RULES OF CONDUCT

1. No person shall attempt to influence the actions of the Probable Cause Panel, the Ethical Practice Review Board, or the AHA Board of Directors; or any member of the Probable Cause Panel, Ethical Practice Review Board, or AHA Board of Directors by duress or intimidation of any sort.
2. No person shall communicate or cause or initiate any communication with any member of the Probable Cause Panel, or any member of the Ethical Practice Review Board concerning the substance of a complaint until after the hearing and a decision is rendered. No person shall attempt to influence a member of the Probable Cause Panel or a member of the Ethical Practice Review Board with respect to any complaint except through oral or written presentations presented to the entire group in accordance with the Rules and Procedures for the Ethical Practice Review Board. (Res. 38-94)
3. Unless prior written approval has been obtained from AHA, no person or organization shall schedule an Arabian Horse Event which occurs during the same dates as AHA National Championship Shows, and the AHA Annual Conventions (Adult and Youth) within a 250-mile radius of those events.
4. The word "International" and "Arabian Horse Association" shall not be used in connection with shows, sales, or other Arabian Horse activities that are not officially Recognized and/or sponsored by the AHA.
5. No person, company, or other entity shall use AHA logos and/or symbols without receiving prior written permission from the Board of Directors or its designee. Horse shows or events which receive AHA recognition will automatically be allowed to use the AHA logo to signify that recognition in premium lists, programs, and advertisements for the show or event. Members, Member Organizations, or Regions of AHA will be allowed to use the AHA member logo to signify their participation in the Association in accordance with guidelines established by the Board of Directors. Any use of AHA logos and/or symbols which implies approval, sanction, or sponsorship by AHA without written permission is prohibited.
6. Mistreatment and neglect of any Arabian Horse is prohibited. Mistreatment includes every act or omission which causes, or unreasonably permits the continuation of, unnecessary or unjustifiable pain or suffering. Neglect includes failure to provide food, water, protection from the elements, opportunity for exercise, or other care which is normal, usual, or proper for a horse's health and well being.
7. Members shall not offer a horse capable of reproduction for breeding, transfer of ownership, or lease if the horse is known to such member to be a SCID carrier, a Lavender Foal Syndrome (LFS) carrier, a cerebellar abiotrophy (CA) carrier, an Occipitoatlantoaxial malformation (OAAM) or to be affected by CA or OAAM or be a homozygous or heterozygous affected by Hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HYPP) without disclosure of that horse’s SCID, LFS, CA, OAAM or HYPP status to all parties to the transaction. (Res. 3-09, Res. 4-09, Res. 4-10, Res. 1-17).
8. An owner of any mare that produces affected SCID, LFS, CA, OAAM or HYPP offspring shall immediately notify the stallion owner of a foal's positive SCID, LFS, CA, OAAM or HYPP diagnosis and cooperate fully with the stallion owner's reasonable efforts to verify that finding. (Res. 3-09, Res. 4-09, Res. 4-10, Res. 1-17).
9. Members, their employees, and their agents shall not perform surgical procedures, or aid, instruct, or conspire with another to perform surgical procedures, or employ another to perform surgical procedures which conceal genetic defects or undesirable traits, unless such surgery is needed for medical therapeutic reasons as attested to in writing by a qualified veterinarian, in an animal to be shown, used for breeding, or sold as a breeding animal.
10. The rules of the Arabian Horse Association (AHA), the Canadian Arabian Horse Registry (CAHR), the Canadian Partbred Registry (CPAR), the U. S. Equestrian Federation (USEF), and Equestrian Canada (EC) are hereby adopted by reference as a part of this Code of Ethics and Sportsmanship.
11. An exhibitor's intentional conduct at an equine event shall not adversely affect the exhibition or ride of any other exhibitor's horse at the event.
12. Non-winners of ribbons in any class shall remain in the ring until excused or until the ribbons have been awarded and the winners have left the ring.
13. The individual member(s) acting on behalf of a Member Organization who directly contact or employ a judge shall not show or have their horses shown before that judge in that show for which the judge was employed.
14. No one shall attempt to influence judges by telephoning, writing, sending pictures, or by any other means before or during events that the judge has been employed to adjudicate.
15. Judges and stewards shall exhibit the highest standard of integrity at all times, and decisions shall not be made based upon improper influence.
16. Rules which appear in the USEF Rule Book (in the U.S.) or the EC Rule Book (in Canada) regarding conflicts of interest for judges and exhibitors shall govern AHA.
17. Judges shall comply with AHA contractual requirements, USEF rules (in the U.S.), and EC rules (in Canada) with regard to contact with persons at an event.
18. Judges shall report to the steward or event management any improper approaches or contact by persons at an event.
19. Members shall not misappropriate the assets or funds of AHA, AHA Regional organizations, and/or AHA Member Organizations. (Res. 42-91) (Res. 40-94)
20. No person shall communicate or cause or initiate any communication in regard to information obtained from the AHA Commissioner's office in violation of any confidentiality Agreement which they have executed. (Res. 24-00)
21. It is unethical to transfer or assist or facilitate in the transfer of a horse with the intent to circumvent the purpose of the rules regarding ownership of horses shown in amateur and/or junior owner classes. It is unethical for any AHA member to not provide information relating to the transfer in question that is requested by the Probable Cause Panel or the Ethical Practice Review Board. (Res. 3-12) In determining whether the transfer was unethical, the EPRB may consider among others, the following: (Res. 3-12)
    1. Horse ending up back in the previous owners name within a year of the original transfer.
    2. Horse being transferred at less than fair market value (owner to provide proof of the sales amount).
    3. The fact that prize money went to a person other than the owner or family member.
    4. The fact that the owner or family member did not pay the expenses relating to the upkeep and showing of the horse.
22.  In the furtherance of their official duties, all Association representatives, including staff, licensed officials and volunteers shall be treated with courtesy and respect and no person shall direct abusive or threatening conduct toward them.

The Ethical Practice Review Board has Jurisdiction to hear changes of violation of the Code, including but not limited to;

1. Conflict of interest of judges, other event personnel, exhibitors, and other participants in AHA sponsored or Recognized events.
2. Misconduct of AHA members and other persons who come under the jurisdiction of AHA concerning the care or treatment of Arabian, Half-Arabian, or Anglo-Arabian Horses.
3. Misconduct of AHA members and other persons who come under the jurisdiction of AHA in the showing or using of horses at AHA sponsored or Recognized shows or events.

The Ethical Practice Review Board will not, unless there are exceptional circumstances, hear charges which are;

1. Private and/or contractual disputes between two or more persons that should properly be settled by a court of law.
2. Rule infractions at horse shows or other equine events where formal protest procedures are available as a means of filing charges of misconduct but have not been used.
3. Disputes which have been submitted to a court of law or arbitration in which a court or arbitrator has made a final non-appealable determination of facts in such a way that no violation would have occurred.
4. Alleged violations which occurred more than 12 months before the charges were filed.

To review the full chapter of CODE OF ETHICS AND SPORTSMANSHIP click here.

To download an Ethical Practice Review Filing Form click here.