Post by Capriole Admin Account on Aug 4, 2013 23:16:18 GMT -5
All About Horses
This guide serves as a general overview for how horses function in Capriole. More in-depth guides for competing, breeding and sales can be found in their respective forums.
The Basics
Capriole is completely centered around horses created in The Sims 3. These horses can be used for breeding, competing, lessons, whatever you want!
After creating your horse, it is highly recommended to post their profile somewhere, either on your own personal stable site or on your thread in the Stable Directory. While a profile isn't required, it's helpful to have the horse's information in one place, for both your benefit and the benefit of those who want to know more about your horse! You can find more information on websites in our "All About Websites" guide.
While Capriole is all about creative freedom, and there are no requirements on horses, it is suggested that you create your horses with realism in mind. We don't discriminate against horses like fantasy horses, or horses that don't meet the breed standard, although those horses won't be able to be registered. For example, Hanoverians cannot be palomino, so it is suggested that you don't create a palomino Hanoverian. This is not a requirement.
When your horse has been created, their profile should include at least their registered show name, their breed, their sex, and their color. Genotypes may also be assigned, and are recommended. If you don't feel confident enough in horse genetics to assign them a genotype, someone on the forum would be happy to help! The information given by these profiles will allow other members to easily access the details for the horse, in case they're interested in it. The more detailed the profile, the better! Information like this is also required for registration.
It is highly recommended you use some kind of aging system on your horses. These systems are usually based on real life months, such as one month real time being one year Capriole time, or four months real time being one year Capriole time. This, again, is not required, but is a good way to figure out how old your horse is! Some shows may ask for the horse's age, and this can help with consistency. It also lets you know when it's time to retire the horse!
Guide to Registration
Registration on Capriole is completely optional. The purpose of registration is to show that your horse meets the standard for its breed, and therefore makes good breeding stock for future generations. It's not required by any competitions run by Capriole, and a registered horse holds no more value than an unregistered horse in terms of competing.
If you intend to breed the horse, you will probably want to register it to prove your horse is a good example of its breed. Those who are looking for potential breeding partners will probably be looking for registration! For individual registration requirements, look in the appropriate registry.
Guide to Competing
If you intend to use your horse for competition, you should start out by getting all their information down on one place. You can also register them, though it won't give them any advantage. It is highly recommended you assign only one or two disciplines to one horse, and focus most of their energy on one of the disciplines. It is also recommended that if they compete in more than one discipline, that these disciplines be compatible. It'd be very strange to see a grand-prix jumping horse competing in the western ring! This is only a recommendation, however, and is simply for realism, and is not an official rule. You can have one horse do it all if you want!
Almost all competitions on Capriole are member run, and no two sets of rules are necessarily the same. Take the time to read these rules before you enter! Some members may choose to have stricter and more realistic requirements.
There are generally 2 kinds of competitions on Capriole. Horse Shows and Festivals. Horse shows focus on the talent of the horse and rider, and are judged on the poses, the placement, the creativity, editing etc. Festivals focus on the creativity and skills of the player and the picture as a whole, and has nothing to do with the skills of the horse and rider.
A more in-depth guide to showing can be found in the Competition Information board.
Guide to Breeding
Breeding your horses can be a fun, rewarding experience, and who doesn't love cute foals?! There are no requirements for breeding, but there are a few guidelines if you prefer to have a realistic game.
Stallions should start breeding at 3 years old, and mares at 4. It is highly recommended that horses are not bred during their competition career, and that mares are not competed while pregnant or nursing. It is also recommended that you give your broodmares a break every now and then! Mares shouldn't have more than one foal in one Capriole year, depending on your aging system. Twin foals are allowed, but are incredibly rare. So it's recommended that you keep this in mind should you ever want twins.
When you've finished breeding the horses, it's recommended that the resulting foal's coat is edited to fit realism standards, especially if you plan to register them! Registering conformation is allowed, but many people choose to keep the foal's conformation to represent their parents', unless it doesn't fit the standard. It's also highly recommended you use realistic genetics when breeding a foal, though this is not required. If you don't understand realistic genetics, don't fret! You can either ask for a member or administrator to help you, or read our handy dandy Genetics Guide to teach yourself!
Guide to Buying and Selling
Whether you're selling off a recently retired competitor, releasing a foal crop, or looking for your next big star, the Classifieds section will fit all your needs!
Buying and selling horses is a big part of Capriole's culture. You're obviously not required to buy or sell any of your horses, but it can be a fun way to get your stable's name out there, and to share your horses with the community!
If you're buying a horse, keep an eye on the Sales and Leases board until you find a horse that catches your eye. When you find the horse you want, read over the rules of the seller to make sure that 1) you don't break any of the rules and 2) you find the rules fair and you're willing to adhere to them. Most sellers will include an application in the post, which is usually emailed or PMed to the seller. If there's an application, fill it out and give it to the seller in the way that they specify, and do any of the other requirements they have. Then, all you can do is wait to see who gets the horse!
If you're selling a horse, go to the Sales and Leases board and post an ad. In the ad, you should include pictures of all of your horses, along with whatever important information you can give. Many people would prefer an unedited conformation side shot, but you can use whatever pictures you want. Keep in mind that buyers want to see how the horse will look in their game! Also include your terms of sale, and tell buyers how they can apply for the horse. Most people choose to write out an application and have it emailed or PMed to them. When the time comes that you close applications, choose the one you like the most and then do final negotiations with the buyer.
Capriole does not have an official reclaiming policy. If someone breaks your terms of sale, you have every right to reclaim the horse. Please try to be fair with reclaiming to prevent arguments. Should it get out of hand, warnings and/or other punishments may be given to both the buyer and seller. If you need a moderator's help in reclaiming the horse, please ask!
This guide serves as a general overview for how horses function in Capriole. More in-depth guides for competing, breeding and sales can be found in their respective forums.
The Basics
Capriole is completely centered around horses created in The Sims 3. These horses can be used for breeding, competing, lessons, whatever you want!
After creating your horse, it is highly recommended to post their profile somewhere, either on your own personal stable site or on your thread in the Stable Directory. While a profile isn't required, it's helpful to have the horse's information in one place, for both your benefit and the benefit of those who want to know more about your horse! You can find more information on websites in our "All About Websites" guide.
While Capriole is all about creative freedom, and there are no requirements on horses, it is suggested that you create your horses with realism in mind. We don't discriminate against horses like fantasy horses, or horses that don't meet the breed standard, although those horses won't be able to be registered. For example, Hanoverians cannot be palomino, so it is suggested that you don't create a palomino Hanoverian. This is not a requirement.
When your horse has been created, their profile should include at least their registered show name, their breed, their sex, and their color. Genotypes may also be assigned, and are recommended. If you don't feel confident enough in horse genetics to assign them a genotype, someone on the forum would be happy to help! The information given by these profiles will allow other members to easily access the details for the horse, in case they're interested in it. The more detailed the profile, the better! Information like this is also required for registration.
It is highly recommended you use some kind of aging system on your horses. These systems are usually based on real life months, such as one month real time being one year Capriole time, or four months real time being one year Capriole time. This, again, is not required, but is a good way to figure out how old your horse is! Some shows may ask for the horse's age, and this can help with consistency. It also lets you know when it's time to retire the horse!
Guide to Registration
Registration on Capriole is completely optional. The purpose of registration is to show that your horse meets the standard for its breed, and therefore makes good breeding stock for future generations. It's not required by any competitions run by Capriole, and a registered horse holds no more value than an unregistered horse in terms of competing.
If you intend to breed the horse, you will probably want to register it to prove your horse is a good example of its breed. Those who are looking for potential breeding partners will probably be looking for registration! For individual registration requirements, look in the appropriate registry.
Guide to Competing
If you intend to use your horse for competition, you should start out by getting all their information down on one place. You can also register them, though it won't give them any advantage. It is highly recommended you assign only one or two disciplines to one horse, and focus most of their energy on one of the disciplines. It is also recommended that if they compete in more than one discipline, that these disciplines be compatible. It'd be very strange to see a grand-prix jumping horse competing in the western ring! This is only a recommendation, however, and is simply for realism, and is not an official rule. You can have one horse do it all if you want!
Almost all competitions on Capriole are member run, and no two sets of rules are necessarily the same. Take the time to read these rules before you enter! Some members may choose to have stricter and more realistic requirements.
There are generally 2 kinds of competitions on Capriole. Horse Shows and Festivals. Horse shows focus on the talent of the horse and rider, and are judged on the poses, the placement, the creativity, editing etc. Festivals focus on the creativity and skills of the player and the picture as a whole, and has nothing to do with the skills of the horse and rider.
A more in-depth guide to showing can be found in the Competition Information board.
Guide to Breeding
Breeding your horses can be a fun, rewarding experience, and who doesn't love cute foals?! There are no requirements for breeding, but there are a few guidelines if you prefer to have a realistic game.
Stallions should start breeding at 3 years old, and mares at 4. It is highly recommended that horses are not bred during their competition career, and that mares are not competed while pregnant or nursing. It is also recommended that you give your broodmares a break every now and then! Mares shouldn't have more than one foal in one Capriole year, depending on your aging system. Twin foals are allowed, but are incredibly rare. So it's recommended that you keep this in mind should you ever want twins.
When you've finished breeding the horses, it's recommended that the resulting foal's coat is edited to fit realism standards, especially if you plan to register them! Registering conformation is allowed, but many people choose to keep the foal's conformation to represent their parents', unless it doesn't fit the standard. It's also highly recommended you use realistic genetics when breeding a foal, though this is not required. If you don't understand realistic genetics, don't fret! You can either ask for a member or administrator to help you, or read our handy dandy Genetics Guide to teach yourself!
Guide to Buying and Selling
Whether you're selling off a recently retired competitor, releasing a foal crop, or looking for your next big star, the Classifieds section will fit all your needs!
Buying and selling horses is a big part of Capriole's culture. You're obviously not required to buy or sell any of your horses, but it can be a fun way to get your stable's name out there, and to share your horses with the community!
If you're buying a horse, keep an eye on the Sales and Leases board until you find a horse that catches your eye. When you find the horse you want, read over the rules of the seller to make sure that 1) you don't break any of the rules and 2) you find the rules fair and you're willing to adhere to them. Most sellers will include an application in the post, which is usually emailed or PMed to the seller. If there's an application, fill it out and give it to the seller in the way that they specify, and do any of the other requirements they have. Then, all you can do is wait to see who gets the horse!
If you're selling a horse, go to the Sales and Leases board and post an ad. In the ad, you should include pictures of all of your horses, along with whatever important information you can give. Many people would prefer an unedited conformation side shot, but you can use whatever pictures you want. Keep in mind that buyers want to see how the horse will look in their game! Also include your terms of sale, and tell buyers how they can apply for the horse. Most people choose to write out an application and have it emailed or PMed to them. When the time comes that you close applications, choose the one you like the most and then do final negotiations with the buyer.
Capriole does not have an official reclaiming policy. If someone breaks your terms of sale, you have every right to reclaim the horse. Please try to be fair with reclaiming to prevent arguments. Should it get out of hand, warnings and/or other punishments may be given to both the buyer and seller. If you need a moderator's help in reclaiming the horse, please ask!