Miller Equestrian Services / Valle Vista Farm

Get the latest scoop, news and updates

FALL FUN CLINIC & HORSE SHOW

And the blue ribbon winners are...

And the always entertaining Halloween Costume Contest...

AMHA STAR AWARDS

Join us in celebrating our 2022 AMHA STAR AWARD winners. This year, Miller Equestrian Services has two ladies that are in the TOP 2 in their respective divisions.

Congratulations to Ann Blankenship and Private Eyes in the Pleasure Driving Division as well as to Fidelis Farms/Tamara Moravec and Old School Groove with their 2nd place finish in the Park Saddle Division.

In 2018, the AMHA created the Star Awards Program. The goal of the program is to:

• Increase participation at Morgan competitions;

• Encourage all shows to become an AMHA Star Rated Show;

• Provide a FREE program as an AMHA membership benefit;

• Provide a fun, exciting venue for awards presentation at AMHA's annual convention;

• Provide additional advertising opportunities for The Morgan Horse magazine; and

• Foster good will and sportsmanship!

Congratulations Ann and Tamara! You are both Super Stars in our book!

Talk to Ann if you are interested in leasing any of these fabulous horses...

Meet a couple of our newest Miller Equestrian lesson riders. From left to right...Ella on Clarke with Instructor Myami, center is little sister Molly, and on the right is Gigi on Willow with Instructor Allena. Looking good girls!

Update on Rule Change Proposal

AMHA hosted USEF Rule Change Forums at all the 2022 Regional Horse Shows. Statistics gathered from the 2022 Rules Forums and the online survey were presented and reviewed in great detail. After much discussion, some of the proposals presented in the 2022 forums will proceed through the USEF rule change process. 

**PLEASE NOTE: These rules do NOT become effective based on the AMHA Board’s decision to move them forward. The rules will now be submitted to USEF, reviewed by their Board of Directors in the Summer of 2023 and, if approved at that time, they would become effective December 1, 2023 for the 2024 competition year.

Moving forward through the USEF rule change process at this time:

• MO-103.4 Classic Shoeing: In Classic Pleasure classes, the length of the toe must not exceed 4 ½ inches including pads and shoes. (No longer limited to rim pads)

• Edited versions of MO-123, MO-125, MO-134, and MO-139 (Class Specifications). The rules moving forward into the USEF rule change process will ONLY include the updates to the class specifications to Maiden, Novice, Limit, and Ladies Amateur references. Nothing in the proposals will change how the rules currently read about “backing.” The backing edits were removed from the proposals moving forward and will remain as currently written.

NOT MOVING FORWARD through the USEF rule change process at this time:

• MO-132.3 (Re:Snaffle Bits in Western Section). While the feedback was not in support of allowing all horses to choose to wear a snaffle, enough feedback was provided to consider a different version of the amendment to be less open but allow other sections besides Junior Horses (such as Maiden, Novice, Limit) to wear snaffles within the division. A new version may be drafted for the 2023 rule forums.

• MO-105.3 Supplemental Hair. At this time, the AMHA Board determined that opinions on the use of supplemental hair remained too divided to warrant a rule change proposal at this time. 

Looking for that special last minute Christmas gift? We have several saddles for sale at the barn for our littler riders. Talk to Ann if you are interested.

Over Christmas vacation, you will see a new face around the barn. Kindah, from the Napa Valley area, is coming to stay for a week to ride and learn about running a barn. Please give her a Miller barn family welcome!