dear old Erik at 1st and then 2nd level, I only did 3* and paid ALL the fees. It's usually about $25 or $35 per show, I believe, if you don't have USEF membership. However, once I'm doing training, I figure if I'm putting out the money to show, I might as well be eligible for awards, ergo, even if I'm doing the shows for USDF scores, I might as well fork out for USEF membership, or I'll be paying through the nose.