A Pledge To The Appaloosa Horse Club The Appaloosa Horse Club is more than a registry. The ApHC is an idea - an idea founded on the basis of a membership that can govern themselves thru elected officials whose powers are derived from the consent of the membership. The ApHC was founded with the desire to breed the spotted horses known as Appaloosas so that each succeeding generation would be an improvement on the last. These horses were to be bred with a color preference that sat them apart and distinguished them as a unique and desireable equine breed. The ApHC is an inspiration and a gathering place for those horse breeders and owners who yearn to have a unique, exceptional, "breed of choice". These members expect integrity and product pride from the ApHC as the club works to preserve and promote the Appaloosa Breed. These first principles were proclaimed in the by-laws and organizational rules of the ApHC and have endured through hard sacrifice and commitment by generations of ApHC members. Whenever the agenda of government in an organization becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to institute a new governing agenda and set a different course. In a self-governing organization, the only bulwark against the power of the "officials in charge" is the consent of the governed, and regarding the policies of the current BOD, the majority of the governed ApHC membership do not consent. An unchecked Board of Directors, an uncontrolled staff, and an oft times uninformed until after the fact membership, have combined to thwart the will of the members and overturn their votes and their values, striking down longstanding laws and rules and scorning the deepest beliefs of the ApHC membership. Decisions are made, issues mandated and laws enacted without requesting or accepting the input of the members. All this is resulting in loss of longtime members and registrations, no new excited people wanting to join the ApHC, crushing debt and a polarizing political environment that is fraying the bonds among our people and blurring our sense of the original registry purpose. It is the right of the ApHC membership to refuse to accommodate a government that believes it can replace the will of the members with its own. The ApHC members are speaking out, demanding that we realign our Club's compass with it's founding principles and apply those principles to solve our common problems for the common good of the Appaloosa Horse. The need for urgent action to repair our Club and regain control of the government of the ApHC cannot be overstated. With this document, we pledge to dedicate ourselves to the task of reconnecting our highest aspirations to the permanent truths of our founding by keeping faith with the values the ApHC was based on, the principles we stand for and the priorities of the Appaloosa Horse. This is our Pledge to The Appaloosa Horse Club: We pledge to honor the By-laws and Rules as constructed by our founder and honor the original intent of those precepts that are being consistently ignored. Registration Rules shall be strictly enforced that will be in the best interest of the preservation of the Appaloosa Breed. We pledge to advance policies that promote greater economic prosperity for the ApHC. We pledge to promote programs and events that will give equal status and opportunity to Appaloosa Horses of all types. We pledge that our sanctioned breed shows will give fair and equal opportunity to all entries and that our Judges will judge the horse, not who leads or rides him into the arena. Appaloosa horses should be judged by Appaloosa set standards and not by the standards or look of other equine breeds. We pledge to honor our membership and strive to give the paying members of our Club fair value for their money. We pledge to make the governing of the ApHC more transparent in its actions, careful in its stewardship and honest in its dealings. We pledge to uphold the purpose and promise of a better Appaloosa Horse Club, knowing that to whom much is given, much is expected and that the blessings of horse ownership inspires the hope of mankind. We make this Pledge bearing true faith and allegiance and absolute loyalty to the Appaloosa Horse we represent and we invite fellow members to join us in forming a new governing agenda for The Appaloosa Horse Club.

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