Licence Owners! Certifiy Owners! Make them take a test before they own a horse. Just a pipe dream I have!

Tom Stovall, CJF wrote: Tom,
Whe the AFA first added the AD&D policy and increased dues to cover it, much the same thing as you describe happened. There is still a large reservoir or resentment over thie issue and I think that given the current state of AFA affairs, to institute another mandatory insurance program, with what what surely be another dues increase(following hard on the heels of the most recent and very unpopular dues increase), could well be a mortal blow.

Before the AFA looks at a mandatory participation healthcare program, we have much to do that is IMO of more immediate concern. Re-structuring the board, finding a permanent ED, stabilizing the PFM and all the related issues, are of much greater emergecy. I see this as akin to a battlefield triage situation and while the health insurance issue is serious, it is not life threatening.

Rick

Rick Burten in gray, my old stuff in brown, deletia

When the IRA first offered insurance to its membership on this basis, there was a great wailing and gnashing of teeth from some about having to pay for other's insurance when they were already covered by a policy from some other source. At time, it was pointed out that while it may be unfair for a few individuals to be taxed for something that primarily benefits other members of a group, the benefits to the group as a whole are cost-beneficial to every individual, whatever his coverage. (At the time, I remember arguing that I'd rather pay more in dues than go to another damn benefit or watch somebody lose a place because their medical bills ate them up.) As I see it, we are our brothers' keepers.

Whe the AFA first added the AD&D policy and increased dues to cover it, much the same thing as you describe happened. There is still a large reservoir or resentment over thie issue and I think that given the current state of AFA affairs, to institute another mandatory insurance program, with what what surely be another dues increase (following hard on the heels of the most recent and very unpopular dues increase), could well be a mortal blow.

Given the unpopularity of the dues hike, why hasn't it been resinded? Is the fact it's still in effect a further indictment of the AFA's legislative process?

Before the AFA looks at a mandatory participation healthcare program, we have much to do that is IMO of more immediate concern. Re-structuring the board, finding a permanent ED, stabilizing the PFM and all the related issues, are of much greater emergecy. I see this as akin to a battlefield triage situation and while the health insurance issue is serious, it is not life threatening.

On this point, we disagree. If one operates on the principle that we are, in fact, our brothers' keepers, then there is no more important issue than health and hospitalization insurance for every AFA member. While you and I may have adequate healthcare coverage, there are far too many farriers walking a fiscal tightwire without a net. In one respect, we farriers are just like bull riders when it comes to getting hurt: it's not if we're going to get hurt, it's a matter of when and how bad. Every farrier without coverage is just one rank horse away from living under a bridge.

I understand that nothing can happen without changing the AFA's legislative process, so on a pragmatic basis, that'd have to change first, but there is no more important issue than health/hospitalization insurance.

Please consider the possibility that the issues of certification, insurance, and increasing membership are more than casually related. An effective advertising campaign that created a demand for certified farriers would be incentive for farriers outside the fold to join the AFA and stand for the basic test; offering health/hospitalization insurance - even a plan modeled after pro rodeo's "traveling to and from and while working" with a $1,000 deductable and 80% - would be additional incentive for any uninsured farrier to join.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the AFA has committees doing all sorts of stuff the AFA feels is important, but none of them are working on obtaining some kind of health and hospitalization insurance for its members - a situation I find to be indicative of extremely misplaced priorities.