Retsi's Advanced Conformation

[Retsi]

Under Construction - Topic Incomplete

Retsi's Guide

From The Viewpoint Of An Experienced Breeder

A short introduction... Hello, I am Retsi. I have been playing HWO for many real life years. I am strictly a racehorse breeder, but as of late, I have been working on improving rare breeds and testing genetics. Here is a forum regarding my research. The first part of this forum is generalized while the second part is racehorse specific.

Discipline Summary - viewtopic.php?f=12&t=1235 learn which stats are evaluated for each specific competition type
All Breeders Reports Comments - viewtopic.php?f=12&t=7149&hilit=Breeders+report view breeder's report comments to evaluate the natural skillset of your horse, from best to worst
Breeder's Report and Conformation - viewtopic.php?f=12&t=4620&hilit=Conformation a look at how conformations and breeder's reports are connected

Understanding Basic Comformation & Common Terminology



▪︎I'll start by saying, if you're going to breed for stats, it is nearly impossible to do so without the premium account upgrade. Being a premium member allows you to read your horses conformation precisely to better understand how your horse will perform in competitions. Although you may ask others to read stats for you, you will progress very slowly.

"Poor conformation can turn a horse with the best stats into a useless mess. Learn how your horses conformation affects the genetic stats"

Head & Neck Conformation

Face Profile (Convex/Roman ↔ Concave/Dished)
The ideal face profile is about mediam however a heavy head can inhibit speed, stamina, agility, and tempo while being advantageous to strength.
Face Length (Short ↔ Long)
A slightly shorter face can enhance agility while a slightly longer face can be advantageous to balance. Stamina is enhanced with a long face.
Jowl (Shallow ↔ Thick)
A thick jowl can hinder movement by restricting flexion at the poll. A heavier head, influenced by a thick jowl, can be advantageous to agility.
Neck Length (Short ↔ Long)
A longer neck can enhance speed, while a shorter neck can ehnance strength. A medium neck is ideal for agility and balance.

Shoulder & Barrel Conformation

Withers/Shoulder Angle (Upright ↔ Sloped)
Sloping shoulders increase a horses range of motion which is advantageous to movement and, to a lesser degree, tempo.
Point of Shoulder (Low ↔ High)
The point of shoulder helps determine the slope of the shoulders in combination with the withers. A lower point of shoulder increase the overall slope of the shoulder which is ideal for tempo, stamin and movement.
Rib Cage (Shallow ↔ Deep)
Well sprung ribs are ideal for stamina as it can help increase a horses lung capacity by allowing more room for the lungs to expand.
Depth of Flank (Shallow ↔ Deep)
A deep flank is ideal for stamina as it helps to increase the lung capacity while a shallow flank can be better for speed.

Back, Haunches & Legs Conformation

Hip Angle (Sloped ↔ Flat)
Flatter haunches enhances movement and to a lesser degree, balance. A sloping haunch enhances strength and balance.
Hip Length (Long ↔ Short)
A long hip is ideal for creating the power necessary for speed and strength.
Leg Thickness (Thin ↔ Thick)
Thick legs are advantageous to strength and balance but could decrease speed.
Stifle Placement (Backward ↔ Forward)
A forward placed stifle is ideal for agility while a set back stifle is ideal for movement.
Back Length (Short ↔ Long)
A slightly longer back is advantageous for tempo and balance, while a slightly medium to slightly shorter back is ideal for strength and agility.
Croup Height (Uphill ↔ Downhill)
A downhill built is advantageous to speed while an uphill build is advantageous to strength and movement. A level build is ideal for agility and tempo.

"Roman" face

"Dished" face


Evaluating Your Horse
advanced points of evaluation for competition and breeding
▪︎ breeder's report - evaluate the natural potential of your horse, horses with a high comment are likely going to perform better whereas horses with a lower comment may perform average or poorly. If your horse has a high stat but a poor comment, your horse has poor genetics and likely no "heart".
▪︎ pedigree - check out those dams and sires (the grandparents as well). reading their stats and breeder's reports may help you determine whether your horse has poor genetics. If the sire has a competitive record, look at his WPS (win percentage). Is it high, is it low? Is it average?
▪︎ stat values - what is the highest stat? how does it affect the conformation of your horse? is your horse built for Racing (speed, stamina, agility) or is your horse built for English (intelligence, movement, balance)
▪︎ bodily conformation & temperament - a high strung horse is ready to fly while an even tempered horse wants to obey. A light horse will go the distance, a heavy horse will pull it's weight. Genetics play a role in determining whether your horse will be stuck bombproof, or born ranging from very light to very heavy

The natural talent of your horse is what makes it shine in competition. I have noticed that good bloodlines reflecting high WPS will out perform higher stat value horses, who may have less "heart". I feel it is more important to evaluate your horses based on pedigree and breeders report, rather than outright rehoming based on stat values alone, choosing stallions and mares that hail from high WPS will almost always give you a horse with consistency.

Racehorse Breeding