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The HorseArt-RPG Newsletter

The Source for Breeders of the Future

July 2016 - #55

A monthly newsletter for HaRPG artists, stable RPGs and the general equine world of deviantART

Go back in time to see past articles !

Become a member of or devwatch HARPG-Newsletter for future articles!

HaRPG Creator,

Newsletter Creator,

Newsletter Editor,

Newsletter Team,

Table of Contents

- Editor's Notes

- Featured Stallions

- A Stallion's Orbit by AccaliaRose

- Featured Mares

- A Mare's Orbit by AccaliaRose

- Featured Geldings

- A Gelding's Orbit AccaliaRose

- Headlines

- Accalia's Corner by AccaliaRose

- ARPG Featurette by shekeira

- Featured Breedings

- Featured Foals

- A Foal's Orbit by AccaliaRose

- New Groups by deadmanswillow

- Featured Equine Breeds by

- Show Spotlight

- Interview by shekeira

- The Horse Market

- Stable Spotlight by

- Shopping Spree

- Winner’s Circle by shekeira

- Thanks

Editor's Notes

Featured Stallions Only our favorite lads!
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A Stallion's Orbit That special stud of the month.
Written by AccaliaRose

DR Morne Noir may never refuse a jump, but when he launched over the last jump in warm-ups, Katja wasn't ready for it. We were very revealed to read that both Noir and Katja were unharmed from her fall and were able to get up and compete in the event. Best of luck to this handsome team as we look forward to the coming show entry!

Featured Mares Sugar, Spice and everything Nice.
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A Mare's Orbit Happenings of a lucky lady.
Written by AccaliaRose

With her mane and tail braided and her beautiful coat groomed until it shines, Hemsbury Karnilla stands ready for inspection in her first show. This hunter mare is a beautiful example of the perfect child's mount. With her size and bombproof temperament, she stands calmly for Paula. We can't wait to see what this pair accomplishes under saddle!

Featured Geldings For he is often the first to give us wings.
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A Gelding's Orbit A gelding's career and family history.
Written byAccaliaRose

One look at this picture and I'm hooked on Thunder . This 19hh gentle giant has all the adorableness you would expect from a Shire. His genuine enjoyment of people can been seen here, where he and Breca enjoy a moment of peace in the sunshine. He has a number of previous pictures as well, so make sure to hop on over to OpalTalons 's page and check him out!

Headlines The going-ons of the HaRPG world.

JValdis has written a guide to Understanding Horse Races . This thorough guide covers the various grades of races, terminology, and distances.

DreamDrifter91 has compiled a list of shows . Constantly updated.

Have a storyline or roleplay you want featured here? Or maybe an epic idea for fellow players? Or some juicy info on whatever? Send us at HARPG-Newsletter a Note titled Headlines with the links to the art, stories or journals and we'll see about getting it up!

Accalia's Corner Ramblings of horse trivia.
Written by AccaliaRose

This addition's topic is Genetics. We will be covering Genotypes, Punnett Squares and take a look at the two base colors.

But before we dive in, a glossary of terms and area to post any questions you might have for me is here: Equine GeneticsList of Articles: Introduction and Base Colors (Extension Gene) featured in HARPG-Newsletter July 2016Common Modifications: Variations of Agouti (Versions of Bay) featured in HARPG-Newsletter November 2016Common Modifications: Gray (including Dapple, Flea-bitten, and Bloody Shoulder) featured in HARPG-Newsletter December 2016Dilutions of Color Part 1 (Dun, Cream, Champagne, Silver Dapple) featured in HARPG-Newsletter February 2017Markings and Patterns Part 1: Pinto (Overo family, Tobiano) featured in The HorseArt-RPG Newsletter March 2017Markings and Patterns Part 2: Roaning (True Roan, Rabicano) featured in The HorseArt-RPG Newsletter June

Genotype vs. Phenotype
A horse's genotype is the actual genetic information which dictates its appearance. Its phenotype is the physical appearance of the horse. It is important to note the difference between these for the following reasons:

First, horses that appear the same by mere observation may have different genetics behind their looks. These are known as look alikes or mimics. An example of this are Silver Bays and darker Flaxen Chestnuts. Just by looking at the horse you may not be able to tell which genes are at work.

Can you tell the differences between them at first glance? Or did you need to take a closer look?

Second, horses that have the same genetic code may appear very different from each other. A great example of this is the difference of variety between gray horses. The following horses have the same genotype, gray on black.
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Why do they look so different then? We'll cover gray in a future article.

Punnett Squares
Before we jump into colors, let's learn a basic system for determining the probability of a cross - the Punnett Square. We'll start with a choice that is dealt with in every breeding - will the foal be male or female?

The sex of a horse is determined by a pair of chromosomes. The female chromosome is represented with an /X/ and the male with a /Y/. Females (mares) are homozygous, carrying the same two chromosomes /XX/ while males (stallions) are heterozygous and carry different chromosomes /XY/.

To set up the square place the parents genetics on the outside. Write the alleles for one parent on the top and the other on the side.

Copy the alleles from one parent to the corresponding boxes. The mare can only pass on /X/ to her foal.

The stallion can pass either /X/ or /Y/ to his foal, this is what will determine the foal's gender. If dad passes on his /X/ it will be a filly like mom. If he passes on his /Y/ it will be a colt like dad.

While there appear to be 4 outcomes, you can see that with gender there are only two results. The results are split evenly between filly and colt. While real life always varies, it is technically equally likely to have a filly as a colt.

This system (Each parent has a pair; each parent passes down one of their genes) works the same way for determining the likelihood of all color genetics.

Base Colors
The most basic color gene is known as the Extension gene. This gene dictates if a horse has red pigment only or has black pigment. This gene in itself is responsible for the two base colors of horses - black or chestnut (sorrel). The 'wild' or original type is the dominant /E/ which codes for a black-based horse. Genetic tests of fossilized horses dating back to the Late Pleistocene period (ending around 9,700 BC) show that /EE/ was the only genotype for thousands of years.
A sample from about 6,300 BC had a heterozygous form /Ee/, the oldest known red allele. Since red is recessive to black, this horse did not appear chestnut. The oldest true chestnut horse found /ee/ dates to about 3,000 BC - over three thousand years later! As humans breed for this exciting new color, their prevalence increased rapidly, by the Bronze age around 28% of horses were chestnut.

Black
Black-based horses have either the genotype /EE/ or /Ee/. We can use the shorthand of /E_/ since the second form on the allele (E or e) doesn't matter. /E/ is the dominant allele and 'hides' the chestnut /e/ when it is present. We will be covering other versions of black based horses (bay ect.) next, so for now we will be focusing on black horses /E_/aa/. Black horses are not as common as bay or chestnut horses. They come in two varieties: fading (or sun-bleached) black and non-fading (true) black. If the difference is based in genetics, the gene(s) responsible have yet to be found. Black horses are typically born a mousy grayish color and darken when their first adult coat grows in.

Non-fading black horses. /E_/aa/

Think Black Beauty, these horses have a blue-black shine that does not change.

Fading (sun bleached) black horses. /E_/aa/

When these horses are exposed to sweat or sun, their coat lightens in a reddish-rusty way. These horses can appear bay when bleached. Each time the winter/summer coat grows in the horse will resume a black appearance.

Careful! Colors that can mimic black include:

Dark bay: /E_/A_/

The presence of a different Agouti allele (which will be covered next time) adds a reddish tint to the hairs on the horse's coat. Black horses do not have red pigment.

Seal Brown: /E_/At_/

Another allele of the Agouti gene adds red hairs to the horse's coat. Black horses do not have red pigment.

Black Chestnut: /ee/

The darkest chestnuts may appear black, but a closer look at their hair shows that no actual black hairs are present, the hairs are instead a dark chocolate color.

Smokey Black: /E_/aa/nCr

The horse's coat is either black or a few shades lighter, but the horse has a hidden cream gene under its black base. These horses also tend to bleach in the sun more than black horses.

Red
Red-based horses have the genotype /ee/. Chestnut (also known as sorrel) horses breed true - this means that if you breed two chestnut horses together you will never get a black foal, they cannot carry a black allele to pass on. Chestnut horses are very common and come in a wide range of shades. This can cause confusion as chestnut horses have many mimics. Chestnut horses do not have true black hairs, although darker shades of chestnut can be a very dark brown.

(Red) Chestnut /ee/

Red to copper coat. The mane and tail are close in color to the coat.

Light/Sandy Chestnut /ee/

A paler red or strawberry blondish color. Horses with lighter mane and tails may be confused with palominos.

Bright Chestnut /ee/

The coat is more saturated than a light chestnut. Horses with lighter mane and tails may be confused with palominos.

Liver Chestnut /ee/

Very dark reddish brown color. The mane and tail are close in color to the coat.

Black Chestnut /ee/

Often mistaken for black horses they are so dark, genetic testing will reveal that they are in fact chestnut. Lighter red hair on the lower legs may be another way to tell them apart from blacks.

Careful! Colors that can mimic chestnut include:

Bay: /E_/A_/

Bay horses have red pigmented bodies with black points. Very dark bays may be confused with black chestnuts.

Wild Bay: /E_/A+_/

Wild bay horses have red pigmented bodies, but their black points only extend to their pastern or fetlock. Close inspection of their mane, tails, and pasterns should reveal black hairs which chestnut horses do not have.

Seal Brown: /E_/At_/

Seal brown are mostly black with red hairs around the eyes, muzzle, elbox and stifle. They may be confused with black chestnuts. Close inspection of their coat, mane, and tail should reveal black hairs which chestnut horses do not have.

A look at different Punnett squares shows how different parents affect the likelihood of the foal's genetics.

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Charts A and B show how recessive traits can hide; for generations in a family line. Without genetic testing, the breeders would never know that their foals might carry the chestnut gene. This is how black-only breeds, such as the Friesian, can sometimes produce a rare 'fox' colored foal.

Some Questions to Ask Yourself:
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1.If you were breeding for a chestnut foal, which would be the cross most likely to produce the foal you are looking for? B, C, or D?

2. In chart D one of the parents is a chestnut horse; why are none the foals chestnut too?

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3. In chart E, both horses are chestnut and breed true - meaning that no other color is possible from the cross. Why don't the black horses in chart B breed true?

4. Does Chart F show a true-breeding trait?

Find the answers to these questions here: Answers

Groups regarding horse genetics:

If you have questions for me about the information listed here, please see: Equine GeneticsList of Articles: Introduction and Base Colors (Extension Gene) featured in HARPG-Newsletter July 2016Common Modifications: Variations of Agouti (Versions of Bay) featured in HARPG-Newsletter November 2016Common Modifications: Gray (including Dapple, Flea-bitten, and Bloody Shoulder) featured in HARPG-Newsletter December 2016Dilutions of Color Part 1 (Dun, Cream, Champagne, Silver Dapple) featured in HARPG-Newsletter February 2017Markings and Patterns Part 1: Pinto (Overo family, Tobiano) featured in The HorseArt-RPG Newsletter March 2017Markings and Patterns Part 2: Roaning (True Roan, Rabicano) featured in The HorseArt-RPG Newsletter June

Help me decide what to write about next month! Vote here

Art-RPG Featurette: written by shekeira

This month, we feature MiscNapier 's Valorteen !

Tell me about the breed. What was the inspiration for it?
Way back in 2012 when I originally created the breed the main inspirations were some of my favorite IRL breeds (Paso Fino, Akhal-Teke, Barb, etc. more info here: Breed Origins ), and the idea of a Velvet Mutation (Rare Mutations ) that I had had kicking about for several months. I wanted to create an elegant breed that was set against a Texas backdrop.

The first giveaway in 2012 went well, but at the time I was busy with other things and not yet fully prepared to run my own breed, so it fizzled (there are notable members such as SilverEnvy09 who have been with the breed since pre-reboot). After letting it sit for some time I decided I might as well give it away, and so I did.

This past September/October I noticed that the new owner's account had been deactivated and so I inquired to DA about being made founder of the group again -- they obliged.

Virtually nothing had been done/changed since I left- but I had a lot more ideas, and a stable full of deceased Nordanners that I had been intending to bring back, so I set to work on rebooting the group. Since then I've been working on the breed non-stop and have incorporated many more mutations, along with other things such as Magicks, Wardens, etc. Thematically the breed has developed of a bit of a Texas/Mexican/Magic feel, as I have cherry picked the aesthetic and lore from some of my favorite sources.

All that said -- years of being heavily involved in Nordanners culminated into a very, very unpleasant experience, and thus my priorities for Valorteen had shifted. Though this breed remains my pet-project, the overall aesthetic and the execution of my mental-image are secondary. My chief concern is to create an enjoyable community wherein the members have as much freedom as possible. The group is here to serve it's members.

Having a good rapport with members seems to be a running theme with other groups. What about Valorteens, in your opinion, makes it different from other HARPG breeds?
I agree that many groups proclaim they function with a "members first" mentality -- however my intention is to go beyond that, to abide by the old adage "The customer is always right".

It is amazing to me observing how apologetic members often are towards the group, or more accurately myself as the admin figure. It is as if they are worried that their presence is some great imposition to the group ... one could chalk that up to the fact that our community attracts shy folk, and young people, however I believe there is a bigger reason. In the breeds I have been in there has always been an underlying feeling, or in some cases a very public decree by admin that the group is some sort of authority separate from and above it's members. I remember one occasion in particular when an admin said that the members should be grateful the group was doing all of this for them, that they are merely volunteers.

Admin work for the members, not vice versa. It is my duty as the one offering this breed -- a service, essentially -- to bend over backwards to please my customers. The rules are enforced only to benefit the community, not to indulge some admin's power kick.

Beyond the hyperfocus on creating a positive experience for members, I would say that the mutation setup is unique. Mutations are split into separate levels, with different rarities -- however unlike any other breeds I'm aware of caps have already been set. Users know exactly what they're buying -- there's no question if 10 more of the most popular mutation will be released or not and ruin the value. I have put a lot of thought into the mutations themselves, but equally as much thought into how they function as a whole and what this means for breeding and creating a profitable stable far into the future. Once again, member freedom is huge, and I have attempted to make mutations (and mutation combos) as open-ended as possible.

Speaking of mutations ... the breed has quite a few! Tell me about them. Which is your favorite? Which has the most interesting story tied to its development?
Oh goodness! Those are both very difficult questions as you are right, there are so many, haha.

Velvet-Dun was the first mutation ever created and was the main reason I created the breed in the first place. I love duns and wanted something swirly and elegant- as time has gone on it has become quite varied and colourful. I'm also quite pleased with Inked-White as it is such a simple mutation but creates fantastic results.

I don't think I have a particular favorite mutation, but instead some favorite combos- particularly Inked-White mixed with other mutations. Segador and Oscuro (a couple of the group Wardens) are a great example: valorteen.deviantart.com/galle…

The most interesting story related to any of the mutations is probably Solstice. Me and several lovely group members were hanging out in the group's Skype room and Onyx-Niight offered to let me have mutation she was not going to use. One unplanned livestream party later there were two new imports and one of most fun mutations yet! It was a great experience.

What sort of activities does Valorteen offer that would be appealing to potential members?
Activities wise there is a monthly import giveaway (and soon to be a monthly foal giveaway), an on-going show, various magicks (including some perks for you to buy or for your horses to unlock), puntos (a training system with rewards that tie into some magicks), warden horses that give you special perks, and a monthly group-update-journal (lovingly referred to by me as "the GUJ") that includes a monthly horse-of-the-month feature. As I mentioned before there is a breed group-chat in Skype that is active but not 'crazy,' which I enjoy very much. Horses and breedings are selling well but available at very reasonable prices still, so Valorteen is an excellent choice if you want to get into the points/USD side of HARPG but don't have the funds built up for an extremely large group yet (lots of horses and slots are available for art or trades as well though!).

I recently brought on a new admin whom will be officially introduced in the August GUJ -- with her help I expect to add a lot more fun little things for our members to participate in. I released several new mutations for our Christmas In July giveaway and I expect there will be another big 'update' this coming Halloween.

What about Valorteen makes you glad to be the founder?
I am proud of the group, I think everything is turning out splendidly and I'm excited to see where we go in the future. I find my brain better suited to running a group versus being a member, between that and the strong focus on creating a no-drama zone my stress level related to HARPG has dropped tremendously. I am very grateful I'm in a position now where I can help fix problems for my members instead of standing idly by and hoping nothing else goes wrong with some other group.

Do you want to get your own Valorteen? The group currently has Imports available! Breed conversions, too.
Valorteen Imports

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Want to have your own breed featured here? Send the group a note titled "ARPG Featurette". Please include a little info about your breed. If chosen, I will note your group with interview questions tailored to the breed. Featured breeds do not have to be equine-related.

Featured Breedings Love is in the air!

Mature Content

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Featured Foals Long-legged balls of fuzziness.

A Foal's Orbit One fuzzy baby's future.
Written by AccaliaRose

Oh my unicorns... until I saw this lovely entry from Anonymous-Shrew I had no idea weaning could be portrayed so humorously. Here Story's Sir Silver is shown clinging to his mother to avoid their separation. Sir Silver, or Gent, is a silver buckskin Dutch Warmblood colt with an adorable (currently terrified) face. I can't wait to see how the rest of his training turns out.

New Groups Groups rock, gals.
Edited by deadmanswillow

The Australian brumby is a wild horse that roams the vast lands of the Australia continent. They are the descendants of the lost or escaped horse from the early European settlers which today are mostly found in the Australian Alps (south-east Australia) as well as the Northern Territory and Queensland. Because of the mixing of numerous breeds (some well known ones include the Thoroughbred, Arabian, Timor Pony, Timor Pony and draft breeds) the brumby comes in many shapes and colours (most commonly chestnut, bay and Pangare). They range in heights from 12hh-16hh. The term brumby refers to feral horse, as these horses are known to impact negatively on the environment and farmers produce. Therefore sometimes they are mustered up and domesticated to be used in many disciplines, such as campdrafting, pony clubs, Stockhorses and even as show horses.

A relaxed, slow-paced horse breed for everyone looking to enjoy HARPG in a pressure-free and user-friendly environment. We offer a very in-depth genetic and breeding system, with focus on high realism. Instead of a point system, we have a task and challenge system available and more in-game activities to come. The Log system makes references an optional thing, while foal designs get their ID upon upload, leaving it up to the use if and when they want to design their horse, without any deadlines or activity rules to follow.

In this breed you can decide what you want to focus on. Be it roleplay, storyplot art, breeding or simple collecting. If you got interested, go check out the group for available horses or if you have questions, send a note or join the skype chat

Want to suggest a Group? Or see yours here? Just make sure it's an unique Group, breed registries don't really go here. Send a link through Note or comment to HARPG-Newsletter !

Featured Equine Breeds Equine breeds; Humankind's unique spin on God's horse.

The Kelljür is a Norse breed, originating on the Isle Kell fifty miles off the coast of Norway. Legend has it that each of these hardy equines are blessed by Nordic gods, including Odin, Loki, Thor, and Freya, plus more. In return for their loyalty, the gods reward the horses with powers that rival their own. At the highest levels, they are even given animal companions and jewels. They have their own special set of mutations, the most popular being Estellis and Chroma. They come in every possible horse color.

The Lisqar Equine is a breed that's about magic and that's also how they represent themselves: They all have glowing crystals on their body (some have a lot, some only one or two), a glowing dorsal stripe and ear edges, and they have transparent wings! And thanks to those wings, they are very fast in the air. That's why they are good at their very own discipline: Air Cross Relay, a sport where it's about speed and agility high in the air.

If you want your or someone else's breed featured, send a Note to the HARPG-Newsletter titled Horse Breed Feature with links to the breedsheet, breed registry (if possible) and breed history (if possible). I'll feature otherworldly and realistic breeds!

Show Spotlight Shows, shows and more shows

CHECK ENTRIES !! 2016 Elkhorn Lodge Annual ShowCheck here for your entries, let me know if they are missing:

The show is technically closed, but if you have any last minute entries, I will still accept them over the next couple of days as I collect and judge entries ^^

Note to entrants: I will be creating a journal that shows all of the entries and whether or not you donated. Once that is posted, please make sure your entry is in it! It will take me a little while because I am leaving for home tonight and won't be able to draw for a day or so. Just wanted to give everyone a heads up!
Also, I will be making the prizes prior to announcing the winners so that you have your picture comple:thumb614941379: Summer Horse Championships - Official JournalWelcome, once again, to the Summer Horse Championships held at Almond Valley Equestrian!

Running: 1st June - 1st August
Judging: 2nd August - 10th August
Results Posted: 10th August (or earlier)

Breeds: All Breeds, Fantasy and Realistic
Magic and Powers do not gain any advantage

Of course, there are always rules for competitions like this, so please read them carefully!

- Pre-registration is a MUST! When an entry is added, you will be given an individual ID number that MUST feature in the deviation somewhere (on a halter/bridle/saddle pad/board in the background, etc).
- Linearts/Tracing ARE allowed, as long as stock providers are credit SS Show - Fight Against SMA [CLOSED] [STORYBROOKE STABLE SHOW - FIGHT AGAINST SMA] [ENTRIES]

CLOSED! Results will be posted this week!
If you are interested in feedback, let me now!

I decided to host this show for a reason. I wanted to create a show for a while now and I finally have something in mind. I really want people to get attention for SMA and I think this is a good way to do it.

I wanted to get people's attention for a desease called Spinal Muscular Atrophy. I have no experience myself, but I have experienced what it can do to people. A year ago, at my work (I didn't work there back then), we had a little baby with a big sister (2 y/o). When the baby was only 3,5 Tournament WINNERS CEREMONYThe First Annual Tournament has drawn to a close, and with it, The Winners Circle welcomes it's Victors.
Many have faught, many have failed, many have triumphed. But there can only be one winner for each Society.

The winner of the Equus Ballator Society's Annual Wrestling match is an individual skilled in the sport, with the decency and wisdom to play by our strict rules. This indivudual is awarded the title f of Champion, and shall wear it proudly.

THE GRAND CHAMPION OF EBS' WRESTLING

:devaspi-galou:'s own 1050 CASUS BELLI

Nigrum will have the honor of displaying the trophy on his description if he so chooses. The prizes for the victory White Lions' Summertide Festival 2016 - CLOSED:new: results posted !! :new:
6 horse classes, 1 dog class, 1 fawnling specific class, 1 free-for-all historical class

updates
02/10 - now closed !! there'll be a weeks grace period for anyone a little late in finishing / uploading since im pretty busy right now but judging and admin is starting as of now !!
24/8 - requested deadline extension has been put through, 37 days left
- admin updates soon, new ychs will be available soon!!

04/07 - SETTING, YCH, PRIZE, & FAQ UPDATE !
~~~

hello and welcome to the second run of the annual White Lions event!

warm returns to competitors from last year, and greetings to the newbies,
let the f

Faime of the Year Show 2016 || [OPEN][extended] Seua The Trolls' Show || The Asgardian Mythology Event! [OPEN!] || The Hampton Classic Horse Show / New Prize Class! || 2016 Marba Strong Event || .Blue Ram. 2016 event || Perseid Meteor Summer Celebration - 3-Day Event || GSR Summer Even

For more shows, see HorseArtCompetitions , S-E-S-S , or EquestrianEvents .

If you have an upcoming or currently running horse show you'd like announced, send HARPG-Newsletter a Note (titled Show Spotlight) with a link to the competition. I'll feature whatever contest you have, be it draft pulling, Eventing or pegasi races!

Interview featuring Atroquin Edited by shekeira

Introduce yourself and your stables to the Newsletter; what's your name and what got you started in horses?
My name is Tally aka Atroquin -- most folks call me Atro I'm 23 and currently work as a freelance illustrator, I live in West Yorkshire, England. Ahhh -- I started riding when I was 7 and have been ever since. I used to have my own horse, Cavalier -- big chestnut warmblood that thought he was a racehorse, bless him. I sold him a couple of years after going to university and have been riding sporadically ever since. I still enjoy being around horses and seeing people riding. Drawing them has always been a challenge, which I enjoyed but I've only recently started feeling confident with my skills at drawing horses and people.

What inspired you to join the HaRPG community?
Oh gosh, I had seen various people around DA doing HARPG for YEARS. I always thought It looked so fun, I tried making a stable a few years ago but horses where so hard! I started this one up several months ago when I felt more comfortable with drawing humans and horses. I liked all the different characters and story lines people had going and wanted to get creating my own little horsey world.

What are your stables about? What does your staff (if any) entail? What horse breeds does your stable work with and why?
My stables are mostly plot focused, I compete now and again, but Its mostly about developing my characters and the story line. My stables isn't anything fancy. We're set in some nondescript part of Yorkshire, in the grounds of a large estate called Goldworth. The grounds are open to the public as a large garden / park type area. We even have a couple of little cafes and on special occasions the stately home is open for the public to have a little tour around. The Goldworths' currently don't have a lot of money so there are a few buildings on the estate that have been very neglected for several years. All we have in terms of equestrian facilities is a stable block -- of which only one of the blocks is currently usable -- we even have a large oak tree growing out of the stables! It's the only thing keeping the roof up.

The only staff we have at the moment is Ali, a 26 year old fresh out of an equestrian course at uni. He's not the best rider in the world, or the most confident rider but his a very gentle and patient rider. This is his first job in the equestrian world and he's still learning the ropes of working on his own. He's currently in a long distance relationship with Flamestorm11 's ranch owner, Fern. We currently have 3 mares: a TB, Russian Don and a Akhal-Teke. We don't really specialize in breeds, but we specialize in chestnuts! They've always been my favourite, so I made a whole stable of them. I will have all the colours of chestnut XD I have another rider -- Damien set to appear soon who has a little team of chestnut :devobertaurers: stallions, but I have other things to do with my girls first before I bring him in!

What is your favorite discipline to draw and why?
Endurance and showjumping! I haven't gotten to draw many Cross Country things yet, as my girls aren't really eventers. But backgrounds are my favourite thing to draw, so endurance shows mean I get to splurge on backgrounds and play around with stylizing a landscape. Showjumping -- I enjoy playing with poses as my main show jumper has a very quirky jump! Indoor arenas can be a little boring to draw though

Do you have a favorite horse in your stables? If so, who is it and why?
Oh gosh. Yes. I shouldn't. But I do. My beautiful TB girl, Golden Fleece. Fleece was the first horse at my stables so she's the favourite and the one with the most character development! She has a very strong bond with my rider Ali and is the lead mare of my golden girls. She's recovering from a bad cross country fall from the Mental Health Awareness show. She tore a ligament but shes on the mend! She should be back in the swing of things very soon.

Your horses are all a lovely shade of gold. Any particular reason behind this choice?
Thank you! Yes, chestnuts are my favourite I'm going to get all the chestnuts! Hahah, no -- I'm happy with the few I have. Chestnuts have always been my favourite shades of horses but I find they're often overlooked -- everyone seems to like bays! All the chestnut horses I’ve ever come across IRL have been quirky and big personalities. I wanted to spread the chestnut love. So I decided along with the show name of "Golden" for the girls and "Gold" for the boys, I’d just make them all chestnut. Because why the heck not. Everyone has all these fancy geno-bomb pons -- but I much prefer a nice simple design and colour palette c:

What's the story behind your style? It's so bright and colorful!
Aww thank you! Well I used to draw pretty realistically, but to be honest there is really only so much you can do with realism. It doesn’t really … stand out as a significant style. As I was gunning towards being a professional illustrator I wanted to have something distinct that was easily identifiable as my work c: Most of my background inspiration and style inspiration comes from the cartoon series Samurai Jack as well as other animated things such as: Sleeping Beauty, Mulan ... Ah – Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends and several background illustrators I found around the web. I sort of mashed together all the styles to create my own take on them. I try to keep my work fairly vibrant, but that can be hard at times ;A;

Most people seem to pick up on the Samurai Jack influence, I often get told its similar to Okami style I work as a freelance illustrator at the moment and am currently working on a children’s book! So the style change has definitely helped me pursue my career.

If you could give a budding digital artist one piece of advice, what would it be?
Oh gosh, I have so many tips ;A; I guess the most important and significant advice I can give is don’t be afraid to experiment!

Try new ways of working and drawing, new brushes new techniques. Don’t just stick to your comfort zones, your art very quickly grows stagnant if you just stick to what you know, try to push yourself. Even if it's just once a week, try drawing a different animal or using really bright saturated colours, a new shading technique -- draw that thing you always wanted to draw.

Most importantly, don’t just copy what everyone else is doing -- do your own thing!

Do you have any upcoming projects, or shows, that you're working on?
Mhh … I’m currently hosting a Show -- the deadline's just been extended to August 20th! We have halter shows, a fun bareback swim class, and the main event is a Cross Country course!

Goldworth's summer show CLOSED:new: closed ! Thank you for all the entries everyone - judging will begin shortly !
:new: Due to lack of entries- deadline has been extended to august 20th!
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Entires
please comment with your entries here -> Summer Show Entires

Welcome to Goldworth's first show! Hopefully the first of many.
It's summer time here in England, which means beautiful clear skies and that also means it's eventing season! This is a very relaxed and informal show, as its our first time hosting one.

This is a two day event, mostly focusing on the cross country side of things. Halter and a fun class are held on the first day and the second day is s

As for projects -- I'm working on a couple of plot points at the moment such as bringing Fleece back into work. But I mostly have competitions lines up for my girls right now, I’m focusing on trying to get my girl Milly some show experience. C:

What would you say to someone looking to join HARPG?
Oh gosh. start off slow! Start with just a couple of horses and try to get into the rhythm of things before diving in head first and buying a bajillion horses and completely overwhelming yourself. Figure out what sort of stable you want; if you want to be plot based, focus more on competing and so on. Have a good browse around a few HARPG people’s galleries, that’s always good for inspiration if you're a little lost!

Most importantly though -- remember it’s supposed to be fun and its entirely your own creation.

The Horse Market Lovely beauties up for sale, looking for a good home!

FDS Horses for SaleFor Your Consideration

- click refs for more info-

FDS SOLENA
Disclaimer: She is partially blind in both eyes - hence their color. She will also grey out, of course.

PRICE: 100 :points:

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A palomino sabino Appendix Quarter Horse gelding that would be great as a pleasure, lesson horse or used to pony race horses to the track. Has a two other art pieces. Price is a half body image of this horse . Note CyrillicConsortium for any questions.

Have a horse up for sale? Send us at HARPG-Newsletter a comment or note with links to the sales journal. Any questions, just send them to the Newsletter. Also, please no adoptables unless they come from horses with history!

Stable Spotlight A stable, a stable! My kingdom for a stable!
Written by

Shopping Spree Because shopping is just what the doctor ordered!

Want your services listed here? You can be about art, icons, designs or other random cool stuff, and you can charge both art and points. Send HARPG-Newsletter a Note titled Shopping Spree with the links and we'll get them added.

Winner’s Circle Who won, who won??!
by shekeira

The Faime-Registry ran their first seasonal King's Games Competition -- a multi-class show open to all horse breeds. It challenged horses and riders alike -- asking everyone to bring their best A-Game in themed dressage, jumping, driving, in-hand and hunting classes. All participants were awarded ribbons (to add to each stable's own trophy cases), and the winners of each class took home additional ribbons and some Faime prizes (depending on their placing).

DRESSAGE
Don't Let Me Down - Gentle Giant , a stunning Faimé stallion, knocked it out of the park as he pranced his way to a first place win.
Regal - Freckles, an aptly named Friesian/Appaloosa cross, danced his way to a very close second place win.

DRIVING
The King's Games - Spring - Horse Pull - One of HARPG's most adorable set of Faimé ponies came together again to secure their first place win in the driving class.
A God For A King - This God of Thunder victoriously captured a strong second place win in his class - with Asgardian superhero tack and all.

IN-HAND CLASS
Kings Games In hand trial entry different - A beautiful Faimé mare, Toffee wove her way right into first place.
The Kings Games/In Hand/Shennachie - This adorable peacock Faimé foal stole the judges hearts and stepped up bravely to a second place win.

SHOW-JUMPING
Farther and Faster - A flashy Faimé sporthorse stallion, Nighthawk galloped through the steeplechase course to place first in his class.

SEASONAL
Just Like Budapest All Over Again - A charismatic duo, Hawkeye (Hanoverian) and Black Widow (Akhal Teke) pursued the villans (or scent of them) and galloped heroically into 1st and 2nd place wins.

And the fun doesn't stop there... the King's Games Summer Competition is in full swing right now - ready to host HARPG's most experienced competitors as well as those who are new to the show ring... and everyone in between. So bring your ponies on over to Seychelles - the group is looking forward to seeing everyone there (and maybe just introducing a few new players to the gorgeous Faimé breed).

If you've a show (or know of a show) that's just finished and want it featured in the Letter, send a link in a Note to us titled Winner's Circle!

Thanks I love my Newsletter team!

Thanks to everyone that wrote their own summaries for their art and other features!

Thanks to all the artists who sent in links of other artist's work to be featured.

You readers have a comment, complaint, suggestion, advertisement, opinion or feature for the Newsletter? Send us at HARPG-Newsletter a Note or comment with your ideas and/or links. We'd love to hear what you have to say. After all, what's writing without an audience?

HaRPGers, play on!!!

Bullet; Orange — Description

The HorseArt-RPG Newsletter

The Source for Breeders of the Future

July 2016 - #55

A monthly newsletter for HaRPG artists, stable RPGs and the general equine world of deviantART

Go back in time to see past articles !

Become a member of or devwatch HARPG-Newsletter for future articles!

HaRPG Creator,

Newsletter Creator,

Newsletter Editor,

Newsletter Team,

Table of Contents

- Editor's Notes

- Featured Stallions

- A Stallion's Orbit by AccaliaRose

- Featured Mares

- A Mare's Orbit by AccaliaRose

- Featured Geldings

- A Gelding's Orbit AccaliaRose

- Headlines

- Accalia's Corner by AccaliaRose

- ARPG Featurette by shekeira

- Featured Breedings

- Featured Foals

- A Foal's Orbit by AccaliaRose

- New Groups by deadmanswillow

- Featured Equine Breeds by

- Show Spotlight

- Interview by shekeira

- The Horse Market

- Stable Spotlight by

- Shopping Spree

- Winner’s Circle by shekeira

- Thanks

Editor's Notes

Featured Stallions Only our favorite lads!
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A Stallion's Orbit That special stud of the month.
Written by AccaliaRose

DR Morne Noir may never refuse a jump, but when he launched over the last jump in warm-ups, Katja wasn't ready for it. We were very revealed to read that both Noir and Katja were unharmed from her fall and were able to get up and compete in the event. Best of luck to this handsome team as we look forward to the coming show entry!

Featured Mares Sugar, Spice and everything Nice.
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A Mare's Orbit Happenings of a lucky lady.
Written by AccaliaRose

With her mane and tail braided and her beautiful coat groomed until it shines, Hemsbury Karnilla stands ready for inspection in her first show. This hunter mare is a beautiful example of the perfect child's mount. With her size and bombproof temperament, she stands calmly for Paula. We can't wait to see what this pair accomplishes under saddle!

Featured Geldings For he is often the first to give us wings.
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A Gelding's Orbit A gelding's career and family history.
Written byAccaliaRose

One look at this picture and I'm hooked on Thunder . This 19hh gentle giant has all the adorableness you would expect from a Shire. His genuine enjoyment of people can been seen here, where he and Breca enjoy a moment of peace in the sunshine. He has a number of previous pictures as well, so make sure to hop on over to OpalTalons 's page and check him out!

Headlines The going-ons of the HaRPG world.

JValdis has written a guide to Understanding Horse Races . This thorough guide covers the various grades of races, terminology, and distances.

DreamDrifter91 has compiled a list of shows . Constantly updated.

Have a storyline or roleplay you want featured here? Or maybe an epic idea for fellow players? Or some juicy info on whatever? Send us at HARPG-Newsletter a Note titled Headlines with the links to the art, stories or journals and we'll see about getting it up!

Accalia's Corner Ramblings of horse trivia.
Written by AccaliaRose

This addition's topic is Genetics. We will be covering Genotypes, Punnett Squares and take a look at the two base colors.

But before we dive in, a glossary of terms and area to post any questions you might have for me is here: Equine GeneticsList of Articles: Introduction and Base Colors (Extension Gene) featured in HARPG-Newsletter July 2016Common Modifications: Variations of Agouti (Versions of Bay) featured in HARPG-Newsletter November 2016Common Modifications: Gray (including Dapple, Flea-bitten, and Bloody Shoulder) featured in HARPG-Newsletter December 2016Dilutions of Color Part 1 (Dun, Cream, Champagne, Silver Dapple) featured in HARPG-Newsletter February 2017Markings and Patterns Part 1: Pinto (Overo family, Tobiano) featured in The HorseArt-RPG Newsletter March 2017Markings and Patterns Part 2: Roaning (True Roan, Rabicano) featured in The HorseArt-RPG Newsletter June

Genotype vs. Phenotype
A horse's genotype is the actual genetic information which dictates its appearance. Its phenotype is the physical appearance of the horse. It is important to note the difference between these for the following reasons:

First, horses that appear the same by mere observation may have different genetics behind their looks. These are known as look alikes or mimics. An example of this are Silver Bays and darker Flaxen Chestnuts. Just by looking at the horse you may not be able to tell which genes are at work.

Can you tell the differences between them at first glance? Or did you need to take a closer look?

Second, horses that have the same genetic code may appear very different from each other. A great example of this is the difference of variety between gray horses. The following horses have the same genotype, gray on black.
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Why do they look so different then? We'll cover gray in a future article.

Punnett Squares
Before we jump into colors, let's learn a basic system for determining the probability of a cross - the Punnett Square. We'll start with a choice that is dealt with in every breeding - will the foal be male or female?

The sex of a horse is determined by a pair of chromosomes. The female chromosome is represented with an /X/ and the male with a /Y/. Females (mares) are homozygous, carrying the same two chromosomes /XX/ while males (stallions) are heterozygous and carry different chromosomes /XY/.

To set up the square place the parents genetics on the outside. Write the alleles for one parent on the top and the other on the side.

Copy the alleles from one parent to the corresponding boxes. The mare can only pass on /X/ to her foal.

The stallion can pass either /X/ or /Y/ to his foal, this is what will determine the foal's gender. If dad passes on his /X/ it will be a filly like mom. If he passes on his /Y/ it will be a colt like dad.

While there appear to be 4 outcomes, you can see that with gender there are only two results. The results are split evenly between filly and colt. While real life always varies, it is technically equally likely to have a filly as a colt.

This system (Each parent has a pair; each parent passes down one of their genes) works the same way for determining the likelihood of all color genetics.

Base Colors
The most basic color gene is known as the Extension gene. This gene dictates if a horse has red pigment only or has black pigment. This gene in itself is responsible for the two base colors of horses - black or chestnut (sorrel). The 'wild' or original type is the dominant /E/ which codes for a black-based horse. Genetic tests of fossilized horses dating back to the Late Pleistocene period (ending around 9,700 BC) show that /EE/ was the only genotype for thousands of years.
A sample from about 6,300 BC had a heterozygous form /Ee/, the oldest known red allele. Since red is recessive to black, this horse did not appear chestnut. The oldest true chestnut horse found /ee/ dates to about 3,000 BC - over three thousand years later! As humans breed for this exciting new color, their prevalence increased rapidly, by the Bronze age around 28% of horses were chestnut.

Black
Black-based horses have either the genotype /EE/ or /Ee/. We can use the shorthand of /E_/ since the second form on the allele (E or e) doesn't matter. /E/ is the dominant allele and 'hides' the chestnut /e/ when it is present. We will be covering other versions of black based horses (bay ect.) next, so for now we will be focusing on black horses /E_/aa/. Black horses are not as common as bay or chestnut horses. They come in two varieties: fading (or sun-bleached) black and non-fading (true) black. If the difference is based in genetics, the gene(s) responsible have yet to be found. Black horses are typically born a mousy grayish color and darken when their first adult coat grows in.

Non-fading black horses. /E_/aa/

Think Black Beauty, these horses have a blue-black shine that does not change.

Fading (sun bleached) black horses. /E_/aa/

When these horses are exposed to sweat or sun, their coat lightens in a reddish-rusty way. These horses can appear bay when bleached. Each time the winter/summer coat grows in the horse will resume a black appearance.

Careful! Colors that can mimic black include:

Dark bay: /E_/A_/

The presence of a different Agouti allele (which will be covered next time) adds a reddish tint to the hairs on the horse's coat. Black horses do not have red pigment.

Seal Brown: /E_/At_/

Another allele of the Agouti gene adds red hairs to the horse's coat. Black horses do not have red pigment.

Black Chestnut: /ee/

The darkest chestnuts may appear black, but a closer look at their hair shows that no actual black hairs are present, the hairs are instead a dark chocolate color.

Smokey Black: /E_/aa/nCr

The horse's coat is either black or a few shades lighter, but the horse has a hidden cream gene under its black base. These horses also tend to bleach in the sun more than black horses.

Red
Red-based horses have the genotype /ee/. Chestnut (also known as sorrel) horses breed true - this means that if you breed two chestnut horses together you will never get a black foal, they cannot carry a black allele to pass on. Chestnut horses are very common and come in a wide range of shades. This can cause confusion as chestnut horses have many mimics. Chestnut horses do not have true black hairs, although darker shades of chestnut can be a very dark brown.

(Red) Chestnut /ee/

Red to copper coat. The mane and tail are close in color to the coat.

Light/Sandy Chestnut /ee/

A paler red or strawberry blondish color. Horses with lighter mane and tails may be confused with palominos.

Bright Chestnut /ee/

The coat is more saturated than a light chestnut. Horses with lighter mane and tails may be confused with palominos.

Liver Chestnut /ee/

Very dark reddish brown color. The mane and tail are close in color to the coat.

Black Chestnut /ee/

Often mistaken for black horses they are so dark, genetic testing will reveal that they are in fact chestnut. Lighter red hair on the lower legs may be another way to tell them apart from blacks.

Careful! Colors that can mimic chestnut include:

Bay: /E_/A_/

Bay horses have red pigmented bodies with black points. Very dark bays may be confused with black chestnuts.

Wild Bay: /E_/A+_/

Wild bay horses have red pigmented bodies, but their black points only extend to their pastern or fetlock. Close inspection of their mane, tails, and pasterns should reveal black hairs which chestnut horses do not have.

Seal Brown: /E_/At_/

Seal brown are mostly black with red hairs around the eyes, muzzle, elbox and stifle. They may be confused with black chestnuts. Close inspection of their coat, mane, and tail should reveal black hairs which chestnut horses do not have.

A look at different Punnett squares shows how different parents affect the likelihood of the foal's genetics.

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Charts A and B show how recessive traits can hide; for generations in a family line. Without genetic testing, the breeders would never know that their foals might carry the chestnut gene. This is how black-only breeds, such as the Friesian, can sometimes produce a rare 'fox' colored foal.

Some Questions to Ask Yourself:
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1.If you were breeding for a chestnut foal, which would be the cross most likely to produce the foal you are looking for? B, C, or D?

2. In chart D one of the parents is a chestnut horse; why are none the foals chestnut too?

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3. In chart E, both horses are chestnut and breed true - meaning that no other color is possible from the cross. Why don't the black horses in chart B breed true?

4. Does Chart F show a true-breeding trait?

Find the answers to these questions here: Answers

Groups regarding horse genetics:

If you have questions for me about the information listed here, please see: Equine GeneticsList of Articles: Introduction and Base Colors (Extension Gene) featured in HARPG-Newsletter July 2016Common Modifications: Variations of Agouti (Versions of Bay) featured in HARPG-Newsletter November 2016Common Modifications: Gray (including Dapple, Flea-bitten, and Bloody Shoulder) featured in HARPG-Newsletter December 2016Dilutions of Color Part 1 (Dun, Cream, Champagne, Silver Dapple) featured in HARPG-Newsletter February 2017Markings and Patterns Part 1: Pinto (Overo family, Tobiano) featured in The HorseArt-RPG Newsletter March 2017Markings and Patterns Part 2: Roaning (True Roan, Rabicano) featured in The HorseArt-RPG Newsletter June

Help me decide what to write about next month! Vote here

Art-RPG Featurette: written by shekeira

This month, we feature MiscNapier 's Valorteen !

Tell me about the breed. What was the inspiration for it?
Way back in 2012 when I originally created the breed the main inspirations were some of my favorite IRL breeds (Paso Fino, Akhal-Teke, Barb, etc. more info here: Breed Origins ), and the idea of a Velvet Mutation (Rare Mutations ) that I had had kicking about for several months. I wanted to create an elegant breed that was set against a Texas backdrop.

The first giveaway in 2012 went well, but at the time I was busy with other things and not yet fully prepared to run my own breed, so it fizzled (there are notable members such as SilverEnvy09 who have been with the breed since pre-reboot). After letting it sit for some time I decided I might as well give it away, and so I did.

This past September/October I noticed that the new owner's account had been deactivated and so I inquired to DA about being made founder of the group again -- they obliged.

Virtually nothing had been done/changed since I left- but I had a lot more ideas, and a stable full of deceased Nordanners that I had been intending to bring back, so I set to work on rebooting the group. Since then I've been working on the breed non-stop and have incorporated many more mutations, along with other things such as Magicks, Wardens, etc. Thematically the breed has developed of a bit of a Texas/Mexican/Magic feel, as I have cherry picked the aesthetic and lore from some of my favorite sources.

All that said -- years of being heavily involved in Nordanners culminated into a very, very unpleasant experience, and thus my priorities for Valorteen had shifted. Though this breed remains my pet-project, the overall aesthetic and the execution of my mental-image are secondary. My chief concern is to create an enjoyable community wherein the members have as much freedom as possible. The group is here to serve it's members.

Having a good rapport with members seems to be a running theme with other groups. What about Valorteens, in your opinion, makes it different from other HARPG breeds?
I agree that many groups proclaim they function with a "members first" mentality -- however my intention is to go beyond that, to abide by the old adage "The customer is always right".

It is amazing to me observing how apologetic members often are towards the group, or more accurately myself as the admin figure. It is as if they are worried that their presence is some great imposition to the group ... one could chalk that up to the fact that our community attracts shy folk, and young people, however I believe there is a bigger reason. In the breeds I have been in there has always been an underlying feeling, or in some cases a very public decree by admin that the group is some sort of authority separate from and above it's members. I remember one occasion in particular when an admin said that the members should be grateful the group was doing all of this for them, that they are merely volunteers.

Admin work for the members, not vice versa. It is my duty as the one offering this breed -- a service, essentially -- to bend over backwards to please my customers. The rules are enforced only to benefit the community, not to indulge some admin's power kick.

Beyond the hyperfocus on creating a positive experience for members, I would say that the mutation setup is unique. Mutations are split into separate levels, with different rarities -- however unlike any other breeds I'm aware of caps have already been set. Users know exactly what they're buying -- there's no question if 10 more of the most popular mutation will be released or not and ruin the value. I have put a lot of thought into the mutations themselves, but equally as much thought into how they function as a whole and what this means for breeding and creating a profitable stable far into the future. Once again, member freedom is huge, and I have attempted to make mutations (and mutation combos) as open-ended as possible.

Speaking of mutations ... the breed has quite a few! Tell me about them. Which is your favorite? Which has the most interesting story tied to its development?
Oh goodness! Those are both very difficult questions as you are right, there are so many, haha.

Velvet-Dun was the first mutation ever created and was the main reason I created the breed in the first place. I love duns and wanted something swirly and elegant- as time has gone on it has become quite varied and colourful. I'm also quite pleased with Inked-White as it is such a simple mutation but creates fantastic results.

I don't think I have a particular favorite mutation, but instead some favorite combos- particularly Inked-White mixed with other mutations. Segador and Oscuro (a couple of the group Wardens) are a great example: valorteen.deviantart.com/galle…

The most interesting story related to any of the mutations is probably Solstice. Me and several lovely group members were hanging out in the group's Skype room and Onyx-Niight offered to let me have mutation she was not going to use. One unplanned livestream party later there were two new imports and one of most fun mutations yet! It was a great experience.

What sort of activities does Valorteen offer that would be appealing to potential members?
Activities wise there is a monthly import giveaway (and soon to be a monthly foal giveaway), an on-going show, various magicks (including some perks for you to buy or for your horses to unlock), puntos (a training system with rewards that tie into some magicks), warden horses that give you special perks, and a monthly group-update-journal (lovingly referred to by me as "the GUJ") that includes a monthly horse-of-the-month feature. As I mentioned before there is a breed group-chat in Skype that is active but not 'crazy,' which I enjoy very much. Horses and breedings are selling well but available at very reasonable prices still, so Valorteen is an excellent choice if you want to get into the points/USD side of HARPG but don't have the funds built up for an extremely large group yet (lots of horses and slots are available for art or trades as well though!).

I recently brought on a new admin whom will be officially introduced in the August GUJ -- with her help I expect to add a lot more fun little things for our members to participate in. I released several new mutations for our Christmas In July giveaway and I expect there will be another big 'update' this coming Halloween.

What about Valorteen makes you glad to be the founder?
I am proud of the group, I think everything is turning out splendidly and I'm excited to see where we go in the future. I find my brain better suited to running a group versus being a member, between that and the strong focus on creating a no-drama zone my stress level related to HARPG has dropped tremendously. I am very grateful I'm in a position now where I can help fix problems for my members instead of standing idly by and hoping nothing else goes wrong with some other group.

Do you want to get your own Valorteen? The group currently has Imports available! Breed conversions, too.
Valorteen Imports

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Want to have your own breed featured here? Send the group a note titled "ARPG Featurette". Please include a little info about your breed. If chosen, I will note your group with interview questions tailored to the breed. Featured breeds do not have to be equine-related.

Featured Breedings Love is in the air!

Mature Content

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Featured Foals Long-legged balls of fuzziness.

A Foal's Orbit One fuzzy baby's future.
Written by AccaliaRose

Oh my unicorns... until I saw this lovely entry from Anonymous-Shrew I had no idea weaning could be portrayed so humorously. Here Story's Sir Silver is shown clinging to his mother to avoid their separation. Sir Silver, or Gent, is a silver buckskin Dutch Warmblood colt with an adorable (currently terrified) face. I can't wait to see how the rest of his training turns out.

New Groups Groups rock, gals.
Edited by deadmanswillow

The Australian brumby is a wild horse that roams the vast lands of the Australia continent. They are the descendants of the lost or escaped horse from the early European settlers which today are mostly found in the Australian Alps (south-east Australia) as well as the Northern Territory and Queensland. Because of the mixing of numerous breeds (some well known ones include the Thoroughbred, Arabian, Timor Pony, Timor Pony and draft breeds) the brumby comes in many shapes and colours (most commonly chestnut, bay and Pangare). They range in heights from 12hh-16hh. The term brumby refers to feral horse, as these horses are known to impact negatively on the environment and farmers produce. Therefore sometimes they are mustered up and domesticated to be used in many disciplines, such as campdrafting, pony clubs, Stockhorses and even as show horses.

A relaxed, slow-paced horse breed for everyone looking to enjoy HARPG in a pressure-free and user-friendly environment. We offer a very in-depth genetic and breeding system, with focus on high realism. Instead of a point system, we have a task and challenge system available and more in-game activities to come. The Log system makes references an optional thing, while foal designs get their ID upon upload, leaving it up to the use if and when they want to design their horse, without any deadlines or activity rules to follow.

In this breed you can decide what you want to focus on. Be it roleplay, storyplot art, breeding or simple collecting. If you got interested, go check out the group for available horses or if you have questions, send a note or join the skype chat

Want to suggest a Group? Or see yours here? Just make sure it's an unique Group, breed registries don't really go here. Send a link through Note or comment to HARPG-Newsletter !

Featured Equine Breeds Equine breeds; Humankind's unique spin on God's horse.

The Kelljür is a Norse breed, originating on the Isle Kell fifty miles off the coast of Norway. Legend has it that each of these hardy equines are blessed by Nordic gods, including Odin, Loki, Thor, and Freya, plus more. In return for their loyalty, the gods reward the horses with powers that rival their own. At the highest levels, they are even given animal companions and jewels. They have their own special set of mutations, the most popular being Estellis and Chroma. They come in every possible horse color.

The Lisqar Equine is a breed that's about magic and that's also how they represent themselves: They all have glowing crystals on their body (some have a lot, some only one or two), a glowing dorsal stripe and ear edges, and they have transparent wings! And thanks to those wings, they are very fast in the air. That's why they are good at their very own discipline: Air Cross Relay, a sport where it's about speed and agility high in the air.

If you want your or someone else's breed featured, send a Note to the HARPG-Newsletter titled Horse Breed Feature with links to the breedsheet, breed registry (if possible) and breed history (if possible). I'll feature otherworldly and realistic breeds!

Show Spotlight Shows, shows and more shows

CHECK ENTRIES !! 2016 Elkhorn Lodge Annual ShowCheck here for your entries, let me know if they are missing:

The show is technically closed, but if you have any last minute entries, I will still accept them over the next couple of days as I collect and judge entries ^^

Note to entrants: I will be creating a journal that shows all of the entries and whether or not you donated. Once that is posted, please make sure your entry is in it! It will take me a little while because I am leaving for home tonight and won't be able to draw for a day or so. Just wanted to give everyone a heads up!
Also, I will be making the prizes prior to announcing the winners so that you have your picture comple:thumb614941379: Summer Horse Championships - Official JournalWelcome, once again, to the Summer Horse Championships held at Almond Valley Equestrian!

Running: 1st June - 1st August
Judging: 2nd August - 10th August
Results Posted: 10th August (or earlier)

Breeds: All Breeds, Fantasy and Realistic
Magic and Powers do not gain any advantage

Of course, there are always rules for competitions like this, so please read them carefully!

- Pre-registration is a MUST! When an entry is added, you will be given an individual ID number that MUST feature in the deviation somewhere (on a halter/bridle/saddle pad/board in the background, etc).
- Linearts/Tracing ARE allowed, as long as stock providers are credit SS Show - Fight Against SMA [CLOSED] [STORYBROOKE STABLE SHOW - FIGHT AGAINST SMA] [ENTRIES]

CLOSED! Results will be posted this week!
If you are interested in feedback, let me now!

I decided to host this show for a reason. I wanted to create a show for a while now and I finally have something in mind. I really want people to get attention for SMA and I think this is a good way to do it.

I wanted to get people's attention for a desease called Spinal Muscular Atrophy. I have no experience myself, but I have experienced what it can do to people. A year ago, at my work (I didn't work there back then), we had a little baby with a big sister (2 y/o). When the baby was only 3,5 Tournament WINNERS CEREMONYThe First Annual Tournament has drawn to a close, and with it, The Winners Circle welcomes it's Victors.
Many have faught, many have failed, many have triumphed. But there can only be one winner for each Society.

The winner of the Equus Ballator Society's Annual Wrestling match is an individual skilled in the sport, with the decency and wisdom to play by our strict rules. This indivudual is awarded the title f of Champion, and shall wear it proudly.

THE GRAND CHAMPION OF EBS' WRESTLING

:devaspi-galou:'s own 1050 CASUS BELLI

Nigrum will have the honor of displaying the trophy on his description if he so chooses. The prizes for the victory White Lions' Summertide Festival 2016 - CLOSED:new: results posted !! :new:
6 horse classes, 1 dog class, 1 fawnling specific class, 1 free-for-all historical class

updates
02/10 - now closed !! there'll be a weeks grace period for anyone a little late in finishing / uploading since im pretty busy right now but judging and admin is starting as of now !!
24/8 - requested deadline extension has been put through, 37 days left
- admin updates soon, new ychs will be available soon!!

04/07 - SETTING, YCH, PRIZE, & FAQ UPDATE !
~~~

hello and welcome to the second run of the annual White Lions event!

warm returns to competitors from last year, and greetings to the newbies,
let the f

Faime of the Year Show 2016 || [OPEN][extended] Seua The Trolls' Show || The Asgardian Mythology Event! [OPEN!] || The Hampton Classic Horse Show / New Prize Class! || 2016 Marba Strong Event || .Blue Ram. 2016 event || Perseid Meteor Summer Celebration - 3-Day Event || GSR Summer Even

For more shows, see HorseArtCompetitions , S-E-S-S , or EquestrianEvents .

If you have an upcoming or currently running horse show you'd like announced, send HARPG-Newsletter a Note (titled Show Spotlight) with a link to the competition. I'll feature whatever contest you have, be it draft pulling, Eventing or pegasi races!

Interview featuring Atroquin Edited by shekeira

Introduce yourself and your stables to the Newsletter; what's your name and what got you started in horses?
My name is Tally aka Atroquin -- most folks call me Atro I'm 23 and currently work as a freelance illustrator, I live in West Yorkshire, England. Ahhh -- I started riding when I was 7 and have been ever since. I used to have my own horse, Cavalier -- big chestnut warmblood that thought he was a racehorse, bless him. I sold him a couple of years after going to university and have been riding sporadically ever since. I still enjoy being around horses and seeing people riding. Drawing them has always been a challenge, which I enjoyed but I've only recently started feeling confident with my skills at drawing horses and people.

What inspired you to join the HaRPG community?
Oh gosh, I had seen various people around DA doing HARPG for YEARS. I always thought It looked so fun, I tried making a stable a few years ago but horses where so hard! I started this one up several months ago when I felt more comfortable with drawing humans and horses. I liked all the different characters and story lines people had going and wanted to get creating my own little horsey world.

What are your stables about? What does your staff (if any) entail? What horse breeds does your stable work with and why?
My stables are mostly plot focused, I compete now and again, but Its mostly about developing my characters and the story line. My stables isn't anything fancy. We're set in some nondescript part of Yorkshire, in the grounds of a large estate called Goldworth. The grounds are open to the public as a large garden / park type area. We even have a couple of little cafes and on special occasions the stately home is open for the public to have a little tour around. The Goldworths' currently don't have a lot of money so there are a few buildings on the estate that have been very neglected for several years. All we have in terms of equestrian facilities is a stable block -- of which only one of the blocks is currently usable -- we even have a large oak tree growing out of the stables! It's the only thing keeping the roof up.

The only staff we have at the moment is Ali, a 26 year old fresh out of an equestrian course at uni. He's not the best rider in the world, or the most confident rider but his a very gentle and patient rider. This is his first job in the equestrian world and he's still learning the ropes of working on his own. He's currently in a long distance relationship with Flamestorm11 's ranch owner, Fern. We currently have 3 mares: a TB, Russian Don and a Akhal-Teke. We don't really specialize in breeds, but we specialize in chestnuts! They've always been my favourite, so I made a whole stable of them. I will have all the colours of chestnut XD I have another rider -- Damien set to appear soon who has a little team of chestnut :devobertaurers: stallions, but I have other things to do with my girls first before I bring him in!

What is your favorite discipline to draw and why?
Endurance and showjumping! I haven't gotten to draw many Cross Country things yet, as my girls aren't really eventers. But backgrounds are my favourite thing to draw, so endurance shows mean I get to splurge on backgrounds and play around with stylizing a landscape. Showjumping -- I enjoy playing with poses as my main show jumper has a very quirky jump! Indoor arenas can be a little boring to draw though

Do you have a favorite horse in your stables? If so, who is it and why?
Oh gosh. Yes. I shouldn't. But I do. My beautiful TB girl, Golden Fleece. Fleece was the first horse at my stables so she's the favourite and the one with the most character development! She has a very strong bond with my rider Ali and is the lead mare of my golden girls. She's recovering from a bad cross country fall from the Mental Health Awareness show. She tore a ligament but shes on the mend! She should be back in the swing of things very soon.

Your horses are all a lovely shade of gold. Any particular reason behind this choice?
Thank you! Yes, chestnuts are my favourite I'm going to get all the chestnuts! Hahah, no -- I'm happy with the few I have. Chestnuts have always been my favourite shades of horses but I find they're often overlooked -- everyone seems to like bays! All the chestnut horses I’ve ever come across IRL have been quirky and big personalities. I wanted to spread the chestnut love. So I decided along with the show name of "Golden" for the girls and "Gold" for the boys, I’d just make them all chestnut. Because why the heck not. Everyone has all these fancy geno-bomb pons -- but I much prefer a nice simple design and colour palette c:

What's the story behind your style? It's so bright and colorful!
Aww thank you! Well I used to draw pretty realistically, but to be honest there is really only so much you can do with realism. It doesn’t really … stand out as a significant style. As I was gunning towards being a professional illustrator I wanted to have something distinct that was easily identifiable as my work c: Most of my background inspiration and style inspiration comes from the cartoon series Samurai Jack as well as other animated things such as: Sleeping Beauty, Mulan ... Ah – Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends and several background illustrators I found around the web. I sort of mashed together all the styles to create my own take on them. I try to keep my work fairly vibrant, but that can be hard at times ;A;

Most people seem to pick up on the Samurai Jack influence, I often get told its similar to Okami style I work as a freelance illustrator at the moment and am currently working on a children’s book! So the style change has definitely helped me pursue my career.

If you could give a budding digital artist one piece of advice, what would it be?
Oh gosh, I have so many tips ;A; I guess the most important and significant advice I can give is don’t be afraid to experiment!

Try new ways of working and drawing, new brushes new techniques. Don’t just stick to your comfort zones, your art very quickly grows stagnant if you just stick to what you know, try to push yourself. Even if it's just once a week, try drawing a different animal or using really bright saturated colours, a new shading technique -- draw that thing you always wanted to draw.

Most importantly, don’t just copy what everyone else is doing -- do your own thing!

Do you have any upcoming projects, or shows, that you're working on?
Mhh … I’m currently hosting a Show -- the deadline's just been extended to August 20th! We have halter shows, a fun bareback swim class, and the main event is a Cross Country course!

Goldworth's summer show CLOSED:new: closed ! Thank you for all the entries everyone - judging will begin shortly !
:new: Due to lack of entries- deadline has been extended to august 20th!
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Entires
please comment with your entries here -> Summer Show Entires

Welcome to Goldworth's first show! Hopefully the first of many.
It's summer time here in England, which means beautiful clear skies and that also means it's eventing season! This is a very relaxed and informal show, as its our first time hosting one.

This is a two day event, mostly focusing on the cross country side of things. Halter and a fun class are held on the first day and the second day is s

As for projects -- I'm working on a couple of plot points at the moment such as bringing Fleece back into work. But I mostly have competitions lines up for my girls right now, I’m focusing on trying to get my girl Milly some show experience. C:

What would you say to someone looking to join HARPG?
Oh gosh. start off slow! Start with just a couple of horses and try to get into the rhythm of things before diving in head first and buying a bajillion horses and completely overwhelming yourself. Figure out what sort of stable you want; if you want to be plot based, focus more on competing and so on. Have a good browse around a few HARPG people’s galleries, that’s always good for inspiration if you're a little lost!

Most importantly though -- remember it’s supposed to be fun and its entirely your own creation.

The Horse Market Lovely beauties up for sale, looking for a good home!

FDS Horses for SaleFor Your Consideration

- click refs for more info-

FDS SOLENA
Disclaimer: She is partially blind in both eyes - hence their color. She will also grey out, of course.

PRICE: 100 :points:

:thumb613327983:

A palomino sabino Appendix Quarter Horse gelding that would be great as a pleasure, lesson horse or used to pony race horses to the track. Has a two other art pieces. Price is a half body image of this horse . Note CyrillicConsortium for any questions.

Have a horse up for sale? Send us at HARPG-Newsletter a comment or note with links to the sales journal. Any questions, just send them to the Newsletter. Also, please no adoptables unless they come from horses with history!

Stable Spotlight A stable, a stable! My kingdom for a stable!
Written by

Shopping Spree Because shopping is just what the doctor ordered!

Want your services listed here? You can be about art, icons, designs or other random cool stuff, and you can charge both art and points. Send HARPG-Newsletter a Note titled Shopping Spree with the links and we'll get them added.

Winner’s Circle Who won, who won??!
by shekeira

The Faime-Registry ran their first seasonal King's Games Competition -- a multi-class show open to all horse breeds. It challenged horses and riders alike -- asking everyone to bring their best A-Game in themed dressage, jumping, driving, in-hand and hunting classes. All participants were awarded ribbons (to add to each stable's own trophy cases), and the winners of each class took home additional ribbons and some Faime prizes (depending on their placing).

DRESSAGE
Don't Let Me Down - Gentle Giant , a stunning Faimé stallion, knocked it out of the park as he pranced his way to a first place win.
Regal - Freckles, an aptly named Friesian/Appaloosa cross, danced his way to a very close second place win.

DRIVING
The King's Games - Spring - Horse Pull - One of HARPG's most adorable set of Faimé ponies came together again to secure their first place win in the driving class.
A God For A King - This God of Thunder victoriously captured a strong second place win in his class - with Asgardian superhero tack and all.

IN-HAND CLASS
Kings Games In hand trial entry different - A beautiful Faimé mare, Toffee wove her way right into first place.
The Kings Games/In Hand/Shennachie - This adorable peacock Faimé foal stole the judges hearts and stepped up bravely to a second place win.

SHOW-JUMPING
Farther and Faster - A flashy Faimé sporthorse stallion, Nighthawk galloped through the steeplechase course to place first in his class.

SEASONAL
Just Like Budapest All Over Again - A charismatic duo, Hawkeye (Hanoverian) and Black Widow (Akhal Teke) pursued the villans (or scent of them) and galloped heroically into 1st and 2nd place wins.

And the fun doesn't stop there... the King's Games Summer Competition is in full swing right now - ready to host HARPG's most experienced competitors as well as those who are new to the show ring... and everyone in between. So bring your ponies on over to Seychelles - the group is looking forward to seeing everyone there (and maybe just introducing a few new players to the gorgeous Faimé breed).

If you've a show (or know of a show) that's just finished and want it featured in the Letter, send a link in a Note to us titled Winner's Circle!

Thanks I love my Newsletter team!

Thanks to everyone that wrote their own summaries for their art and other features!

Thanks to all the artists who sent in links of other artist's work to be featured.

You readers have a comment, complaint, suggestion, advertisement, opinion or feature for the Newsletter? Send us at HARPG-Newsletter a Note or comment with your ideas and/or links. We'd love to hear what you have to say. After all, what's writing without an audience?

HaRPGers, play on!!!