Realistic Exmoor Ponies - A Comprehensive Standard

[Alice Keegan]

I really enjoy the challenge of breeding in correct conformation and colors into these virtual horses to get them to look as close to their real world counterparts as possible. With larrisar's challenge to get Exmoor Ponies ready for the Adoption Center, I figured there may be an abundant like-minded community at the moment, so I thought I'd put this out to see if anyone would like to help me in this endeavor!

I am outlining my method of measurement for anyone who likes to work independently, but if it seems like too much work, feel free to ping me and I'll provide measurement values for you.


My Method of Madnessfor anyone as crazy as me
First things first, it's easier to collaborate when there is a quantifiable way to track our progress and ensure we're interpreting the available data the same, so I made this tool to use with the conformation report:



IMPORTANT NOTE: This method does require you to have a premium account to access the Conformation Reports, however, I am willing to give measurements to anyone who asks since I have premium on an alt account. Please feel free to join this project if you're interested even if you're not premium!


Follow these steps to use the tool:

1. Get a screenshot of your Conformation Report. You can use your "PRT SC" (aka Print Screen) key for this if you have it.
2. Paste the screenshot in a photoshop program. Photopea.com is a great free program that I use - no need to download anything!
3. Copy or save the tool image. Just right click to get the option to copy or save.
4. Paste the tool into your photoshop program. Make sure it's on a separate layer!
5. Set the tool image layer to "Multiply" and move it over each measurement bar. If you need to resize, make sure it resizes uniformly so proportions are kept the same.
6. Whatever number the marker is in is your horse's measurement!

Here's an example of what it will look like if when done correctly:


Please feel free to join the project even if you don't want to go through the rigmarole to get the measurements yourself.
As mentioned, I am willing to give measurements to anyone who asks.


Exmoor Breed Standard
Where possible, I used the Exmoor Pony Society (EPS)'s conformation specs to set the measurement standards; however, their description is a bit lacking for a game as robust as this. Whenever a component was missing or vague in the EPS' description, I did the best with my own judgement and used ChatGPT to help me refine my first impression (yes, I 100% argued with an AI for this project lol).

With that said, this is what I have as my current breed standard:

Head & Neck

Face Profile (FP) → Straight to slightly convex (3-5) Face Length (FL) → Moderate (3-5) Jowl (J) → Deep (7-9) Neck Length (NL) → Moderate (3-5)

Notes: Face Length seems to vary. EPS does mention that the head is big for the body, but I've interpreted that to refer to their deep jowls since I've seen quite a few pictures of Exmoor Ponies whom seem to have shorter faces. I went for moderate for this program. Additionally, I have also seen some Exmoor Ponies that exhibit shorter necks, but as EPS' standard mentions a good length of rein, I set the standard here for moderate.

Shoulder & Barrel

Wither/Shoulder Angle (WSA) → Moderately sloped to sloped (5-7) Point of Shoulder (POS) → Very low (0-2) Rib Cage (RC) → Moderately deep to deep (6-8) Depth of Flank (DOF) → Moderate to deep (5-7)

Notes: While breed standard says well laid back, Exmoor Ponies don't have as extreme shoulder sloping as some other breeds (e.g., Thoroughbreds) so I made sure to reflect that in this standard.

Back, Haunches, & Legs

Hip Angle (HA) → Round (4-6) Hip Length (HL) → Moderate to slightly long (3-5) Leg Thickness (LT) → Moderate to slightly thin (3-5) Stifle Placement (SP) → Moderate to slightly forward (4-6) Back Length (BL) → Moderately short to moderate (3-5) Croup Height (CH) → Level to slightly downhill (5-7)

Notes: I know larissar's notes mention "slender legs", but when I compare pictures of Exmoor Ponies to what the game generates, I see more of a moderate leg. So, I decided to set this standard to the thinner side of moderate and I think it's a good compromise.

Ideal Exmoor Pony Conformation
While any pony falling within the aforementioned ranges will be accepted as a good Exmoor Ponies, I feel life is more fun with "perfect" mark to aim for.

I propose the following to be the perfect measurements for an Exmoor Pony:

FRONT FP = 5 FL = 4 J = 9 NL = 4	MIDDLE WSA = 6 POS = 0 RC = 7 DOF = 6	END HA = 5 HL = 4 LT = 4 SP = 5 BL = 4 CH = 5

Many items on this list can be found and cultivated in the Exmoor's foundation breeds, but there are a few aspects that will be easier to fix through outcrossing. It is exceedingly rare to Tarpans or Przewalski Horses with moderate necks, sloped shoulders, rounded hips, or moderate to forward stifles. A quite a few years ago, I sampled 50 horses from each breed to see how their conformation varied and here's what I found (google doc with full results will be linked below):

Przewalski Horse Score Range (N=50)
NL = 0-2
WSA = 0-1
HA = 6-8
SP = 0-2

Tarpan Score Range (N=50)
NL = 0-2*
WSA = 0-2
HA = 5-8
SP = 0-3

*I have pulled Tarpans from the adoption center with NL = 3 post running these statistics, but as mentioned previously, it seems to be rather rare.

Link to the full results (data not included, but I may add it later): [link]

While I have seen that it is possible to drastically alter conformation with just the parent breed (see Cyprus Creek Elite's Steeple Shetlands), outcrossing then breeding back to pure is a more efficient, and comes with the bonus of introducing colors not otherwise seen in foundation stock. Specifically, here's breeds that may help with fixing conformation:

NL → Arabian, Belgian*, Caspian, Forest Horse*, North African Barb, Turkmene
WSA → Arabian, Belgian, Caspian*, Forest Horse, North African Barb*, Turkmene
HA → Belgian, Caspian*, Forest Horse, North African Barb*
SP → Arabian, Caspian

*Be selective using breeds with an asterisk in this list because not all of them will help achieve the goal they're listed for.


Adding Appropriate Exmoor Pony Coloration
Tarpans and Przewalski Horses are all homozygous for Bay Dun, however to achieve more realistic coat colors we want to try to avoid using stock that have Wild Bay genes and discourage the presentation of dun markings (such as zebra striping). It would also be pertinent to try to select stock with more intense Pangaré.

Colors that need to be added include:

• Bay (non-dun)
• Seal Brown
• Sooty (especially across backs and hips)
• Sooty Dapple

Forest Horses are an excellent source of color genes! North African Barbs and Shetland Ponies can also carry good genes, though they often have some sort of white pattern such as Tobiano or Roan. Use these latter two breeds with care to eliminate white markings, and when possible I would recommend using roans over tobianos since that is easier to breed out.


Furnishings
In this context, I am using "furnishings" to refer to extra details of that will help our virtual ponies really look like their real life counterparts! These furnishings include ear size, mane length, mane thickness, tail length, tail thickness, tail height, and feathering. Since some of these measurements can be subjective, they are not mandatory to make it into the registry, but are required to be in the top two tiers (explained below in the following section).

Exmoor Ponies would ideally have the following furnishings:

Ear Length - Short to Very Short (Ideally, the ears should not stick out too far above a thick mane.)* Mane Length - Long to Medium Mane Thickness - Thick Tail Length - Long Tail Thickness - Moderate to Thick* Tail Height - Low* Feathering - None to Sparse

*These furnishings are subjective and will not be weighed heavily against top tier placement unless they are obviously, and undeniably, out of standard.

Realistic Exmoor Pony Registry
To be listed in the Realistic Exmoor Pony (REP) Registry, your horse must:

1. Be listed as 100% Exmoor Pony (lines that have been out-crossed then bred back to pure are accepted).
2. Have 5* Exmoor Pony evaluation.
3. Have correct color:
   • Bay Pangaré
   • Bay Dun Pangaré
   • Brown Pangaré
   • Brown Dun Pangaré
   • Sooty and Sooty Dapple are encouraged, but not mandatory.
   • No white markings are permitted.

The registry will be split into 5 tiers.

REP Approved

• 7/14 conformation measurements fall within established ranges.
• 2 of the out-of-standard conformation measurements may be no more than ±2 from the established ranges.
• The rest of the out of standard measurements must be within a deviation of 1 from the established ranges.

REP Good

• 12/14 conformation measurements fall within established ranges.
• Out-of-standard conformation measurements may be no more than ±2 from the established ranges.

REP Excellent

• All conformation measurements fall within established ranges.

REP Exceptional

• All conformation measurements fall within established ranges.
• All furnishings are within established standard.

REP Distinguished

• All conformation measurements fall within established ranges.
• 12/14 conformation measurements meet the Ideal Exmoor Pony standard.
• All furnishings are within established standard.

[Alice Keegan]

REP Approved
{ None Currently }

[Alice Keegan]

REP Excellent
{ None Currently }

[Alice Keegan]

REP Exceptional
{ None Currently }

[Alice Keegan]

REP Distinguished
{ None Currently }

[BlackOak2]

Oh... well, this IS quite extensive.

In former years, I'd be all for it, but my health recently hasn't been the greatest. So although I'm still 'for it', I don't think I can actively participate for any real length. But I do want to offer my stock through this. What I have so far, anyway. Not sure how my stock rates up, I have much more loosely defined req's and although I'm trying to get all of them fairly in between at least my own req's, not all of them will hit every one.

Anyway, I can offer my five-star, third gens for evaluation and any that's in the top ratings, I can post for breeding purposes. If a pairing produces top ratings continually, I'm willing to open any of these for immediate sale (foals-of), to help spread those genes around.

Would you like a current list for evaluation?

[Alice Keegan]

Oh... well, this IS quite extensive.

In former years, I'd be all for it, but my health recently hasn't been the greatest. So although I'm still 'for it', I don't think I can actively participate for any real length. But I do want to offer my stock through this. What I have so far, anyway. Not sure how my stock rates up, I have much more loosely defined req's and although I'm trying to get all of them fairly in between at least my own req's, not all of them will hit every one.

Anyway, I can offer my five-star, third gens for evaluation and any that's in the top ratings, I can post for breeding purposes. If a pairing produces top ratings continually, I'm willing to open any of these for immediate sale (foals-of), to help spread those genes around.

Would you like a current list for evaluation?

I wasn't kidding when I said I can see it being overwhelming for most people. lol

I would love to see/eval your list, please feel free to link them!

[BlackOak2]

Would you like a current list for evaluation?

I wasn't kidding when I said I can see it being overwhelming for most people. lol

I would love to see/eval your list, please feel free to link them!

Feel free to take your time. Although I can go through years in a day, recently I've been sticking to just a couple years every couple days or so.

Here's the current 5 star list:
*some are not yet evaluated to my standards found in the notes.

Ooo... Looks like I only have four currently. Just started popping them, after all. Little harder to stay 5 star with these, I get too much horse and too tiny heights, but that was expected. -_-

Three colts:
War Heart 2 years
Poison Sequin 1 year (has a cornet, but otherwise is a cute little one, I forgave the mark on him)
Ruby Expectations newborn

One mare:
Butterfly Heartbeat 4 years

Most of mine have heavier dun markings. I have a few 2nd gen that have almost blank dun markings, but as you already know and have stated, both tarpans and prze's have rather heavy and strong dun marks. I don't know where exactly I am on the primitive dun marks. I'm not breeding them out or in, however I am favoring a vary varied basket of dun.

[Alice Keegan]

Here's the scores for the horses you've linked! Please feel free to critique this measuring/judgment layout or methodology if you see anything that can be improved.

Also, as a note, while this registry standard discourages dun markings, horses with dun markings will not be excluded as long as they have no white markings and otherwise fit conformation/eval criteria.

You are welcome to submit non-Exmoor stock for eval if you would like! They obviously wouldn't be added to the registry, but you might find it useful to see where your other stock are at. No pressure, though!

War Heart F → 5 | 3 | 7 | 2 M → 0 | 0 | 4 | 8 E → 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3	Judging: F =||| -1 → Meets approval standard. M = -5 || -2 | +1 → WSA too upright, RC too shallow. E = +1 || -1 | -2 || -2 → SP too backward, CH too low.
Poison Sequin F → 3 | 6 | 7 | 1 M → 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 E → 7 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4	Judging: F = | +1 || -2 → NL too short. M = -4 || -6 | +1 → WSA too upright, RC too shallow. E = +1 | +2 | -2 | -3 || -1 → HL too short, LT too thin, SP too backward.
Ruby Expectations F → 4 | 5 | 6 | 1 M → 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 E → 7 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 3	Judging: F = || -1 | -2 → NL too short. M = -5 || -5 | -3 → WSA too upright, RC too shallow, DOF too shallow. E = +1 || -2 | -2 || -2 → LT too thin, SP too backward, CH too low.
Butterfly Heartbeat F → 4 | 6 | 9 | 2 M → 1 | 0 | 3 | 8 E → 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3	Judging: F = | +1 || -1 → Meets approval standard. M = -4 || -3 | +1 → WSA too upright, RC too shallow. E = +1 || -1 | -2 || -2 → SP too backward, CH too low.

[BlackOak2]

Here's the scores for the horses you've linked! Please feel free to critique this measuring/judgment layout or methodology if you see anything that can be improved.

Also, as a note, while this registry standard discourages dun markings, horses with dun markings will not be excluded as long as they have no white markings and otherwise fit conformation/eval criteria.

You are welcome to submit non-Exmoor stock for eval if you would like! They obviously wouldn't be added to the registry, but you might find it useful to see where your other stock are at. No pressure, though!

Mm... so none of them are great, but all of them are relatively close.
NL is a close-fail for all of them (on the negative end).
WSA is an incredible fail for all (this was expected, as you've already said).
RC is also an expected fail for all.
Stifles for all... also expected.
And Croup, for all. But I disagree slightly with the Croup. At least for HWO, their preferred (or more preferred real life) competitions suggests driving disciplines (not exclusively, obviously), that would affect strength and agility for the croup. Sitting on the left side of the center was, at least in my mind, the better setting for the real life preferred disciplines. However, left side of center and not fully on the left (or further on the left), would allow for the other potential disciplines like trail (agility). I suppose my preferred number for Croup would be 3-4 area. Mm... just a matter of opinion, at this point. And since you're doing realistic, somethings are projected to be different for the sheer fact that this is a game and certain things may need to change in order for the game's parts to function correctly and well with everything else.

I think that's the only one you'll see me disagreeing on. So that's good news.

If I find a third generation that corrects these, most offensive, parts, I'll see about breeding for a fourth generation with that one, crossing much of my stock outward (COI contingent).

I'll also link any other thirds born that minimally pass my own points.

Oh! and thank you.