My Opinion: The Unethical Practice of Hoarding Champion Lines

[HighGlossPreformance]

Ladies and gentlemen, fellow players, and enthusiasts of HorseWorldOnline,

Today, I want to address an issue that has been growing in our community, one that is not just about the competition but about the very essence of fair play and the integrity of the game we love. That issue is the unethical practice of hoarding record-holding champion lines and breeding them into a corner, leading to inbreeding that stifles competition and hampers progress for everyone else.

We all know that HorseWorldOnline thrives on competition. It's what makes the game exciting, and it's what pushes us to improve our horses, our breeding techniques, and ourselves as players. But when champion lines are hoarded and held back from the community, it creates a monopoly that doesn't allow others the chance to improve their own horses or lines.

Imagine a world where only a few players are allowed to compete with the best, leaving the rest of us stuck in a cycle of limited choices. These players are not simply collecting champions for the sake of improving their lines. They are holding back the genetic diversity that is crucial to the progression of the game. By keeping these lines closed and limiting access, they are making it nearly impossible for others to better their own horses or compete on an equal playing field.

What’s even worse is the practice of inbreeding. When champions and their descendants are bred only within the same limited gene pool, it leads to a breakdown in the quality and health of the lines. Inbreeding creates stagnation—it narrows the potential for improvement and leaves us with a community that is stuck in the past, unable to move forward.

The consequences of hoarding champion lines and inbreeding are far-reaching. It not only discourages players who strive to better their lines but also hurts the spirit of competition itself. It makes winning a competition less about skill and strategy and more about which players have hoarded the best genetics. We lose the opportunity for innovation, the chance for new blood to enter the arena, and the excitement that comes from rising through the ranks, improving our lines and our horses with each passing season.

We need to ask ourselves: Is this the community we want to be a part of? Do we want to support an environment where only a few hold all the power, or do we want to foster a community where every player has a chance to succeed, to grow, and to improve?

I believe HorseWorldOnline is at its best when we embrace diversity—diversity of lines, of breeding strategies, and of players. We should support one another, sharing our best horses, and creating opportunities for everyone to shine. Only then will we truly experience the thrill of competition, and only then will the best players rise to the top based on their dedication and skill, not just the horses they've hoarded or inbred?

Let’s commit to a fair and exciting future where champion lines are shared, and every player has the chance to compete and improve. Together, we can make HorseWorldOnline a place where competition is based on merit and not hoarded advantages.

Thank you.

[mythirion]

I think you bring up some fantastic points - but I also want to point out that sometimes keeping studs listed as "private" is not necessarily to keep certain lines exclusive but just a way of keeping them accessible for your own use when you have them spread on different accounts. I keep mine "private" so I can use them when I want to without having to cycle over a day. It's inconvenient when you are breeding and playing at a quick pace to have to switch horses around so you can age them. When I'm hyperfocused on the game, I don't want to slow my game play for the sake of others.

On that point, you can also only have up to 16 stallions standing at stud at a time on an account. I need those 16 standing for use in my program as I'm mass breeding. It's another inconvenience to have to move horses around or switch whose standing when you're taking turns very quickly. If I stand studs on my main account - they'll pass within a few hours because of how quickly I turn the day over. It's not even worth it.

Of course there are other reasons like not wanting people piggybacking off real years of work and swooping in to surpass your goal. A lot of those private lines are very carefully curated with a goal in mind. And a ton of hard work. Yes it's selfish to want to keep your work to yourself but that's a personal decision we have the ability to make.

But with that said, a lot of people with private studs are more than happy to allow outside breedings if you just ASK about it. Sometimes they just want to control the use of the stud. Sometimes it's for their own convenience versus others.

[Apple178_Freezer]

Of course there are other reasons like not wanting people piggybacking off real years of work and swooping in to surpass your goal. A lot of those private lines are very carefully curated with a goal in mind. And a ton of hard work. Yes it's selfish to want to keep your work to yourself but that's a personal decision we have the ability to make.

But with that said, a lot of people with private studs are more than happy to allow outside breedings if you just ASK about it. Sometimes they just want to control the use of the stud. Sometimes it's for their own convenience versus others.

In response to your reply:

it’s become increasingly clear that many players are now riding on the coattails of Frost lines—along with those of other legendary breeders, to achieve success without giving back to the community of players. I can speak for example. I own FF studs and have used FF studs to improve my racing and western bred horses. (honestly we all have) But I don't turn down anyone who asks to use them.

What’s especially frustrating is that certain players are now hoarding their own top-tier studs and refusing to allow outside usage, claiming their lines as "private." This is limiting the competitive nature of the game and making it harder for other players to grow or build new lines of their own. it’s disheartening and discouraging when there is no diversity in the game to bred too. It causes players to just want to quit all together. To see players locking up their valuable stock for private use only, despite the fact that they’ve reached their success by leveraging off of the work of others. It's these players who have not spent many years building their lines. These are the players I feel are being unethical and unfair. These are the players who are purchasing other players studs and not allowing the previous owner or breeder to use them.

I understand the need to keep lines private and how frustrating to see someone succeed from your work. I am not talking about the players that are preserving their lines, but the ones who are dominating the field with their own logo on basically someone else's hard work and not sharing.

[BlackRiver_Breeding]

Ladies and gentlemen, fellow players, and enthusiasts of HorseWorldOnline,

Today, I want to address an issue that has been growing in our community, one that is not just about the competition but about the very essence of fair play and the integrity of the game we love. That issue is the unethical practice of hoarding record-holding champion lines and breeding them into a corner, leading to inbreeding that stifles competition and hampers progress for everyone else.

We all know that HorseWorldOnline thrives on competition. It's what makes the game exciting, and it's what pushes us to improve our horses, our breeding techniques, and ourselves as players. But when champion lines are hoarded and held back from the community, it creates a monopoly that doesn't allow others the chance to improve their own horses or lines.

Imagine a world where only a few players are allowed to compete with the best, leaving the rest of us stuck in a cycle of limited choices. These players are not simply collecting champions for the sake of improving their lines. They are holding back the genetic diversity that is crucial to the progression of the game. By keeping these lines closed and limiting access, they are making it nearly impossible for others to better their own horses or compete on an equal playing field.

What’s even worse is the practice of inbreeding. When champions and their descendants are bred only within the same limited gene pool, it leads to a breakdown in the quality and health of the lines. Inbreeding creates stagnation—it narrows the potential for improvement and leaves us with a community that is stuck in the past, unable to move forward.

The consequences of hoarding champion lines and inbreeding are far-reaching. It not only discourages players who strive to better their lines but also hurts the spirit of competition itself. It makes winning a competition less about skill and strategy and more about which players have hoarded the best genetics. We lose the opportunity for innovation, the chance for new blood to enter the arena, and the excitement that comes from rising through the ranks, improving our lines and our horses with each passing season.

We need to ask ourselves: Is this the community we want to be a part of? Do we want to support an environment where only a few hold all the power, or do we want to foster a community where every player has a chance to succeed, to grow, and to improve?

I believe HorseWorldOnline is at its best when we embrace diversity—diversity of lines, of breeding strategies, and of players. We should support one another, sharing our best horses, and creating opportunities for everyone to shine. Only then will we truly experience the thrill of competition, and only then will the best players rise to the top based on their dedication and skill, not just the horses they've hoarded or inbred?

Let’s commit to a fair and exciting future where champion lines are shared, and every player has the chance to compete and improve. Together, we can make HorseWorldOnline a place where competition is based on merit and not hoarded advantages.

Thank you.

I would like to start off saying that minutes after you pming me about an issue then seeing this post wasn't ideal.You keep asking me and a few other players to breed to our rh's for free that we have spent a lot of time and put a lot of effort into breeding them. I am not trying to be rude but I get private messages constants from you asking to breed to my horses and most of them are my record holders that I had previously told you no. I am fully aware this post is mainly about me and the other players that have told you no. Like sorry but we work very hard to get the horses we have. All the "successful" players have started from the very bottom at some point. We didn't just start with amazing horses. We had to work to get where we are. I am fully aware that this is just a game and whatever but I am telling you right now that we have spent years trying to get where we are. These players aren't hoarding lines! We have the option to choose whether we let you breed to our horses or not and if we don't and you can't take no for a answer then that's not my problem. Also inbreeding has no consequences as of right now. If you look majority of stellar horses are inbred.

[lemoncypress]

As someone who has bred multiple Rhs and had many people ask to use my lines I feel as it is up to the person to keep there line public or not. You can see this in real life there are many studs who only breed to proven mares in hopes that the offspring are amazing like the parents. This is how I see it and I only allow people to breed to my studs if I know their lines is proven and can produce quality horses and that they will not be copied and sold to the public cause that is something I have struggled with. As for inbreeding it is hard to keep a 0 coi currently as there is not many breeding quality horses in a certain discipline like steeplechase. Untill the game is incredibly popular as someone who has tried to keep a 0 coi line it is almost impossible when you are solely the only breeder. But in the end everyone has there own opinion and this is mine.

[HighGlossPreformance]

Ladies and gentlemen, fellow players, and enthusiasts of HorseWorldOnline,

Today, I want to address an issue that has been growing in our community, one that is not just about the competition but about the very essence of fair play and the integrity of the game we love. That issue is the unethical practice of hoarding record-holding champion lines and breeding them into a corner, leading to inbreeding that stifles competition and hampers progress for everyone else.

We all know that HorseWorldOnline thrives on competition. It's what makes the game exciting, and it's what pushes us to improve our horses, our breeding techniques, and ourselves as players. But when champion lines are hoarded and held back from the community, it creates a monopoly that doesn't allow others the chance to improve their own horses or lines.

Imagine a world where only a few players are allowed to compete with the best, leaving the rest of us stuck in a cycle of limited choices. These players are not simply collecting champions for the sake of improving their lines. They are holding back the genetic diversity that is crucial to the progression of the game. By keeping these lines closed and limiting access, they are making it nearly impossible for others to better their own horses or compete on an equal playing field.

What’s even worse is the practice of inbreeding. When champions and their descendants are bred only within the same limited gene pool, it leads to a breakdown in the quality and health of the lines. Inbreeding creates stagnation—it narrows the potential for improvement and leaves us with a community that is stuck in the past, unable to move forward.

The consequences of hoarding champion lines and inbreeding are far-reaching. It not only discourages players who strive to better their lines but also hurts the spirit of competition itself. It makes winning a competition less about skill and strategy and more about which players have hoarded the best genetics. We lose the opportunity for innovation, the chance for new blood to enter the arena, and the excitement that comes from rising through the ranks, improving our lines and our horses with each passing season.

We need to ask ourselves: Is this the community we want to be a part of? Do we want to support an environment where only a few hold all the power, or do we want to foster a community where every player has a chance to succeed, to grow, and to improve?

I believe HorseWorldOnline is at its best when we embrace diversity—diversity of lines, of breeding strategies, and of players. We should support one another, sharing our best horses, and creating opportunities for everyone to shine. Only then will we truly experience the thrill of competition, and only then will the best players rise to the top based on their dedication and skill, not just the horses they've hoarded or inbred?

Let’s commit to a fair and exciting future where champion lines are shared, and every player has the chance to compete and improve. Together, we can make HorseWorldOnline a place where competition is based on merit and not hoarded advantages.

Thank you.

I would like to start off saying that minutes after you pming me about an issue then seeing this post wasn't ideal.You keep asking me and a few other players to breed to our rh's for free that we have spent a lot of time and put a lot of effort into breeding them. I am not trying to be rude but I get private messages constants from you asking to breed to my horses and most of them are my record holders that I had previously told you no. I am fully aware this post is mainly about me and the other players that have told you no. Like sorry but we work very hard to get the horses we have. All the "successful" players have started from the very bottom at some point. We didn't just start with amazing horses. We had to work to get where we are. I am fully aware that this is just a game and whatever but I am telling you right now that we have spent years trying to get where we are. These players aren't hoarding lines! We have the option to choose whether we let you breed to our horses or not and if we don't and you can't take no for a answer then that's not my problem. Also inbreeding has no consequences as of right now. If you look majority of stellar horses are inbred.

No, that is not at all what I was asking, and you know it. I asked to use a stud that I sold to you, but you refused to let me use him. Then, when you claim to be leaving the game, you refuse to sell him back to me. If it weren't for me selling you that stud, how many horses would you not have right now? let not forget you let another horse age out that I sold to you. I accepted the fact you were keeping your lines private, but I figured you'd have enough ethics to at least me use the horses I sold to you. You basically leverage usage to your own advantage. You could at least do me the common courtesy to let me use the stud I sold you since, you let other players use him.

[BlackRiver_Breeding]

I would like to start off saying that minutes after you pming me about an issue then seeing this post wasn't ideal.You keep asking me and a few other players to breed to our rh's for free that we have spent a lot of time and put a lot of effort into breeding them. I am not trying to be rude but I get private messages constants from you asking to breed to my horses and most of them are my record holders that I had previously told you no. I am fully aware this post is mainly about me and the other players that have told you no. Like sorry but we work very hard to get the horses we have. All the "successful" players have started from the very bottom at some point. We didn't just start with amazing horses. We had to work to get where we are. I am fully aware that this is just a game and whatever but I am telling you right now that we have spent years trying to get where we are. These players aren't hoarding lines! We have the option to choose whether we let you breed to our horses or not and if we don't and you can't take no for a answer then that's not my problem. Also inbreeding has no consequences as of right now. If you look majority of stellar horses are inbred.

No, that is not at all what I was asking, and you know it. I asked to use a stud that I sold to you, but you refused to let me use him. Then, when you claim to be leaving the game, you refuse to sell him back to me. If it weren't for me selling you that stud, how many horses would you not have right now?

I can pull up time stamps of how many messages I have from u asking to use my barrel racing rh and my 1:57 racing stud. I am taking a break for a while because I have a life outside of this game sorry if that's unacceptable. Ummmm if it weren't for that stud I would have 1 less horse

[HighGlossPreformance]

No, that is not at all what I was asking, and you know it. I asked to use a stud that I sold to you, but you refused to let me use him. Then, when you claim to be leaving the game, you refuse to sell him back to me. If it weren't for me selling you that stud, how many horses would you not have right now?

I can pull up time stamps of how many messages I have from u asking to use my barrel racing rh and my 1:57 racing stud. I am taking a break for a while because I have a life outside of this game sorry if that's unacceptable. Ummmm if it weren't for that stud I would have 1 less horse

Yea I can also put up the many times you asked to purchase the FF stud that I sold to another player. So don't act like you weren't doing the same thing. You also asked to use my FF racing stud which I allowed you to use countless times. Which helped you to create your rh. so don't act like you created these horses by yourself. Most of your horses are just FF studs on both sides of the tree. You might as well change your private lines to FF instead of BR.

[BlackRiver_Breeding]

I can pull up time stamps of how many messages I have from u asking to use my barrel racing rh and my 1:57 racing stud. I am taking a break for a while because I have a life outside of this game sorry if that's unacceptable. Ummmm if it weren't for that stud I would have 1 less horse

Yea I can also put up the many times you asked to purchase the FF stud that I sold to another player. So don't act like you weren't doing the same thing. You also asked to use my FF racing stud which I allowed you to use countless times. Which helped you to create your rh. so don't act like you created these horses by yourself. Most of your horses are just FF studs on both sides of the tree. You might as well change your private lines to FF instead of BR.

Ok so basically I asked u once. This is funny im not wasting my time with you. You can even ask Frost how I have thanked her endlessly for her horses help. Thanks for ur opinion though Go into any of my racing horses lines. Ur only going to find frosts horses

[Shadow Scar]

I completely agree with BlackRiver! Another point I would like to make is its completely possible to breed successful competition horses even without access to other peoples established lines. It simple takes time and effort. We all have to start from somewhere and assuming that we should all just allow everyone access would make our hard work pointless. For example my Saddleseat line is incredibly private with only one mare ever going to another player, but that's my choice after putting years to get them to this point. Yet there are still others out there just as competitive without needing my horses.

I feel that this is targeting older players to almost...guilt?...us into giving freebies. I guess I'll keep being a hoarder.