You know what blows about Incentive Fund? If the horse you decide to buy isn't incentive fund, you can't enroll that horse yourself. You are SOL. Not every breeder can afford to enroll every horse into the IF, not knowing if all their horses will be going to a show home or not. And sometimes, even the best of prospects aren't going to be IF. AQHA should change the program to enable people to buy-in to it. It benefits the owner more than the breeder in the long run anyway.

 

I agree with this i own a stud who is in the IF and the market isn't there right now to cover all those costs if you don't know if they are going to show your horse. The last couple shows I have gone to the amount of people there is dropping, the rising cost of hay and grain and fuel to get there is where people's money is going.
 

If you purchase a horse that is eligable for the AQHA Incentive Fund, that horse can be nominated until their 24 month birthday. So, you can definately wait and see of that foal shapes out to be show material. The AQHA Incentive Fund was designed with this theory in mind: the earlier you nominate, the less you pay for the nomination, thus the better chance you have to get a return on that nomination fee if the foal does well. The $100-$2500 nominations and age deadlines are necessary for the program to stay alive. Eventually, no money would exist to pay-out for points earned.

Please feel free to contact AQHA Customer Service at 806-376-4811 Monday-Friday 8-5CST or visit www.aqha.com for more information.

Kayla Randall
AQHA Customer Service
 

It isn't just the foal owners who are concerned with paying in, the stallion owner has to pay in prior to the breeding year.  I have to hope that the foal owners pay in or attempt to incorporate the fees into my stud fee and "assist" with getting the foal in the program or maybe lower my fee if the mare owner will sign out of it and let me nominate it.  Plus the next year's fee will be based on the number of mares bred the previous year.
I have my young AQHA stud that is generating some attention.  I want to do what is best for him and the resulting foals, but money is tight.  I am required to pay in $300 by this Nov 30th if I am going to introduce him next year and have him in the IF program.  That amount of $$ use to not be a big deal, but lately......
Unrelated.....I am also learning about the EVA situation and what I need to do to protect him from that....so there is a little more $$ to be spent prior to this endeavor.
Plus, I want to be able to A.I. instead of live-cover.....I have to get with another facility to do that and it will again affect what my stud fee will be.

I would like to see the IF be more of a buy-in that is due when you send in your stud report.  That way you know exactly how many mares are bred and not just base it on what may have been a great year prior.

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