Sometimes, there are terms we don't quite understand but are too embarrassed to ask. Maybe you've seen the term 'registrar' or heard the demanded 'prefix' on sale horses, but no one has told you what it means. I created this page to help with role play related explanations that range from terms used around the world, to Equus-Sims specific terms, download links, and step-by-step instructions on exporting a horse file. All definitions have been focused around Equus-sims examples.
This guide works in partnership with the Equus-Sims administrators and all of their tutorials found HERE. I created this guide months before the Forum went up, and am constantly retuning to update the original guide as new rules are employed. This guide is very reader friendly and thorough, some may find reading both the Equss-Sims tutorials and the original guide helpful in fully understanding the game. I have been role playing conservatively for over 6 years in text-based forums, multiplayer RP flash games, browser based RPG's and grid MMORPG's in both 2D and 3D, usually as an animal or owner. This experience has led me to the position of moderator in the Role Play section of the Equus-Sims Forum. Regardless, I stress that I'm no expert but have collected my knowledge to help people new to horses and/or to the Equus-Sims Role Play. *Anyone who wishes may place a link of this Guide on their own website to help others. Do not claim my Guide as your own work.*
Table of Contents
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Open/Closed Registry
An open registry is accepting applications for their breed of horse. A closed registry is not taking applications at that time. Show Name
The show name of a horse is the name that appears whenever the horse is referred to professionally, is registered with a breed, and is registered in shows. |
The Prefix
The prefix are the initials of the stable or facility the horse was sired at and sometimes an additional prefix stating the buyer's facility. However, the rules vary per stable: some breeders may not place their prefix in the foals name at all, others may not allow for the buyer to add their prefix onto the show name. Read their rules carefully to see your permissions as a buyer. Process
Registering a horse you own is relatively easy; create your horse using the intended breed registration requirements as a guideline, determine their basic information such as name, age, what you plan to do with them, etc. then follow the registration directions carefully. |
What To Expect
Like I stated above, each registrar has unique rules that must be followed, but you are able to expect certain things across the board. The first: they will have a webpage that shows you everything you will need to know about registering with them. You can determine if this is the right breed for you based on this page. Many people will evaluate the rules and registration page and the quality of the horses at stud as the deciding vote on whether or not to breed that horse. If the breeding stock does not look nice to your eye, it is wise to move on to another registry and find one that you will enjoy having in your game. Do not go with the most popular or beloved breed if you don't feel the same.
The registrar should have clearly defined characteristics of the breed listed on their site, or even better, a template that you can download to your Sims game. These may be as broad as just one photo for evidence, or as detailed as a description of everything: from the shape and size of the ears to acceptable coat coloration and markings. You should take into account the detail and quality of their page: Is it painfully short and simple? Is the layout confusing with too many sections and so long you are not enjoying it? Does it tell you everything you wanted to know? Remember these and decide what you want, because the style of the page will reflect the personality of the Registrar themselves.
Upon scrolling towards the bottom, you will always find the Registration Application with either a list of criteria that must be pasted into your email, filled out, and sent to their stated email, or there will be a contact form that you simply fill out on the page and hit send. Although with a contact form, you will most certainly be asked to send pictures of your horse through an email. If a registrar does not require photographs do not apply for that breed. This shows that the registrar does not care about the quality of the stock being admitted and just wants names to fill up their list of registered horses.
After you apply, you should expect to get an email back from them within a week. If you do not, you may send in a duplicate email in case they never received your first copy, or move on to another breed. Usually, registrars log on at least every 42 hours to check in, it is a strong sign that they are no longer active if they do not return an email within a week. However, do take note of any information they have placed on their blog or front page - this could state that they are away on a vacation and will have their return date stated for clarification. Some registrars will even offer a Certificate of Registration that you may post on your horse's page. These certificates are valuable to fellow breeders.
Color Registration
Do you have a Pinto, Appaloosa, Pintaloosa, Palomino, Dun, Buckskin, or Grulla colored horse? Are they breed-registered? Then your horse is eligible to be Double-Registered in these Color Registration groups. These color registrars are located on the Equus-Sims Registry Index just like a listed breed. These registrars only register by color, not by breed, so even if you have a mix-bred horse or foal with any of these coat patterns, they are able to have at least one registry. Like with breed registration, each color registrar provides examples of what the horse should look like and how to register.
The registrar should have clearly defined characteristics of the breed listed on their site, or even better, a template that you can download to your Sims game. These may be as broad as just one photo for evidence, or as detailed as a description of everything: from the shape and size of the ears to acceptable coat coloration and markings. You should take into account the detail and quality of their page: Is it painfully short and simple? Is the layout confusing with too many sections and so long you are not enjoying it? Does it tell you everything you wanted to know? Remember these and decide what you want, because the style of the page will reflect the personality of the Registrar themselves.
Upon scrolling towards the bottom, you will always find the Registration Application with either a list of criteria that must be pasted into your email, filled out, and sent to their stated email, or there will be a contact form that you simply fill out on the page and hit send. Although with a contact form, you will most certainly be asked to send pictures of your horse through an email. If a registrar does not require photographs do not apply for that breed. This shows that the registrar does not care about the quality of the stock being admitted and just wants names to fill up their list of registered horses.
After you apply, you should expect to get an email back from them within a week. If you do not, you may send in a duplicate email in case they never received your first copy, or move on to another breed. Usually, registrars log on at least every 42 hours to check in, it is a strong sign that they are no longer active if they do not return an email within a week. However, do take note of any information they have placed on their blog or front page - this could state that they are away on a vacation and will have their return date stated for clarification. Some registrars will even offer a Certificate of Registration that you may post on your horse's page. These certificates are valuable to fellow breeders.
Color Registration
Do you have a Pinto, Appaloosa, Pintaloosa, Palomino, Dun, Buckskin, or Grulla colored horse? Are they breed-registered? Then your horse is eligible to be Double-Registered in these Color Registration groups. These color registrars are located on the Equus-Sims Registry Index just like a listed breed. These registrars only register by color, not by breed, so even if you have a mix-bred horse or foal with any of these coat patterns, they are able to have at least one registry. Like with breed registration, each color registrar provides examples of what the horse should look like and how to register.
Registrars have obligations they must uphold as stated by the Equus-Sims administration. I will term this in first person as I am a registrar for the Colorado Ranger Horse. If you feel like a registrar is not meeting one of these expectations, please contact the Equus-Sims Administration in a polite email.
- We must have a website where we keep a roaster of every registered horse. These must be up to date and available for viewing at all times.
- We need to keep a visual representation, a through description, or template of the breed to help you create to standards.
- We are obligated to track the lineage and pedigree of all registered horses and foals within our breed registry.
- We are responsible for making sure the correct stable's names are in any registered horses show name.
4. Advanced Breeding
It is not difficult to breed horses in the Sims, and people have begun to take this as a normality in the Role Play. Some breed 10 or more foals every month, but this is both good and bad. Many breeders feel that giving so many foals up for sale at once increases the rate of traffic on their site, insures future interest and gives their buyer's a wide range of choices. This is true to a large extent, but breeding so many foals when you are new and have not established a name for yourself is a bold way of saying "I don't know what I'm doing." The biggest downside to breeding in large numbers is that some foals will not find a home. Breeders and Buyers want the same thing: stock that looks good and will win any community competition they enter. Although it is very easy to want to breed all the time and show off the foals, it is not necessarily the best way to gain a following. The rule has been and always will be: Quality over Quantity.
It use to be common that people would breed horses and place them for sale 'as is' this being, they would not take them into CAS and edit their markings. There is now a relatively new trend that is encouraged by many, one that I employ myself, it is the art of Realistic Breeding. Realistic Breeding in the Sims is a simplified version of playing with horse Genetics in a Role Play situation. The complexity of horse genetics is an irrational way of going about breeding, it is time consuming and problematic. But more people are learning the basics of their horse's genetics and editing their foals with this knowledge.
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Mares foal once a year in the real world and this as been shrunk down drastically for the Sims equivalent of once a month. Equus-Sims have created a thorough guide for breeding timelines and the year-to-month ratio that can be found HERE. Prospective breeders should determine beforehand a set time of the month they wish to release their foals: Beginning, Middle, or End. The most common choice is within the last week of the previous month or first week of the new month. An example: January's foal crop being placed for sale December 25th, or January's foal crop being placed for sale January 1st. After you have established that, determine how your foals will look prior to snapping photos: Will you go with what CAS decides, change their entire coat, or a mixture of both. If breeding say a sleek Arabian to a heavy Draft [for whatever reason] - will you edit the foal's shape if it comes out looking bazaar? This can also vary from foal to foal. Tell buyers your methods, what you change and what you don't, and be honest. Remember that people like 'pretty' horses that look real, not horses with discolored blotches over one cheek, for example. Your reputation depends on this!
5. Buying and Selling
Buying can be a scary idea if you are new to the role play, but fear not! No real or even fictional money is ever exchanged. If anyone asks for money, they are most certainly not a part of this Role Play and must be reported to the Equus-Sims Admin immediately. Buying is, in essence, a cover name for the transfer and download of a horse file. This is always done through an email. Breeders will advertize their foals through Foal Crops on one or more of three places. 1. Their website home page. 2. Equus-Sims Website CBox. 3. The Appaloosa Plains Auctioneer thread on the Equus-Sims Forum.
In general, all sites will state their terms for buying. These include but are not limited to:
- If horses sold by the breeders are available for public download or if only one file of the horse may be distributed. (Private Treaty)
- Their process on how prefixes are to be arranged, if any.
- What you must do if you do not want to keep the horse.
- Whether they base their sales on a first come first serve basis or best home basis.
Selling a horse gives you the freedom to create your own rules as well as the satisfaction of finding a good home for your baby. To make things even easier, use the four basic points provided above to start out on creating a 'Selling' page for yourself. Facilities place any animal they wish to give out through this selling option. Be sure to provide a contact form or an email address they can contact you at as well as a photo and name of your intended foal, horse or pet. It is wise to write out a short informative section to accompany your photo such as the breed, barn name, gender, traits, and whether or not you are going to register him/her (If you own a registrar) or if the horse is eligible for registration. Go above and beyond others, send in the required photographs to the foal's intended breed registration and ask if this horse would be able to be registered. This way, when you place your foals for sale, you can state that the foal is "Pre-Approved for Breed Registration" This will interest many more prospective buyers because they will know the foal will be of good quality.
6. Exporting Procedure
Exporting A Single Foal
I will admit, when it came time to sell my first foal to my good friend Mandy, I was completely clueless. I had never tried exporting anything other than pictures, which moved to the launcher on their own. Thankfully, my wonderful friend Lexi showed me how, and now I would like to erase the fear and confusion from you as well. This method is used to place ONE sim or foal for sale and will result in a .Sim3Pack. Any stats gained will be lost.
- When live in the game hold Ctrl + Shift + C. This will freeze time and bring up a faded bar across the top of your screen. This is how you enter cheats.
- Type 'testingcheatenabled true' into the bar without the ' and hit enter. It will appear like nothing happened.
- Hold Shift and click on the foal you wish to sell. Select Edit Sim in Create A Sim (CAS).
- When you reach CAS, click on three dots by the name plate and say Save Pet.
- Exit CAS by clicking Accept and go to Edit Town.
- Create A Household and open Pre-made Sims, then select the star Show Custom Content Only.
- Click on your foal and Accept.
- Click on the three dots again and select Share to Exchange.
- Open up the Sims 3 launcher again and you will see the foal under Uploads.
- Open up your email, create a New email, Insert Attachment.
- Go to your Documents - Electronic Arts - Sims 3 - Exports
- Your foal will be in there, select and send. Congrads, you have just sent your first foal!
Exporting A Mare for Breeding - "Household"
We have all seen how many facilities offer stud service - the process of breeding an outside mares by importing her into the stallion owner's game - but how the heck do we do that and act like we understand? All horses, when exported, loose all of their stats, skill levels, and lifetime happiness awards. Why would anyone want to send their mare over to be bred if they would loose everything? The Sims has created a loophole, a safe passage through this, probably without really meaning to. Sending a mare, or any adult horse with desirable stats can easily be managed. How? By creating a household. Sending your mare over with a 'handler' from your own stables will keep all of her stats intact. And thanks to Lexi, this is how you do it.
We have all seen how many facilities offer stud service - the process of breeding an outside mares by importing her into the stallion owner's game - but how the heck do we do that and act like we understand? All horses, when exported, loose all of their stats, skill levels, and lifetime happiness awards. Why would anyone want to send their mare over to be bred if they would loose everything? The Sims has created a loophole, a safe passage through this, probably without really meaning to. Sending a mare, or any adult horse with desirable stats can easily be managed. How? By creating a household. Sending your mare over with a 'handler' from your own stables will keep all of her stats intact. And thanks to Lexi, this is how you do it.
- Get your horse and handler into a lot alone. There can not be any other sims or pets.
- Check that your mare and handler do not contain any CC. If the horse has CC markings, tell the Stallion owner beforehand.
- Go to "Edit Town" and click on the house. Make sure your mouse is set to the arrow button and not Bulldozer!
- Select "Save a Copy to Library" and click the check mark where it warns that all interactions will be lost.
- Select "Household Only".
- Find them on the slider with all the other households and click them.
- Click "Share" and give it a clear, reflective name so you and the stallion owner can find it later.
- Open up your email, create a New email, Insert Attachment.
- Go to your Documents - Electronic Arts - Sims 3 - SavedSims
- Your Mare and Handler will be in there, select and send. Congrads, you have just sent your mare to stud!
7. Download Links
Before you even think about downloading any custom content, you must protect your computer and make the bridges for your game to work properly, or end up like I did on my first try and loose everything. Read This: The Sims 3 Custom Content Basics. You will need to follow numerous steps and download or install several programs. Do not skip steps or continue on without testing where asked, this will be the difference between your game being successful or corrupt.
In the Sims 3, there is an immense amount of downloadable content. Nearly everything is free, and content that isn't is probably best not downloaded. In case you have never looked into downloads, some examples of creations you are able to download can include: sim hairs, skin, make-up, clothing, tattoos, pet coat patterns, decorative objects for households, lots with houses or other buildings, complete sims and pets, interactive objects such as jumps and cars, and worlds. In other words, just about everything. Listed below are some CC sites I have found.
Disclaimer: I can not verify that all of these sites are safe. Downloading CC is a risk each individual takes.
In order to get more horses available in a sim household, you will need to download the MasterControl or AwesomeMod packs. Also, for even more additional household members, PortraitPanel (Related to MasterControl) is growing in popularity. If you are having download related issues, I will probably be of little help, but recommend triple checking you have done all the steps EXACTLY, that part was the hardest for me to get right. You may also want to ask the Community who host MasterControl (you will need to create a free account, then you can join the forum). For the process on downloading, Morning Star Equestrian has done a phenomenal job explaining this.
Cheats and Codes can be very useful.
Cheats and Codes can be very useful.
- CarlsSims3Guide.com [Personal Favorite]
- CheatCC.com
- Sims3Cheats.net
- ING.com
- NeoSeeker.com
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