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ASHA Shares 2020 Mid-Year Activities Report

Dear ASHA Friends, 

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family during this unprecedented time. Who could have predicted the loss of life, concerns about health and the economic uncertainty that we are facing today? Yet, even through this adversity, we are seeing something amazing happen. We are coming together in new ways to support each other and our industry. As our barns and horse shows continue to reopen, I want to share with you the ways ASHA has been supporting our employees and association, along with serving our members and industry, during the pandemic. 

Full 2020 ASHA Mid-Year Report 

 Supporting Our Employees and Association 

    Keeping our staff safe and healthy always has been a priority for ASHA. Before the governor closed non-essential businesses in Kentucky, we installed a remote log-in system, so staff could safely work from home. On June 1, the Kentucky Healthy at Work guidelines allowed us to reopen the office at 50% staffing levels, while continuing to follow strict CDC guidelines for the workplace. 
    Before Congress passed the CARES Act, we started working with our bank on a Paycheck Protection Loan to ensure our staff would continue to get paid during this crisis. The forgivable loan has since been fully funded and will pay salaries for the next 245 days. The loan also will benefit the American Saddlebred Registry. Since all employees work for ASHA, the Registry will get a credit from ASHA for employees that work on Registry business, which will help both organizations get through this uncertain time. 
    With an anticipated drop in revenue caused by the pandemic, the ASHA Board of Directors approved budget cuts of $125,000 in April and another $45,000 at our board meeting at the end of June. Some of the cuts that will be most noticeable for our members include a reduction in salaries, marketing, travel and printing. We have delayed filling our open Programs Manager position until later this Fall, leaving us with four full-time equivalent employees on the ASHA side of the business. I have taken a reduction in my compensation to ensure that we have money to pay other employees. We have reduced our participation in promotional events through the end of the year, including at the World’s Championship Horse Show, in addition to the events that have already been canceled, such as Breyerfest, Equine Affair and Hats Off. We are eliminating printed membership cards and membership renewals, which will save a considerable amount of money in printing, postage and labor. Even with these cuts, we are still able to serve our members and mission to promote, improve and protect the American Saddlebred. 

Serving Our Members and Industry

    Keeping our members engaged during the pandemic has been another priority for ASHA. We launched our National Select Series through a virtual horse show format with the help of our sponsor State Line Tack. We offered Saturday Night Stake Night where members were able to watch past championship nights from the WCHS through the generosity of Richfield Video. We created bonus episodes of our popular Trot Talk podcasts.  We launched our Instagram Takeover series and ramped up other social media content. We are currently working on other online opportunities for members as horse shows continue to reopen and we continue to deal with COVID-19 restrictions.  
    ASHA has been actively working with the Joint Leadership Council (AHHS, AMHA, ARHPA, ASHA and UPHA) to help support our members in need.  Support is being offered through the JLC Horsemen’s Relief Fund and social media initiatives such as Tip Your Groom, Feed Your Favorite Lesson Horse, Buy a Round for the Barn and Support a Horse Show Super Hero. A dedicated website has been created (JLCcares.com) that provides additional resources and ways to help. 
    Getting our barns and horse shows back open is another priority for ASHA. We continue to work through the Joint Leadership Council on revising recommended best practices to reopen barns and horse shows. The JLC released initial recommendations for horse shows, along with recommendations for barns in May.  Also, ASHA has worked directly with horse shows all across to the country to help get approval for shows from local and state authorities and help shows operate in the safest way possible. 

During this time of adversity, I am inspired about how we have come together to support one another.  I want to personally thank all of you. We will get through this together! 

Warm regards,

David Mount, Executive Director and CEO

American Saddlebred Horse Association