NEWS & Information

Thursday May 29, 2008
Time To Get It Together!

I've had QHAPPY in beta mode for a long time, mostly due to lack of time to finish the program. This was complicated when I took a third shift night job last fall. I really enjoyed the job, but had to face the fact that I was just too tired because of it to get much done with my web programming and my horse business. So, I handed in my resignation a little over a week ago.

I have to catch up on programming for DanMcWhirter.com and for QHD.com. I have to get several young horses started under saddle.

I have to get my own websites undated and completed. You know the saying, "The shoemaker's children go without shoes."

With the current price of fuel and everything else that is going up-up-up, the time is better than ever for a program like Qhappy, and for horse shows to be entered with online pictures and videos also.

--Lil Peck

Wednesday April 11, 2007
"Thank you" to everyone who is participating. I will be taking a rainy day soon to get this program completed. As a horse trainer, I find it difficult to find time to sit at the computer. Even on rainy days, there is always something to do with the horses, even if just giving a thorough brushing. LilPeck@gmail.com .

Sunday, October 1, 2006
I'd like to point out that QHAPPY is still in the "beta testing" phase; I plan to complete the program this fall or winter for the official launch. Your suggestions and feature requests are welcome: LilPeck@gmail.com .

Sunday, June 11, 2006
Progress on this QHAP project has been stalled because I've changed website hosts and because I am recoding several of my sites. All of that has to take a backseat to my horse care and training.

I have reposted the original Qhappy enrollment and site however, to continue the beta testing phase.

I believe that open show wins with our Quarter Horses will become more meaningful as a contributor to a horse's value when QHAP is up and running as a full, complete and successful program for keeping these records.

Your suggestions and feature requests are welcome: LilPeck@gmail.com .

Saturday, September 3, 2005
Now getting prepared for the fifth annual online Quarter Horse futurity. There is still so much that I need to do for Qhappy, though. Just wanted to let you know that I haven't forgotten! As of today, I see that we have 110 horses enrolled in the program. With rising fuel prices, I am thinking about sponsoring a series of horse shows in my home town over the next year. There are an adequate number of hunter-jumper shows in our locality, but not enough quality shows that offer western events.

Saturday, February 26, 2005
I hope to find time to get the Quarter Horse Activities Program updated soon. I need to get the programming in place so that you can begin earning QHAP Championships with your horses.

Another enhancement I would like to add would be "team partnerships." This would be where a group of QHAP members could pool their points together for team recognition. A team could be composed of folks from anywhere in the world, and a person could belong to perhaps as many as three different teams. Teams might be organized around a theme such as "Five ladies over 50 years of age, each from a different state."

I read an article on Fool.com this morning that has renewed my excitement about QHAP™. The article pertains to financial investing but its theme, "disruptive innovation," applies to us here.

An AQHA show record can add a lot of value to a horse. AQHA wins are hard to get. The competition is very tough. It can be expensive to win at that level. Most folks find that they can't do it without a fulltime trainer, a saddle that costs $3000 and up and a horse that costs $7500 and up.

With that level of competition, with so much at stake in terms of what winning means for economic survival, there may be temptation to play the politics as hard as one can. This may take the fun out of it. Think about what makes you a horse lover to begin with!

Please be aware, I am NOT bashing AQHA showing. There is no question that a good AQHA show record adds value to a horse and is an achievement of which to be proud. I'm just saying that as with everything in life, there are less than perfect aspects as well to consider.

Some folks enjoy the shows held by the foundation Quarter Horse associations. I have attended a couple of those shows, and yes, they are nice. However, my personal opinion is that they go a little too far in restricting the kind of tack you can have, and how much grooming you can give your horse. I understand their reasons for their rules. In some cases, I think their pedigree requirements are bit silly, but that's just my opinion.

However, foundation shows are few and too far away for lots of folks anyhow, as are AQHA shows in many regions. For example, I've heard that northwestern Iowa has very few AQHA shows within a reasonable driving distance. Yet, their open allbreed shows are very competitive. With QHAPPY™, folks can apply those open show wins towards worldwide recognition for their horses.

Well, that's all for now. Email me if you have any comments. I get LOTS of emails every day and very frequently I miss an important message. So if I don't reply, keep trying, or telephone me. AND, thank you for your support!

--Lil

Thursday, November 18, 2004
Thanks to everyone who is participating in QHAPPY™. I will be adding more features and awards to the program this winter when it is too cold and unpleasant to be outdoors with my horses!

Sunday, April 25, 2004
I will no longer require you to snail-mail me copies of your written show reports. This is because I want to keep this program as inexpensive and simple for you as possible.

HOWEVER I do require that you continue to use the official report forms and complete them in full. I reserve the right to request your records at any time, should the veracity of your online reports ever come into question. My suggestion would be to keep these in a notebook for that purpose. I think you will find, over time, that it will be a nice scrapbook about your horse and will bring back many happy memories whenever you open it.

You MUST complete the online reports in FULL! Please make every effort to be as complete as you can be when you submit a show or a show report.

I reserve the right to invalidate and DELETE any incomplete show listing or show report. You MUST include the name of the judge or judges! You must include a telephone number of the show secretary, manager, or arena director, so that I can conduct "surprise spot checks" of the validity of reports.

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I have given a lot of thought to whether to let QHAPPY™ remain completely free as it is now, or to charge an administrative fee. I have decided to let it remain FREE for so long as my personal expenses in managing the program are minimal. I may, at some point, seek advertisers and sponsors to help offset any expenses incurred by the program. Another possibility would be to sell "QHAPPY™ Gear" such as tee shirts and caps.

My concern, if we were to require fees of any kind, would be that the moment money entered the picture, greed and corruption would follow. Better to keep it free and fun!

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I hope to work on the coding for the online program soon, to complete it. I want to set it up so that the scripting will track the categories in which the horses have earned points, and to award recognition for outstanding achievements. For horses that earn points in a variety of events, there will be QHAP™ Championships. Once a horse has completed the requirements for a Championship, his additional points will begin to accrue towards a new Championship. There will be no limit to the number of QHAP™ Championships that a horse may earn.

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Most people who own horses never accomplish anything with them. Seems to me, that most people who own horses don't even bother to use them recreationally, as for trail riding. Now, there certainly isn't anything wrong with owning a horse as a pet and a companion animal! "The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man," the saying goes, which speaks to the beauty of a horse and how good it makes us feel to behold a horse.

However, I propose, for your consideration, that any kind of show or competition record, even if not "AQHA," heightens the value of a horse as an individual, and in the case of mares and stallions, as breeding animals.

In most cases, an AQHA show record gives a horse greater value due to the difficulty and expense of working towards wins in AQHA shows. To achieve at that level is very laudable.

But, for many of us, competition at that level remains out of reach, for various reasons, which may include:

• Expense. Missing work to attend AQHA shows, renting a stall for several days, hiring a trainer, paying the show fees and expenses, and purchasing the high-level tack (in some cases, saddles that cost as much as $10,000) and getting the "professional" quality clothing (show outfits that may cost $500 or more and chaps that may cost at least $200).
• Time. It can be difficult to get away from home for more than half a day or to find someone reliable to care for your stock while you are gone. Your local allbreed open horse shows make it easy to go to a show and be back in time to do the evening chores.
• Stress. Perhaps you prefer to keep your horse showing on a more recreational and "fun" level, without the pressures and perceived politics of the AQHA show ring. Perhaps you prefer to train, ride and show your horse yourself, without having to engage the services of a professional trainer. (Granted, there are individuals who train and show their horses themselves at AQHA shows, but most folks who are competitive at that level do not.)

Given those concerns, showing in AQHA remains impractical for many folks. Yet, their horses' open allbreed show wins still deserve recognition and respect. And that is where the Quarter Horse Activities Program™ offers you a positive alternative! Thank you for your participation!

--Lil