Copyright WHR 2006
By Christy Howard Parsons
For the last two years, program representatives from each of the USDA Certified Horse Industry Organizations have been meeting to negotiate a new Operating Plan for 2007. The joint recommendations of this group were to be submitted by December 1 so that the USDA Horse Protection Advisory Team could review it during their scheduled meeting this w
Copyright WHR 2006
By Christy Howard Parsons
For the last two years, program representatives from each of the USDA Certified Horse Industry Organizations have been meeting to negotiate a new Operating Plan for 2007. The joint recommendations of this group were to be submitted by December 1 so that the USDA Horse Protection Advisory Team could review it during their scheduled meeting this weekend.
Wednesday, Niels Holch sent a letter suggesting that the joint recommendations not be submitted as his clients had not had sufficient time and that elections in two of the organizations this weekend might bring about a change of leadership which could change the focus of the negotiations.
Donna Benefield and Keith Dane did submit the proposed Operating Plan today to the USDA on behalf of HPC and FOSH. The other industry representatives are expected to submit their changes to this proposal shortly. The USDA is scheduled to present their Operating Plan back to this group on December 18 at a meeting scheduled in Washington, D.C.
“We have negotiated in good faith for two years and I felt enough time had passed for everyone to have reviewed the proposal. If a change in leadership in any organization calls for a change, we don’t have time to go back to the table and renegotiate the whole thing,” explained Keith Dane of Friends of Sound Horses.
“Any organization who does not want to present this proposal, can submit their own proposal at a later time. But I felt it was important to put forward what everyone had agreed on,” said Dane.
The program representatives of the various HIOs include Niels Holch (Heart of America), Lonnie Messick (National Horse Show Commission), Craig Evans (Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders and Exhibitors Association), Mack Motes (Spotted Saddle Horse Breeders and Exhibitors Association), Duane Rector (Kentucky Horse Industry Organization), Dave Swingley (Western International), Donna Benefield (Horse Protection Commission), and Keith Dane (Friends of Sound Horses).