Grade horse?

[Rodeo_Ace]

So I mixed a [Friesian x Shire] x [Belgian x Galloway] and got a really nice Grade horse filly. What on earth is a Grade horse?? I'm breeding for Clydesdales and as far as I know that's the correct combination so what am I doing wrong and what is a grade horse?

Spring Prancer

[GlacierLake]

A Grade horse breed is a horse that has three or four different breeds that failed to achieve the new breed. In the dog world it is called a mutt. Grade horses may be very good horses for competition.

Your two horses you are breeding together may not have enough Evaluation stars for the new breed, so it may take more than one or two tries to attain the new breed with those two horses. And sometimes the two horses may not attain the new breed, you may need to try a new mare or stud with better Evaluation for the new breed.

[cattus]

I've found it very useful to use grade horses to change the body type on "ingredient" horses. For example, I'm working on a pony breed that requires an Arabian-Forest cross. Since it will be ridiculously difficult to get what I need just using AC horses, I used grades with four stars under my target horse evaluation to create half-Arabians.

I then crossed my half- and part-Arabians (evaluating offspring against the target breed book) until I was back to full Arabians with the body type and other stats I needed. The quickest way is to inbreed a small number of partial Arabians. Of course, if you're totally opposed to inbreeding, you could still do it this way. It would just take a lot more horses (grade and pure).

Good luck!

[Rodeo_Ace]

Oh! Thanks! I looked at their evaluation and both are 3 stars ( the stallion has produced Clydesdales before). Do you think I can get a Clyd. with two 3 star horses? I have several different mares and stallions I mixed for this program and many of them are 4 stars so if this pair won't produce I have options. I wanted many that weren't related so I could keep the COI down and have options in stats, coloring, and mixes. I guess I'm keeping my Grade horses then!

[Kintara]

I've produced many breeds that the parents weren't even 2 stars for the required breed, they just managed to combine eventually to give what I needed

[Rodeo_Ace]

Wow! Ok, so I really don't meed to worry then. Just keep trying I guess.