29/01/2025
Clarification of Meanings:
Amateur
To do Amateur you will need an AMHA membership and an amateur card, you will have to apply to the American Miniature Horse Association USA. In Amateur, a trainer can train the horse and prepare it, and you exhibit it.
AOTE (amateur, owned to exhibit)
To do AOTE, you will need a membership and an amateur card. As long as no one in the house is a horse trainer, and you or family own the horse, the horse can do AOTE.
AOTE, you have to own the horse, train it yourself, prepare it and show it yourself, a professional cannot help you.
The other classes are open classes, which means you don't need an amateur card, just the horse is registered at the AMHA and a trainer, a professional or you can exhibit the horse.
AOTE and Amateur are not the same. Amateur, a trainer can train the horse and prepare it, and you show it.
Example:
Class A25 and Class A9: Yearling Stallion under 30”class is also part of the approved competition. What is the difference with A9 class (apart from the horse registered AMHA)?
Class A9 is AOTE as I explained (it's a restricted class that gives beginners and owners a chance to win)
Class A25, anyone who has a registered AMHA yearling stallion under 30” can participate. (Trainers, beginners, a person you ask to show your horse.) is therefore open to all.
That's only a small part of the information. For a full explanation of the Regulations, please see amha.org.
