When choosing a mare and stallion for breeding purposes, there are many factors to be considered. First there are the stats of the potential sire and dam. If one of the pair has a very low number in one category, such as strength or conformation, it is best to match that horse to a member of the opposite sex that is strong in that area. Next, you may choose a breeding pair based partially on special traits such as heart, bombproof, presence, prefers turf/dirt, cow sense, or naturally five gaited. All of these traits are inherited. Another important factor is the stats and special traits of the horses in your stallion and mare's pedigrees. A lower statted horse may produce a superior foal if the horses in past generations are excellent. If you are breeding for color, compare the stallion and mare's DNA and consider the potential gene combinations and results. You may also survey the stallion's get and the mare's produce to see how their past foals have turned out in similar pairings. You must also make sure that the stallion and mare are the same breed or an approved cross. Finally, check each horse's genetic disorder status: A carrier will pass on the carrier trait 50% of the time, but will not be affected, while an affected horse will always pass on the disorder and will have its score halved in the show ring. Carefully choosing a mare and stallion can take time, but the rewards in the form of great foals are well worth the trouble.

The breeding pedigree shows the permanent stats of the selected horse, its parents, and its grandparents, for a total of seven horses. Using a breeding pedigree is a good way to see if a particular strong or weak stat has been passed through several generations in your horse's pedigree. A breeding pedigree can also help you determine whether or not a given horse is likely to produce high-statted foals. When combined with other factors, the breeding pedigree is an excellent tool to use when selecting horses for breeding purposes.

DNA testing costs $500 to test color DNA, $250 to test pattern DNA, and $250 to test for genetic disorder. You will immediately see the results under your horse's picture. DNA color and pattern testing is important when choosing horses for breeding purposes, and DNA disorder tests are essential for any import, local stock, or any horse that does not have clear parents. DNA testing can help you discover the possible colors and patterns your horse could throw to its foals, particularly in the case of a grey horse. DNA pattern testing is an absolute necessity when breeding horses with patterns such as Overo and Frame Overo, in order to avoid a Lethal White Overo foal.

Lethal White Overos are a tragic reality, both in life and on Equine Ranch. Breeding an Ov/ov horse to another Ov/ov horse can result in an Ov/Ov foal- a Lethal White Overo. These foals will never be able to show or breed, but will still consume feed. Careful selection of parents is necessary to prevent this sad occurence.

Affected horses have two copies of the disorder gene, meaning all their scores will be halved in the show ring. They will also always pass on the disorder gene to their foals, even when bred to clear horses. The affected horse's disorder can be bred out in as little as two generations, but the original affected horse will be of no use for showing.

Equine Ranch has a list of approved cross breeds. These only include crosses sanctioned by the breeds' registries. No horse can be bred to a horse that is not its own breed or an approved cross for its breed.

Local Stock cost $10,000 and can be purchased in varying numbers each month. These horses' stats are random, and can range from very low to among the highest in the game. Local Stock may not show, but they can be bred to any purebred. They will produce foals that are the breed of the purebred parent. You cannot breed two Local Stock together.

Everything in Equine Ranch is genetic, and special traits are no exception. The traits include:
Bombproof- This is a horse who will put in a solid performance, no matter what is going on around him or her or what distractions occur. Found in all breeds.
Presence- This is the horse with extra sparkle in its step; the horse that catches your eye the second it prances into the ring. Found in all breeds.
Heart- This horse gives its all in every event, and sometimes a little more besides. A horse with Heart tries just a little harder than the next. Found in all breeds.
Prefers Turf/Dirt- These horses have an extra drive to win races on their preferred type of track. Found only in breeds that race on the track in life.
Cow Sense- This horse knows just what a cow is going to do, sometimes before the cow itself has decided. A horse with Cow Sense has an extra edge in events that include cattle work. Found only in breeds that work cattle in life.
Naturally Five Gaited- This horse has extra gaits, making for a smooth ride and a flashy performance in gaited events. Naturally Five Gaited can occur along with other special traits, and is only found in breeds gaited in life.

Updated: 2006-03-30


Artificial Insemination

Artificial Insemination requires a Permit, purchased automatically for $450 from the local vet any time you use frozen semen to inseminate a mare. You must have two straws of semen per breeding, either collected from your own stallion or purchased from other players. There is no failure rate for artificial insemination at this time. All cross breeding rules apply, just as they do in live cover breedings. The breed registries of Equine Ranch will always accept foals conceived artificially, even if they, like the Jockey Club, only allow live cover in real life.

Choosing a Mare and Stallion

When choosing a mare and stallion for breeding purposes, there are many factors to be considered. First there are the stats of the potential sire and dam. If one of the pair has a very low number in one category, such as strength or conformation, it is best to match that horse to a member of the opposite sex that is strong in that area. Next, you may choose a breeding pair based partially on special traits such as heart, bombproof, presence, prefers turf/dirt, cow sense, or naturally five gaited. All of these traits are inherited. Another important factor is the stats and special traits of the horses in your stallion and mare's pedigrees. A lower statted horse may produce a superior foal if the horses in past generations are excellent. If you are breeding for color, compare the stallion and mare's DNA and consider the potential gene combinations and results. You may also survey the stallion's get and the mare's produce to see how their past foals have turned out in similar pairings. You must also make sure that the stallion and mare are the same breed or an approved cross. Finally, check each horse's genetic disorder status: A carrier will pass on the carrier trait 50% of the time, but will not be affected, while an affected horse will always pass on the disorder and will have its score halved in the show ring. Carefully choosing a mare and stallion can take time, but the rewards in the form of great foals are well worth the trouble.

The Breeding Pedigree

The breeding pedigree shows the permanent stats of the selected horse, its parents, and its grandparents, for a total of seven horses. Using a breeding pedigree is a good way to see if a particular strong or weak stat has been passed through several generations in your horse's pedigree. A breeding pedigree can also help you determine whether or not a given horse is likely to produce high-statted foals. When combined with other factors, the breeding pedigree is an excellent tool to use when selecting horses for breeding purposes.

DNA Testing

DNA testing costs $500 to test color DNA, $250 to test pattern DNA, and $250 to test for genetic disorder. You will immediately see the results under your horse's picture. DNA color and pattern testing is important when choosing horses for breeding purposes, and DNA disorder tests are essential for any import, local stock, or any horse that does not have clear parents. DNA testing can help you discover the possible colors and patterns your horse could throw to its foals, particularly in the case of a grey horse. DNA pattern testing is an absolute necessity when breeding horses with patterns such as Overo and Frame Overo, in order to avoid a Lethal White Overo foal.

Lethal White Overo Syndrome

Lethal White Overos are a tragic reality, both in life and on Equine Ranch. Breeding an Ov/ov horse to another Ov/ov horse can result in an Ov/Ov foal- a Lethal White Overo. These foals will never be able to show or breed, but will still consume feed. Careful selection of parents is necessary to prevent this sad occurence.

Genetic Disorder and "Affected" Horses

Affected horses have two copies of the disorder gene, meaning all their scores will be halved in the show ring. They will also always pass on the disorder gene to their foals, even when bred to clear horses. The affected horse's disorder can be bred out in as little as two generations, but the original affected horse will be of no use for showing.

Crossbreeding

Equine Ranch has a list of approved cross breeds. These only include crosses sanctioned by the breeds' registries. No horse can be bred to a horse that is not its own breed or an approved cross for its breed.

Local Stock

Local Stock cost $10,000 and can be purchased in varying numbers each month. These horses' stats are random, and can range from very low to among the highest in the game. Local Stock may not show, but they can be bred to any purebred. They will produce foals that are the breed of the purebred parent. You cannot breed two Local Stock together.

Inherited Traits

Everything in Equine Ranch is genetic, and special traits are no exception. The traits include:
Bombproof- This is a horse who will put in a solid performance, no matter what is going on around him or her or what distractions occur. Found in all breeds.
Presence- This is the horse with extra sparkle in its step; the horse that catches your eye the second it prances into the ring. Found in all breeds.
Heart- This horse gives its all in every event, and sometimes a little more besides. A horse with Heart tries just a little harder than the next. Found in all breeds.
Prefers Turf/Dirt- These horses have an extra drive to win races on their preferred type of track. Found only in breeds that race on the track in life.
Cow Sense- This horse knows just what a cow is going to do, sometimes before the cow itself has decided. A horse with Cow Sense has an extra edge in events that include cattle work. Found only in breeds that work cattle in life.
Naturally Five Gaited- This horse has extra gaits, making for a smooth ride and a flashy performance in gaited events. Naturally Five Gaited can occur along with other special traits, and is only found in breeds gaited in life.

Updated: 2006-03-30

Artificial Insemination

Artificial Insemination requires a Permit, purchased automatically for $450 from the local vet any time you use frozen semen to inseminate a mare. You must have two straws of semen per breeding, either collected from your own stallion or purchased from other players. There is no failure rate for artificial insemination at this time. All cross breeding rules apply, just as they do in live cover breedings. The breed registries of Equine Ranch will always accept foals conceived artificially, even if they, like the Jockey Club, only allow live cover in real life.