Over the past several years, GoHorseShow has written several articles about the lease programs for both AQHA and APHA. The rules have changed slightly over the years and we are curious of peoples’ opinions of the current programs and whether they believe these programs are helping or hurting the industry.
Here is a quick refresher on the current lease rules:
Up until 2011, AQHA did not have a lease program. This did not stop people from putting a horse in someone’s name and giving the appearance that the horse had been sold. In 2011, AQHA began allowing individuals to lease horses. Starting in 2016, AQHA made a significant change to the lease rules. Before, an individual could end a lease at any time, but now the lease is required to be for one year. If the horse is sold during the time of the one-year lease, the new owner is not able to show the horse in Amateur/Youth classes until the official lease is over. One other change AQHA made is that if someone wants to renew a lease after one year, it has to be for another full year.
The AQHA International Lease program allows individuals from another country that have qualified to show at the AQHA World Show to lease a horse in the United States during the show. It gives international riders the ability to still compete with the best of the best but without having the costs of shipping their horse from overseas.
With regard to APHA, the lease program began in January of 2015. A person completes the lease form supplied by APHA. It has the lessee and lessor’s signatures with the start and end date. To terminate the lease early, either party can notify APHA in writing of cancellation at any time. This year, there were some controversies regarding the APHA lease rules that APHA is currently addressing.
GoHorseShow asked several individuals who compete in AQHA, APHA and Internationally their thoughts regarding these lease programs. Let’s find out what they had to say. We would like know your opinion as well. Please take the poll at the bottom of this story.
AQHA Lease Program
Alyse Roberts – Well, I’m not a fan. I understand the guidelines they are following and can somewhat understand their reasons behind the new AQHA lease rules. It states that the horse is leased out for a minimum of a year. My issue with it is what if the horse sells? If the horse is leased and someone comes up and wants to buy that horse, there is no way to terminate the lease. That doesn’t make sense to me as a trainer or if I were the owner of said horse. There needs to be a way out of the lease before that one-year minimum. I really don’t see where these rules benefit anyone associated with that horse, including the class numbers if that horse is unable to show for the remaining of the lease term.
Farley McLendon – I think it’s a great way for someone who can’t afford the initial cost of a horse, but can afford the care and showing costs. I had a youth lease a horse and was Reserve Champion at the Congress. This situation was a win-win for the owner who couldn’t afford to send the horse to shows and the youth.
Debbi Trubee – I think the lease program has stifled overall sales in the horse industry not only because the top end horses have just gotten passed around to a variety of different riders, but it also has discouraged new people getting into the show industry when they feel they can’t be competitive at the shows.
The novice division had been such a boom for getting new blood to test out the AQHA shows, but now even that division is dominated by the famous horses just being passed on to a different eligible rider each year.
You can’t have 10% of the participants and horses do 90% of the winning at every level. In very short order, the 10% will be the only ones playing.
Kellie Egkan-Hinely – I think it’s a great program. It allows people that may not be in a position to buy at the time, to ride and show when otherwise they wouldn’t be involved. It can also be beneficial for the horse owner in times where they aren’t using their horse but are not ready to sell. AQHA allows the horse to be shown by the lessee in amateur, youth, and open classes.
Adrienne and Taft Dickerson – We believe that the leasing program was a great idea. Like many great ideas, it has been abused. Originally, the program was designed for people to have a nice horse that maybe couldn’t afford that level of horse and get their feet wet in the industry. The program hasn’t been used by those people, but for trainers’ children or clients that can afford them.
Trista Mallow – I still think it is a great program that allows for both the owner and lessee to benefit. It gives an opportunity to individuals who might not be able to afford purchasing a horse but can afford to maintain the up keep, training, and showing expenses. People choose to lease a horse for numerous reasons. I think a lease that works best is a lease that benefits all parties involved.
Jason Wanderer – In 2014, I owned a horse that wasn’t going to ideally suit me personally for the trail and western riding classes but showed an aptitude for the all-around events. I was able to utilize the AQHA Lease Program to lease him to a client of Brad Jewett’s who desired to show him in the amateur all-around events; she could afford to maintain and show a horse for a year period but was not able to purchase a horse.
During the course of the lease year, Brad taught the horse the showmanship, horsemanship, and equitation while his client showed him in those events in addition to the trail and western riding.
In 2015 Brad had a youth client who was interested in leasing the same horse for 2016 prior to beginning her first year of college; she showed him very successfully in the all-around events while he continued to fine tune his training.
A benefit was that the horse was able to learn three new events and compete with two separate riders in two divisions during the course of the two-year lease period.
After the 2016 Youth World, a potential buyer approached us about the horse but he was leased until December 1. As it turned out, the current lessee was concerned about balancing college and showing and was amenable to ending the lease on September 1 rather than December 1 as originally planned.
I was aware that AQHA maintained a requirement of a one-year lease period and I knew that the horse could not be leased again until the end of the period. What I did not understand, due to my own lack of knowledge regarding the AQHA lease rules, was that while the horse could be sold prior to the end of the lease period, the horse could not be shown in the youth or amateur divisions by the new owner until the end of the lease period.
I was shocked when I realized that I had someone who wanted to buy the horse on the spot. I could sell and transfer the horse but the horse would not be able to show for another 90 days in the amateur or youth divisions days after he was sold.
Luckily, the new buyer was a novice and was not planning to show the horse in the amateur division until 2017, so this stipulation did not effect the sale (note: the new owner could show the horse in the novice division as ownership is not required).
In the end, everything worked out, but in the future, I would be cognizant that if I was to lease a horse, it would be important to know that he/she would not truly be sellable until after the one-year lease period had expired.
Jerry Erickson – Since leasing has been allowed, I have had three horses leased with good results. Two were owned by present clients who had life situations where they would not be able to show for up to two years.
However, neither owner wanted to part with their respective horse. When leased both animals continued to go to shows, the riders were thrilled to have this opportunity while at the same time both owners were able to eliminate a monthly expense while addressing their family issues.
The third horse also involved a personal situation and after the owner had leased her for a year, she decided to sell her horse. So, these three examples worked very well for the horse owner and kept quality show horses in the system where they otherwise would have stayed in the barn or even gone to the pasture.
I am unsure that everyone understands the present wording of the AQHA lease agreement and urge anyone considering this to read the agreement carefully. A new twist that began in 2016 states that if the horse is sold during the term of the lease the horse cannot be shown by the new amateur or youth owner until the initial lease time period is completed.
Liz Long – I still think the AQHA lease program is a very good idea. I think the main reason the AQHA updated the rules is because there were some people who were only leasing horses for a short time or for certain horse shows.
The downside to the updated rules are if someone leases their horse while trying to sell it and someone wants to buy it before the end of the one-year lease, they may not purchase the horse since they would not be able to show it until the end of the “official” lease. But I do think, overall, it is still a good opportunity for those that can’t afford to buy a high caliber horse but may be able to lease one.
Beckie Peskin – I like the idea of leased horses. I mean, let’s face it – even before it was officially okay, it was unofficially happening. But now it allows folks that need to take a year or two off to have a child, while in college, etc, a hassle free way to be able to “come back” to the industry/keep a nice horse. I haven’t taken advantage of it, but have considered it!
Parris Rice – I think the lease program really encourages growth in the industry. It gives a lot of people the opportunity to show in the youth and amateur divisions who may not have otherwise been able to because of financial or other circumstances. Many times people who have leased a horse for some time, go on to buy a horse and continue showing as well.
In my own case, it allowed my now retired horse, Javah Mon, to continue showing for another year after we had completed our goals together. He got to have more successes and then came home to be retired after finishing his lease. It gave a wonderful person a chance to show a great horse and my mom a financial break as he will never be sold. It was great for both sides.
APHA Lease Program
Erin Bradshaw – I just know APHA allows it to where you can switch horses back and forth all year and AQHA makes you lease them all year. APHA is killing their numbers by allowing people to swap horses in and out all year long. I see too many barns take World Champions and let their youth show them then switch the horses back to the Amateur for the open world show and frankly, a lot of others and I are sick of it.
APHA needs to make it to where if you lease a horse it’s a year long deal. It will cut out everyone using and abusing the system. Either commit to the lease for 12 months or don’t have it. It is not fair for all of the youth who work so hard and come to the World Show to have Open World Champion horses placed in youth kids’ names so that they can show them in one class and then you look a week later and that horse has been transferred back to the original owner.
I should add that we all encounter circumstances where something happens to your horse,etc., and I can then understand the leasing program. I just think there are areas to improve it.
Elizabeth “Spike” Brewer – Personally, I think the lease program, when used properly, is a great asset in trying to encourage exhibitors to either give showing a chance, possibly try to get back into it after an extended break, or even to allow access to a higher end horse that a person normally could not afford.
One other way I think it is beneficial is when an exhibitors horse is injured for an extended amount of time, the lease program allows that person to have access to a horse to show while their horse is out of commission instead of missing out on shows for an extended amount of time.
Abby Sheftel Turner – The rule is abused by some and used as it should be by others. This year, the rule stated that if you leased your horse, the points you accumulated towards year end APHA awards prior to the lease, would not combine with points you accumulated after the lease. Thus, making people think twice before doing it. The problem is, now they are not going to enforce the rule till next year. Even though some of us have this in writing (emails) and planned our end of year schedules based on this rule, and spent $1000’s because the run for #1 was looking possible.
Blake Carney – I think the leasing program could be an excellent way for someone who isn’t ready or who is unable to buy a show quality horse to be able to get their feet wet in the APHA arena. One thing that has always bothered me personally about leasing in general, is how do I tell one client they will be purchasing an expensive horse, but another can lease one?
Unfortunately, there was a rule for the AjPHA World Show that if you leased your horse to a youth for that horse show, the points you earned before and after the lease would be used as separate point totals for year end award purposes.
Sadly, APHA has ruled that although this rule was clearly stated in the premium book, they do not plan to enforce this, and many people who thought they might be getting year end awards will be moved down in the rankings while others who weren’t supposed to be eligible will receive awards.
It’s a very touchy subject with many many APHA members at this time and as of now, APHA has said there will be no solution or acknowledgment of the rule, and they have not yet let the general membership know about this.
I do truly believe that the leasing program is an excellent way to keep horses and riders showing, but I also believe there should be a concrete set of rules that APHA does not waiver from.
International AQHA Lease Program
Sophie Gillioz – The leasing program is very interesting for the European riders. It was made to give us the possibility to compete at the AQHA World Show. As it’s almost impossible to bring our horses for only one show in the United States, so the idea is awesome.
It works very well. When you receive your qualifications for the AQHA World Show, you can send an e-mail to the AQHA who will send a list of good horses who would be available for the International Leasing Program.
As I have a privileged contact with Michael Colvin and Lainie DeBoer, it helped me a lot to find talented horses. Michael Colvin found me a horse from Powder Brook Farm and Lainie DeBoer found me a horse from Lori Buchholz.
The experience was awesome. I had good placings thanks to the great horses I had. I was a finalist in Showmanship Level 3, Top 10 in Showmanship Level 2, Top 5 in Hunter Hack level 2 and finalist in Level 2 Hunt Seat Equitation. I learned a lot and I was able to realize a longtime dream.
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