Private Stallions

[Laura Smith]

I'd be in favour of the incoming stallions being game owned as well, but I've never had a problem getting my mares into a private stallion with a couple polite private messages, even the "infamous" I'm a Fancy PYC.

I firmly stand by foal limits. Was against them at first, now fully converted. Unlike in real life, some SIM players will always price their stallions under fair market value, which, without limits in place, completely devalues other stallions and trashes the market. Long live the limits. Having multiple hundreds of foals a year by the same stallion is horrible for bloodline diversity and the game in general.

[Kent Saunders]

I don't really care one way or another about Private Studs. I just ignore them. I do keep an eye out for specials or deals on studs I like and will pull ahead some mares when that happens to take advantage. But I agree 100% with Laura on Foal limits. Typically I get used to rule changes and move on after a while...but not Foal limits. Time after time I find myself spending extra time trying to stay on top of the "Market" and get aggravated with the stud owners that constantly change their fees and don't I just love to see a stud that says they have "used 115 of 120 only to see that stud has bred exactly 10 foals. Breeding has become more work and frustration than the fun it used to be.

[Rebecca Rose Hepburn]

I dislike the foal limits from a money perspective. I breed a bunch of foals at the end of the year and then the new year rolls over, the TBS sales pop up and I'm left with the dilemma of trying for a TBS thing or breeding to a stud that will get booked up fast when I have a lot less cash than I will in a few weeks. Another solution would be moving the TBS sales back a few weeks to space things out but I don't want to hijack the thread.

I would support Em standing studs for Sim money. She stood July for the last 2 years of his career and it pulled the money from all of his stud fees out of the game. I would also blow a lot of game points on studs that produced like the holiday studs do.

[Mr. Lord Rich]

I dislike the foal limits from a money perspective. I breed a bunch of foals at the end of the year and then the new year rolls over, the TBS sales pop up and I'm left with the dilemma of trying for a TBS thing or breeding to a stud that will get booked up fast when I have a lot less cash than I will in a few weeks. Another solution would be moving the TBS sales back a few weeks to space things out but I don't want to hijack the thread.

I would support Em standing studs for Sim money. She stood July for the last 2 years of his career and it pulled the money from all of his stud fees out of the game. I would also blow a lot of game points on studs that produced like the holiday studs do.

The new mixer gp studs are nice. She added 2-3 per breed that cover multi distances like 2 seasons ago. Check them out.

[Stormy Peak]

Everything Laura Ferguson said, I totally agree with..

i also don't want to have to message Every stallion owner who's locked up their stallion in order to try to negotiate a breeding.... that Rarely had to happen before this BS with foal limits came around. I also do a lot of very early morning (like around 3am) stuff here, because back pain keeps me awake. So, at that time of the morning, if I'm wanting to breed a mare... I just want to do that...find a stallion, click on it, breed my mare...done. And NOT have to send PMs out and wait and then respond back and forth to the stallion owner about setting up a time...ect...

I absolutely hate this foal limit and I don't think it's going to do anything to help the Sim. The really great stallions are now locked up almost the day their foal limit is reset at the beginning of the year...so only the rich stables now benefit from it, where as more poor stables who might have been close to saving enough money to spend on a $80,000+ stud fee...can't use the stallions they want.

So, those with the best and the money, continue in that manner while those trying to improve are hit hard with these roadblocks. Same goes with the insurance... a rich stable with 5 stake quality yearlings and well over a few million dollars can insure all of them without worrying about the dent in their funds. Whereas someone with only $500,000 who got lucky and bred 5 stakes quality yearlings...at $75,000 a pop to insure them... it would be a HUGE dent in their funds.

Foal limits are doing nothing to help the stables with less money to improve their breeding barn's quality. I rarely had issues getting to use an expensive high quality stallion when I finally saved up the funds for one... now, it's almost impossible as those stallions are locked up by the owner or by the foal limit being met.

Stormy

[Jo Ferris]

No I'll admit, when foal limits came out I was 100% not a fan. Trust me, I still don't like them, but more 95% not a fan, I've gotten used to it for the most part. That being said, I'd really like them to go away or at least increase the amount of slots every stallion has especially with mixers where there is a very limited amount of stallions, sometimes as few as 4-5 SIM money studs (not everyone can afford GPs) that are "legit" and could produce a decent foal. Using other stallions doesn't really do any good, sure you might have a very small chance of getting an ok broodmare from them, but they aren't going to give you a good enough foal to make a decent stallion prospect, this is what we need right now. Lets be honest, most of those foals that were bred to a second tier stud wind up in AJ, or in claimers, or never racing, what good does that do anyone? The holiday studs have been a tremendous help, I hope we can get a few nice stallions from them.

As for private stallions, I feel foal limits going away or being increased would help with that, there'll still be a select few who are private, but not nearly as many. Another idea I had was not limiting the foals the owner can breed, just having the 120 limit for outside mares, that would allow bigger stables to be able to offer their stallion publicly. I know with Hey Brother I usually send him 40 mares a year (it was more before Limitless retired), that's 1/3rd of his foals! I really try to have my stallions open to the public at a decent price, but I usually can't breed til late in the year and I need to make sure I have enough slots to breed my own band of mares which just got cut back to 150, but was up over 250, most of which were 400yd Paints, that's a lot of mares and a very small amount of stallions available that are good producers, thankfully I own 3 of the top studs so I don't have to panic if outside studs are filling up, but I really do need to use those outside stallions since 2 of mine are full brothers and have gotten shut out before.

[Dylan Christensen]

I’ve been reading this and would like to chip in with some thoughts. I don’t think we need to do away with foal limits I think we need to be proactive and get Stallions created(I did research for the Steward last year and got 3 stallions created in Appys). While these are GP and some people don’t buy GP the exchange always exists and can get you necessary GP, I’m only in Appys and not other Mixers so this is just from one viewing angle but I feel like we’re digging ourselves into a hole that doesn’t need to exist.

[Mr. Lord Rich]

The funny thing about all of this thread and the previous hundred or so about stud limits.....didn’t this all start because of the $1 stud fees in with a few the TB horses?

And from what I remember it was because of some sort of protest for some of the highly expensive Dirt route stud fees?

[Nena Olson]

Yep, basically. Honestly, I don't see anymore diverse breeding happening due to these limits. I definitely haven't been going to any different studs... I just breed the mares earlier than I normally would have. Its just a headache more than anything. Honestly, I think Em should stand some RL studs in TBS because that would draw money out of the game... and isn't that the whole point of TBS sales? Add in some decent studs and there goes another big chunk of change.

[Danny Derby]

Another boost auction in the books, and it looks like this trend is going to continue. If these auctions are meant as a money sink, I wish that The Steward would just stand some of these stallions herself. Money still comes out of the game, but stallion access is open. No point in a "boost" if no one can use the stallions.

Or just get rid of foal limits as suggested.

[Xander Zone]

I have zero problem with it.

[Laura Smith]

Another boost auction in the books, and it looks like this trend is going to continue. If these auctions are meant as a money sink, I wish that The Steward would just stand some of these stallions herself. Money still comes out of the game, but stallion access is open.

Fully agree. At $80k a pop, a book of 120 sucks almost ten mil per season out of the game. Isn't that better than a one-time $15mil purchase?

Or just get rid of foal limits as suggested.

Still fully disagree.

[Laura Smith]

Hell, even have Em stand the stallions for a few years, then auction them off. They'd still have a chance to get their bloodlines out there, and someone would still get the fun of buying them, which I assume is the point of selling them to players (since the cash drain would be greater if they stayed in Em's barn.)

[Gigi Gofaster]

There was only one horse in the auction in a division that I run, but expecting this to happen I bred a bundle of mares before the auction closes. While it's within the rights of the purchasers to take them off the market, it's frustrating, and it's no real 'boost' to the division.

[The Steward]

Another boost auction in the books, and it looks like this trend is going to continue. If these auctions are meant as a money sink, I wish that The Steward would just stand some of these stallions herself. Money still comes out of the game, but stallion access is open. No point in a "boost" if no one can use the stallions.

A little bummed out about it myself. Not going to have these kinds of auctions anymore because it ends up not helping the divisions I'm trying to help. People can play how they want, but when you bum me out you lose these auctions and just have to pay me money