09/06/2024
The North American Horse Society is at a point where volunteers are needed. As we approach the launch of this organization, that has been created as a "voice for horses", I can share some of the work from the NAHS team. Many people have been working hard to establish this new direction in the horse world. Soon, everyone will be able to join.
The NAHS has been created for the average horse owner, rider, driver, etc. and horse lover. I call this group the horse world's "nobodys" like me and you. It is in contrast to the somebodys who run the top down north American equestrian organizations that have done little to set horsemanship standards to protect horses. Now we, the people who see the problems and have the understanding of horsemanship to solve them, must offer the solutions.
The images contain NAHS organizational information. The left side chart has a blue box at the bottom labeled Community. This is the core of the NAHS initiative. The right side document lists Membership Benefits, which are the catalysts to build community. It is now a wish list we must implement.
The website and digital platform will facilitate the listed benefits through an interactive function called Circle that is much like Facebook but without an algorithm directing it. Community interests will therefore grow and be seen organically from discussion and interaction, not according to some hidden algorithmic agenda.
At launch the NAHS platform will not have all of the elements on the chart or list. More elements will be phased in as time and money will allow. What you can do today is provide feedback on the listed elements of the organization and tech platform. Yiu can contribute your perspective on prioritizing the listed elements to help with the phasing.
The next thing you can do soon is join and donate when the platform is launched this fall. Countless hours of volunteer work over more than a year, and thousands of dollars, have got the NAHS where it is today, ready to launch. The legal, technical and organizational work to get to where we are is nearing completion. This has prepared the NAHS for the next operational phase.
We need your feedback and we need volunteers to be the NAHS operations people. We soon will need website moderators, tech support people, administration volunteers for membership and fundraising. We will be expanding the NAHS Board after launch. Volunteering will be one path to Board membership. The Board will need an equine specialist Vet, someone experienced in being a not-for-profit Board member, a lawyer, and we will need representatives from diverse disciplines as well as others with different perspectives, plus geographic diversity on the Board.
While it might sound dramatic, we intend to change the horse world. We intend to counter the commercial interests that have normalized equine abuse and run horse costs up by offering horsemanship standards and education as well as cost saving benefits like insurance.
To accomplish this, we must create a loud voice from a huge membership for horses. Many of you are already doing this work on your own. Me too and that work alone is a thankless struggle. Together we can do more, we can succeed. The NAHS has been constructed to facilitate an authentic horse community that can cause change. Now is the time.
Share this post with likeminded horse people. We need broad feedback and we need to build awareness. Now it is up to the community. It is up to you. Thank you
