Breeding heart to improve lines

[JaycenUwU]

I'm very new to heart, I only started reading about it last week (thank you for the amazing guides) I suspected such but I didn't realise it was so big, my question is, I've got a few studs with PHENOMENAL heart

https://www.horseworldonline.net/horse/profile/2072729

like this one, he never ceases to surprise me, I know his win % doesnt look like much, but I've seen him win stuff against my specifically bred horses with decent hearts themselves, in comps he should do bad in (I tend to enter a bunch of my horses in comps trained n untrained to get a general feel on the baseline)
I'm wondering if I should breed in "wrong breeds" or possibly stats I generally wouldn't want to boost the heart in my lines (also to improve type, I'm currently stuck on pony type and want it to be more horse type)
I was actually going to age this stud out, as I only kept him for sentiment as I'm no longer breeding Arabians, only for recipes really

Sidenote, one colt I'm extremely proud of is this guy, I managed to breed him before I even knew heart was confirmed

https://www.horseworldonline.net/horse/profile/2809180

I only started competing him properly yesterday and hes blown it out the water

[BlackOak2]

I'm very new to heart, I only started reading about it last week (thank you for the amazing guides) I suspected such but I didn't realise it was so big, my question is, I've got a few studs with PHENOMENAL heart

https://www.horseworldonline.net/horse/profile/2072729

like this one, he never ceases to surprise me, I know his win % doesnt look like much, but I've seen him win stuff against my specifically bred horses with decent hearts themselves, in comps he should do bad in (I tend to enter a bunch of my horses in comps trained n untrained to get a general feel on the baseline)
I'm wondering if I should breed in "wrong breeds" or possibly stats I generally wouldn't want to boost the heart in my lines (also to improve type, I'm currently stuck on pony type and want it to be more horse type)
I was actually going to age this stud out, as I only kept him for sentiment as I'm no longer breeding Arabians, only for recipes really

Sidenote, one colt I'm extremely proud of is this guy, I managed to breed him before I even knew heart was confirmed

https://www.horseworldonline.net/horse/profile/2809180

I only started competing him properly yesterday and hes blown it out the water

If you offer some of the horses he's won against that you suggest he shouldn't, I could give you a more specific workup on the two versus.

But, what I see, just from a cursory glance, he should be doing at least as good as what he already offers. His HGP, confo scores and the rest of the on-paper suggest that what he's offering you in competitions is just where he should be [without taking into consideration the heart gene].
Why I say this, is that he's already fairly high on-paper. 68k HGP is nearing the maximum we can currently confirm we can obtain. Plus, he's a 6 stat (meaning he has six colored stats). Which also contribute to that and say that his minimal base should at least be what he's already showing you.

Without looking into it further, I'd say he doesn't lack heart, but he's not currently showing heart. His a nominal, right in the middle.

If you have a specific stud that he's won against, I can give you some more insight specifically on my opinion.

But that's also just that. It's my opinion. If you feel that he has heart, than maybe he does and I'm just not seeing it.

And heart is a difficult gene to maintain. So easily bred out, sometimes impossible to find, so I'd suggest you get stock from any heart-horse you can find. Even if it's just to throw them in board somewhere for that just-in-case scenario that you do accidentally breed the heart out.
I've done that often enough and have been saved by such stock in the past. So, it's worthwhile to keep a couple stashed somewhere.

Now, as for your second horse, I agree, that horse does show heart. And he's closing in on Hunter records (just a couple points off). And he still has upward area to reach for his offspring too (that on-paper). Congrats on him! Very nice!

[JaycenUwU]

Without looking into it further, I'd say he doesn't lack heart, but he's not currently showing heart. His a nominal, right in the middle.

If you have a specific stud that he's won against, I can give you some more insight specifically on my opinion.

But that's also just that. It's my opinion. If you feel that he has heart, than maybe he does and I'm just not seeing it.

points off). And he still has upward area to reach for his offspring too (that on-paper). Congrats on him! Very nice!

Heres a couple of horses I've seen him score better than when they should've scored much better (in hunter)

https://www.horseworldonline.net/horse/profile/2946411 one of my best mares, I'm so glad I was able to get hold of her

https://www.horseworldonline.net/horse/profile/2818500 this guy

But looking more in depth that was only twice, so perhaps it was just a good day for him

[BlackOak2]

Heres a couple of horses I've seen him score better than when they should've scored much better (in hunter)

https://www.horseworldonline.net/horse/profile/2946411 one of my best mares, I'm so glad I was able to get hold of her

https://www.horseworldonline.net/horse/profile/2818500 this guy

But looking more in depth that was only twice, so perhaps it was just a good day for him

First. These ARE interesting results!

For reference.
They competed in these three competitions (for others, all three competed in only these three comps, together - and as of the timestamp of this post).
https://www.horseworldonline.net/compet ... ?edition=4
https://www.horseworldonline.net/compet ... ?edition=4
https://www.horseworldonline.net/compet ... ?edition=4

For research ease.
Hunter Discipline = Movement; Strength; Tempo; Balance
Tan Heart = HGP 68755; Movement 45; Strength 19; Tempo 46; Balance 46
Chenqing (**Mare**) = HGP 62955; Movement 69; Strength 41; Tempo 33; Balance 43
Dragon = HGP 69141; Movement 63; Strength 36; Tempo 37; Balance 51

*Stat Comment Notes*
Strength comments for all three are positive, but rather low in the positive area. The other three stats for all three are quite high. Very even overall for the choice of comments versus each other.

In first linked comp.
Tan Heart = 2nd with score of 47.86 (lowest ever 38.79 - 4th; highest ever 48.79 - 1st)
Chenqing = 3rd @ 47.34 (lowest 44.64 - 2nd; highest 54.54 - 1st)
Dragon = 6th @ 45.17 (lowest 39.97 - 13th; highest 55.68 - 1st)

Second comp.
Tan Heart = 12th @ 41.26
Chenqing = 1st @ 53.14
Dragon = 6th @ 45.27

Third comp.
Tan Heart = 7th @ 43.56
Chenqing = 3rd @ 46.54
Dragon = 13th @ 39.97

Overall, Chenqing appears to be quite a strong mare and has the most balanced heart among the three. Although her HGP is lower than the other two, one must also consider the gender as well. This is a leading mare and should be of considerable use as a breeder. Very nice! I agree with your assessment of her and your acquirement too.
It also appears that maybe, maybe she had an off day and lost to Tan Heart by a mere 0.52 hundredths of a point. Although not her lowest score, she did post a score lesser than Tan Heart and it could've been a failure of her gender or just a low score (off day) for her. She also, so far, has the smallest spread in her scores (between best ever to worst ever). Tan Heart has just a little greater spread and Dragon's spread is significantly larger.
I suspect Dragon's lowest score (which in the 30's was only shown once) may've been a moment in time when his weight or temp got out of prime area.
I think, in the comp that Tan Heart bested the other two, he just happened to have a good day. It was neither sis strongest time posted, but nor where the other two posting anywhere near their lowest ends. Alternately, both the other two were posting a mid-range score. In my opinion this wasn't a 'heart' thing and was rather the other two not using whatever heart advantage they have... Or maybe, they just had average days while Tan Heart had a relatively strong day.

So far, I'm sticking to my first assessment in that Tan Heart isn't lacking heart, certainly. But he isn't showing any heart as well. So he neither has heart, but isn't a horse that has NO heart.

In these three horses, I am offering my opinion that Dragon has the infamous Intermittent Heart type. He has posted many strong scores but has also posted many weak scores. Couple that with his much larger spread, this does tell me that he is both one of your strongest competitors but also one of your weakest. On the days that he really flubs his competitions (offers a huge loss), it's akin to him saying 'You want me to do WHAT?? Not in YOUR lifetime!' And just walks away.

Perhaps the crossing of Chenqing and Dragon might prove very useful and viable. It may even out the foals heart from intermittent to strong, but also may fail at having any at all. I have not been able to determine which heart genes rule over the others, IF there is a dominant-recessive at play or even if a horse can only show one-of rather than a co-recessive or co-dominant thing.
A few things to keep in mind.

I have found that breeding those horses without heart but also without NO heart, like Tan Heart has, does more often lead to very solid horses that play within what their on-paper suggestion... MUCH more often than working with heart-horses and trying to maintain those heart horses.

I have also found that intermittent-heart horses will throw any manner of heart [Including No Heart] with any partner, and sometimes regardless of what type of heart their partner has (or doesn't have).

The other types of heart, if bred to other types of heart (withstanding intermittent), will give you a type of heart that either parent has (most often). So if you breed a strong heart to a good heart, you'll more often get a strong-heart foal OR a good-heart foal and very rarely will get a different variety heart.

The more confusing thing is that intermittent heart horses can come from other types of heart-horses and I think...THINK I had an intermittent born from two horses that were reportedly without heart at all...

Do you need more insight? Or does that get you to where you need to be?
And of course, other players with different or further insights, do post your own thoughts.

[JaycenUwU]

I have found that breeding those horses without heart but also without NO heart, like Tan Heart has, does more often lead to very solid horses that play within what their on-paper suggestion... MUCH more often than working with heart-horses and trying to maintain those heart horses.

I have also found that intermittent-heart horses will throw any manner of heart [Including No Heart] with any partner, and sometimes regardless of what type of heart their partner has (or doesn't have).

The other types of heart, if bred to other types of heart (withstanding intermittent), will give you a type of heart that either parent has (most often). So if you breed a strong heart to a good heart, you'll more often get a strong-heart foal OR a good-heart foal and very rarely will get a different variety heart.

The more confusing thing is that intermittent heart horses can come from other types of heart-horses and I think...THINK I had an intermittent born from two horses that were reportedly without heart at all...

Do you need more insight? Or does that get you to where you need to be?
And of course, other players with different or further insights, do post your own thoughts.

This has been very interesting indeed! I did think dragon was intermittent, but also hes had a couple of times where he was mod thin/even temp, but I've also seen him have a few wild scores while he was in the good range, so I'll absolutely take your advice and try a few foals from that pair and see what happens (: thank you very much for your response!

[BlackOak2]