Unique Breeds?

[Argent]

Is anyone planning on creating a novel breed, or a real-life crossbreed that isn't already part of the game?

[Deslumbrar]

Im considering, but I haven't thought it out fully yet.

Ive been really busy with RL (taking care of a dumped off elderly kitty that lives at my summer job 40min from my house [doesnt seem like much but that kills 2hrs of every day with driving and then care], job application after application, planning for my wedding next year, keeping things in order to help with my fiancees prospective job, and other) so Ive only got the basics mapped out of what I want. Ive really only tossed ideas around in my head a few times, but these are the ones that stick pretty well.


Akhal-Teke/Knabstrupper/Arabian and PRE or Peruvian Paso are all possibles in the mix. Going for sporty, but solid. Great endurance, athletic ability. Possibility of gaited instead of the PRE blood.
Leopard Complex for certain
Possible color genes: Dun, Pearl, metallic (called satin in small livestock breeds, the gene thought to be behind Akhal-Teke shine). Im thinking predominately bay/brown (with/without dilutions) with any mix of the others. White spotting genes would not be preferred.

[Valkyriea]

I kinda want to do the Clydesdale / Warmblood cross down the road :3

[Nate]

Not sure. If I created my own breed it would most certainly be for my own satisfaction. I don't think there's very much selling value in what is essentially a grade horse that's been given a fancy name, at least not any more value than already exists in the grade horse due to color and athletic ability.

If I WERE to create a new breed, it would be a western ranch-type breed. I'd like it to have it all in terms of athletic ability, but in reality both of the cow events in-game combined call for equal parts agility and intelligence, then strength, balance, and speed in order of descending importance. But I do so love a horse with beautiful movement as well, so I'm either going to have to pick a discipline and focus on it or spend a looooong time breeding the do-it-all horse.

My personal breed would be gaited, with a body style most like a baroque breed. Something with substance and hair, but not too much substance and hair. I don't think I would have a strong preference on color...Of the colors currently in the game, I love champagne and dun the most and dislike roan with the most intensity. I did get the custom white pattern from the kickstarter so that might come into it, but I'm just not sure on color. It would depend.

With my base of ranch (or working equitation if it were added) North African Barbs, I could really go either way. I could breed to the best horses in my discipline indiscriminately (or only slightly discriminatory regarding color) and arrive at a new breed with exceptional ability. Or I could breed to the best horses that will also lead me to a new breed.

I guess we'll just see where my whims carry me.

[Argent]

Is there any selling value in any breed, though? What really is the difference between a Thoroughbred and a Holstein, a Clydesdale and a Suffolk Punch, a Miniature and a Shetland? Either is a useful as far as competition is concerned. Beyond type and color preferences, there's really no difference in how choosing a particular breed will effect that aspect of gameplay. If I were really into cooperative playing, it would be so much more efficient to just breed grades -- you get all of the best traits with none of the fuss.

I'd like to create an Iberian Warmblood, which would essentially just be any horse of at least 25% Baroque breeding, and some sort of warmblood breeding (or maybe just Thoroughbred, who knows). Probably more of a English saddle horse, but depending on the baroque side, there might be some western-type horses, so it would be a fairly versatile breed/type.

[Nate]

There's no value in a breed besides what value people assign it. The reality is that it's easier to sell a popular breed horse than an unpopular breed horse, and it's easier to sell a recognized breed horse than it is to sell a grade horse. Granted, it is easier to get great sport ability when you have no breed restrictions and that may make the grade horse easier to sell than a recognized breed of lesser athletic ability. However, all things being otherwise equal, the recognized breed will sell faster and for more than the grade horse.

Now, if one could create a demand for their new breed to equal that of a recognized breed, the whole conversation changes.

[Argent]

If anything, you could probably grow the popularity of a novel breed simply by making them a dominating force in their sport; I imagine if you could maximize the sport ability of the grade breed, many breeders would be interested in using your horses.

[Babson Arabian]

I want to breed Babson Arabians. here is an exerpt on Babsons
"In 1931, a then 57 year old Henry Babson chose to realize his dream to acquire and breed Arabian Horse by following his guideline of “Ideals are like stars. We can never reach them, but, like ancient mariners, we chart our course by them.” Mr. Babson ultimately collected a group of 6 Arabian Horses that would provide the basis for what is known today as the “Straight Babson” program.

From the Royal Agricultural Society (RAS) of Cairo, Egypt he bought three 1930 fillies: *Bint Bint Sabbah (blood-bay – Bayyad x Bint Sabbah), *Bint Saada (light chestnut – Ibn Samham x Saada)and *Bint Bint Durra (dark chestnut – Ibn Rabdan x Bint Durra). From the Stud of Prince Kamel el Dine (a past RAS president) Mr. Babson chose 1923 mare *Bint Serra 1 (black-bay – Sotamm x Serra), daughter of Lady Anne Blunt’s Sit Serra (queen of the 1917 disbanded Sheykh Obeyd/”Garden of Egypt” Stud) along with her colt *Metsur (sired by Rustem) who died shortly after reaching the US. Finally, from the Menial Stud of Prince Mohamed Ali of the Isle of Roda, Henry Babson chose the 1930 colt *Fadl and his full sister the 1931 filly *Maaroufa (both grey – Ibn Rabdan x Mahroussa). Together these six horses and their offspring evolved into the Straight Babson program that a small group of devout breeders endeavor to keep alive today. These horses were known as “Old Egyptian horses, that is, Egyptians imported and bred in the US pre-1958 whose lines trace to Abbas Pasha, Ali Pasha Sherif and Blunt horses.

About 1938 Henry Babson’s vision added a second importation from Poland of *Kasztelanka, *Kostrzewa, *Rybtwa, Azija IV, and 1934 stallion *Sulejman along with 1919 stallion *Aldebar from England via Canada and even later HVM Clark’s Nimrod. Crosses were made between these and the Egyptian group that would ultimately result in such Babson-bred horses as Azraff, Fadjur and Khemosabi, to name a few.

Another program began with Mr. Babson’s acquisition of the Saudi mare *Turfa which developed into a dynasty of its own with a strong fancy of dedicated breeders even today.

Babson combinations proved to be very successful and today there are numerous breeding groups such as Babson/Ansata, Babson/Bentwood, Babson/Black, Babson/Brown, Babson/Doyle, Babson/Gainey, Babson/Sirecho, Babson/*Sulejman, Babson/Travelers Rest and Babson/*Turfa. They can all be called part of the Babson Influence Group.

For Henry Babson, the Arabian Horse was to naturally excel in endurance that requires the qualities of stamina, movement (including speed and agility) and intelligence as well as the horse’s loyalty to his rider. Babson blood sports horses with a keen mind and Babson horses readily thrive on training and openness to new situations which are leading ingredients for horses of great versatility. Babson horses have great dispositions and their kind, trusting nature is always evident. They are distinct in character while resembling the classic old world type horse depicted in 19th century art. "

im thinking of useing the cross of Arabian X NAB. im also trying to get Brown in my blood line (Black Bay).

[RilkaGreen]

This has nothing to do with the game, but my real life horse is an Al Khamsa (Straight Egyptians with traceable lineage to Bedouin tribes, maintaining the purity of the desert horse) registered descendant of *Fadl. He's ridiculously smart - fetches, bows, and does tricks. He can be a handful because he gets bored easily!!

[MoonRiver130]

I'm assuming the game is going go to through some resets before it's ready for the public, so for now I've got more along the lines of unique projects than breed specific projects. I like the look of the ponies you get when you cross barbs and Shetlands. Similar to what I think older chincoteague ponies used to look like before the extra infusions of thoroughbred and arabian blood. They're pretty well balanced and less dramatic looking than the Shetlands in the game. I might start a line of those.

Working on chestnut forest horses too. They don't pop up very often but I like the look of them and I think they're potentially useful for creating lines of other breeds without having to default to bay or black.

Other than that I'm just playing around and seeing what I can get that looks appealing.