My Opinion: The Unethical Practice of Hoarding Champion Lines

[BlackRiver_Breeding]

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.

That is exactly what I am saying!

[MintySugarHorse2]

totally agree with Shadow Scar, River and Lemon!!! Sooo I was going to respond with my take but decided not to However, I would be more than happy to give reasoning behind anything regarding myself that you or anyone may have

[Argent]

If you want champion lines, make them. It’s not difficult, just time consuming. Sounds like entitlement to other people’s work.

[Argent]

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.

Oh. I think you literally just don’t understand how the game works. Every champion, recording holding horse you see is descended from the exact same pool of Adoption Center horses you have access to. Other people just put in the time and effort to select for performance over time, until they got high scores and records. You’re perfectly capable of doing the same and have access to the exact same resources.

[BlackOak2]

Again, I still see both sides of this argument.

Yes, we can build from nothing (I've already said that, we all have, on HWO it's relatively easy, just long), yes, we can also build off of other people's lines. Overall, with the learning curve on this game, either way it's going to take a player about as long to get to where they want to be. And that's because breeding to the best lines still means we need to learn to maintain them. This game, unlike other games, takes learning to build and maintain lines at a much greater degree. Most other games out there, regardless of player ability, means that if you breed to a top-tier horse, you're guaranteed to get a good horse out of the deal and artificially boost your position right into those top tiers in one go. But on this game, even if you have a top-tier horse and you breed it to another top-tier horse, you're not guaranteed of anything at all.

And that is the crux of the argument. And also where both sides have the right and also the wrong of it.
What it comes down to, is that the best lines are kept looking and maintaining the best by careful and selective breeding. And to see such a line in as little as one generation, plummet into nothingness is heartbreaking.

So, be careful about what is bred to what, who is doing the breeding and sharing the appropriate stock to those that maybe can't maintain just yet. Learning curve is steep around here, but the basics are incredibly easy.

HighGlossPreformance, don't loose heart about not being able to breed to certain studs or not being able to purchase certain broods. If you maintain your breeding practices and are careful about keeping and culling, then those records won't be out of reach. Frost is a juggernaut around here and has proven how easy it is to make record holders. And from scratch in some cases (if memory holds), but is far from the only one to have produced record holders from nothing.