members.”

process is an on-going one so we won’t cross education off our list, but we can cross off one year of progress, growth and commitment.

When I stepped into this role, I wanted to clearly lay out how our plan to structure the future of AQHA was to be determined. That plan is threefold: Establish the most important initiatives for the Association. Accomplish those key initiatives to the best of our ability, rather than take on too many initiatives and only reach partial completion. Continue to strengthen our team, because the stronger our team is, the stronger the results will be and the better we can serve you.

Our initiatives drive our vision and our core focus each year to serve the members. We have already moved through our first set of initiatives and we will continue to work on those areas, but this year we have additional areas of focus.

These 2023 initiatives are: Provide better tools for the staff to better support our members. Acknowledge and celebrate how diverse our membership is and increase participation in AQHA’s various programs – Horseback Riding Program, Professional Horsemen, Ranching Heritage programs and more. Complete a comprehensive member survey to determine the demographics and desires of our membership. Develop a multidiscipline educational series on animal welfare.

Our focus is on these areas, but we continue to challenge staff to think critically and creatively on how we can better serve the membership. As an Association tasked with continued on page 78

Lifetime cost of horse ownership is often 4 times higher than expected

Synchrony, a consumer financial services company, conducted a study, study, "Equine Lifetime of Care" and found that the cost of horse ownership ranges from $300,000 to $924,000 based on the role of the horse.

The study, conducted on behalf of CareCredit, a Synchrony financing solution for veterinary care, investigated an exhaustive list of horse expenditures, including food and nutrition, boarding and grooming, farrier services, tack and gear, breeding, routine and emergency veterinary care, end of life care, and more, over a horse's lifetime, which is averaged at 25 years.

According to Synchrony's Equine Lifetime of Care report, costs vary depending on the horse's role: $575,000-$1,000,000 for competitive horses, $295,000-$400,000 for recreational horses, $215,000-$290,000 for backyard horses

On an annual basis, the all-in costs for owning a horse range from around $8,600 to $26,000 per year, not including events or operating expenses. "Nearly all horse owners keep their horses for life – which can be as long as 25 years. Yet, the true cost of care is consistently underestimated, and many horse owners aren't financially prepared for care-related expenses," said Jonathan Wainberg, senior vice president and general manager, Pet, Synchrony in an organizatioanl release. "With the Synchrony Equine Lifetime of Care research, we aim to better educate, inform, and prepare horse owners for what to expect financially, so they have the tools they need to make that lifetime commitment and better provide their horses with the care they need."

Synchrony also asked 1,231 horse owners if they feel prepared with horse care expenses with 83% responding yes. However, Synchrony found that the actual total lifetime cost is 3 to 4 times higher than what horse owners expect.

FROM PAGE 74 Karl Stressman

preserving the integrity of the American Quarter Horse, we will continue to adhere to the Association’s mission, which includes protecting our horse; recording and preserving pedigrees; providing beneficial services and diverse educational programs; and generating growth of AQHA membership; all while honing our vision to specific areas to incite change.

In 2022, the Member Experience Team focused on AQHA member services in three primary areas: work turnaround, call hold times and increasing the number of AQHA representatives members can speak directly about their AQHA work. In January 2022, there were 17,000 applications waiting to be worked, many of which had been waiting longer than 100 days. This backlog was caught up by the Member

Experience Team by April 2022 and maintained the rest of the year. Currently, work is being fully processed in less than two weeks, provided all the necessary information is in order. AQHA’s top priority is serving our members worldwide and their American Quarter Horses.

It is a privilege to work with AQHA staff, the AQHA Executive Committee, Board of Directors, Standing Committees and council members and, of course, our affiliates representing more than 130 countries, to continue to improve AQHA for generations to come.

I have operated on an opendoor policy and will continue to do so. If you ever run into me at an event, please don’t hesitate to say hi and introduce yourself or schedule a visit to come see us down at AQHA Headquarters in Amarillo. Getting to know each of you is a perk of this job and one I take very seriously. I am looking forward to another year of progress and promoting the American Quarter Horse we all love!