What has everyone been up to?

[Silverine]

It's alright, I understand real life.

She certainly is quite the disappointment, but she does have both genes from your competition line and my competition line. Good horses can come from rather awful competing horses, so I have her scheduled for some coverings. I don't have the appropriate weighted stallions at the moment, I went through and realized that all the studs in that medium-light to light range were all related to her dam. And all the rest were heavy-pony styles. So it'll be a little bit longer before I can find a good match for her.

The good thing is that she has some traits that will help me toward where I want to go with this competition line. After having it for so long, using it as grinders and decent money-makers, I know what I want to turn them into. Roman-chariot reminiscent horses. Well, it'll still take me quite awhile to get there.

I'll let you know when I produce some potential matches for her.

Just a note for you two that Bita and I discovered a while back: when you cross two completely separate lines, the resulting foals will (almost) always be "worse" than both parents.

It has to do with inbreeding. With two established lines, the genes are rather fixed so you have a good idea what to expect when breeding horses of the same line together. When you breed two lines together you're messing with the homozygosity, and the good stuff you have built up will be diluted by the other line - even if that other line appears to be as good as or better than your line.

But! That's just the first generation that is crossed. Once you've crossed you can build back up. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but if both lines are good there's a good chance you can build the crosses into something good as well.

[BlackOak2]

Just a note for you two that Bita and I discovered a while back: when you cross two completely separate lines, the resulting foals will (almost) always be "worse" than both parents.

It has to do with inbreeding. With two established lines, the genes are rather fixed so you have a good idea what to expect when breeding horses of the same line together. When you breed two lines together you're messing with the homozygosity, and the good stuff you have built up will be diluted by the other line - even if that other line appears to be as good as or better than your line.

But! That's just the first generation that is crossed. Once you've crossed you can build back up. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but if both lines are good there's a good chance you can build the crosses into something good as well.

I have experienced this in some crossed lines, but I've also experienced just the opposite in some other lines. So you might have the right of it that it has to do with the inbreeding ratio... or rather there are inbred traits that get screwed up a bit when breeding to another inbred line.

In this case, I'm not sure. Her dam crossed successfully with another outside line similar to what Tisha had, so the cross into Tisha's line should've been (in my opinion) at least a little better than what it did. So, I'm actually not too sure what happened, this is quite worse than my lowest expectations for what I might see, before even competing. But like I said before, good outcomes can come out of rather somber horses.

However, I think finding a stud with an excellent heart is the best option for her, so I'll need to locate, or breed up a horse with a really strong and current competition record. Though I don't want to cross into thoroughbred lines, finding a great stud from an outside source would be easiest if I went that route.

I am open to further ideas though. We can use her as an experimental mare of sorts.

Let me know... though I must comment again, she is a nice looking mare at least.

[Tisha]

Just a note for you two that Bita and I discovered a while back: when you cross two completely separate lines, the resulting foals will (almost) always be "worse" than both parents.

It has to do with inbreeding. With two established lines, the genes are rather fixed so you have a good idea what to expect when breeding horses of the same line together. When you breed two lines together you're messing with the homozygosity, and the good stuff you have built up will be diluted by the other line - even if that other line appears to be as good as or better than your line.

But! That's just the first generation that is crossed. Once you've crossed you can build back up. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but if both lines are good there's a good chance you can build the crosses into something good as well.

Thank you Silverine for the information! Usually when I cross my horses, it's usually from one racing line to another, and the foals are usually okayish but not splendid. When there are good crossed babies though, it's usually because they're related to each other by a few generations back.

And yes, that's what I've figured too ^^

I have experienced this in some crossed lines, but I've also experienced just the opposite in some other lines. So you might have the right of it that it has to do with the inbreeding ratio... or rather there are inbred traits that get screwed up a bit when breeding to another inbred line.

In this case, I'm not sure. Her dam crossed successfully with another outside line similar to what Tisha had, so the cross into Tisha's line should've been (in my opinion) at least a little better than what it did. So, I'm actually not too sure what happened, this is quite worse than my lowest expectations for what I might see, before even competing. But like I said before, good outcomes can come out of rather somber horses.

However, I think finding a stud with an excellent heart is the best option for her, so I'll need to locate, or breed up a horse with a really strong and current competition record. Though I don't want to cross into thoroughbred lines, finding a great stud from an outside source would be easiest if I went that route.

I am open to further ideas though. We can use her as an experimental mare of sorts.

Let me know... though I must comment again, she is a nice looking mare at least.

Yes, that makes sense. Perhaps it's the fact that she's a filly made her a little worse? Colts usually have better stats in general so maybe that's why.

Yup yup, my current horses aren't much for competition so I'm working on improving them, but in any case, you're welcome to stud to any horse you find on my farm to her ^^

Of course, for science

[BlackOak2]

...

Found a prospect colt that might fit the bill for Rust & Char. He needs finishing and comping, so we'll see after if he's got the heart I think he might have.

[BlackOak2]

...

Found a prospect colt that might fit the bill for Rust & Char. He needs finishing and comping, so we'll see after if he's got the heart I think he might have.

He didn't work out. I already have a purchaser for him, so he's ending up in a good home.
Onward for another...

[Tisha]

He didn't work out. I already have a purchaser for him, so he's ending up in a good home.
Onward for another...

Oh I see, wanna pop into chat for a lil bit?

[BlackOak2]

He didn't work out. I already have a purchaser for him, so he's ending up in a good home.
Onward for another...

Oh I see, wanna pop into chat for a lil bit?

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