There are 11 “performance traits” that can be bred for in Legacy. Each trait is needed to compete in any of our 15 disciplines.
All 11 Performance Traits
| Trait | Description | Disciplines |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | The ability to pull something | Trot Racing & Pulling |
| Stamina | How long a horse can keep working under strenuous conditions | Cross Country, Endurance, Flat Racing, & Trot Racing |
| Speed | How fast a horse can move | Flat Racing, Trot Racing, Barrel Racing, Cutting, Gaited Pleasure, Cross Country, Show Jumping, Reining & Endurance |
| Stride (Movement) | How much reach the horse has at the walk or trot | Halter, Saddleseat, Gaited Pleasure, & Dressage |
| Knee Action (Movement) | How high the horse lifts its knees when moving | Halter, Dressage, Reining, Gaited Pleasure, & Saddleseat |
| Hock Action (Movement) | How high the horse lifts its hocks when moving | Halter, Dressage, Reining, Gaited Pleasure, & Saddleseat |
| Surefootedness | How careful a horse is with foot placement | Dressage, Cross Country, Show Jumping, In-Hand Jumping, Reining, Endurance, Flat Racing, Trot Racing, Barrel Racing & Pulling |
| Balance | How well a horse is able to move underneath themselves, and lift their shoulder | Dressage, Show Jumping, In-Hand Jumping, Reining, Trot Racing, & Pulling |
| Agility | How nimble a horse is | Dressage, Cross Country, Show Jumping, In-Hand Jumping, Reining, Endurance, Barrel Racing, & Cutting |
| Jumping | How high a horse can jump | Show Jumping, Cross Country & In-Hand Jumping |
| Intelligence | How smart a horse is | Dressage, Cross Country, Show Jumping, In-Hand Jumping, Reining, Endurance, Barrel Racing & Cutting |
What impacts a performance trait?
Performance traits are primarily a result of, you guessed it, genetics! Excluding intelligence, each trait is impacted by a combination of conformation traits (which are genetic) and a set of genes specific to that trait. Only intelligence is exclusively affected by genes specific to it. Some traits also have a slight “random factor” as well that emulates how a horse’s environment might affect its physical abilities.
Strength as an example
The table below breaks down how conformation traits impact the strength ability of a horse. Keep in mind that 23% of strength is from genes that cannot be seen and 5% is a random factor.
| Conformation Trait | Impact |
|---|---|
| Neck Position | A lower set neck is best |
| Back Length | A shorter back is stronger |
| Back Curve | Being swayed- or roach-backed decreases strength |
| Ribcage | A wider ribcage will increase strength |
| Hip Angle | A steeper hip increases strength |
| Hip Length*** | A longer hip increases strength |
| Hoof Size | Big feet will allow a horse to steady themselves better for pulling heavy loads |
| Bone | Thicker bone structure will be able to handle more weight when pulling |
| Muscle Mass*** | More muscle means more strength |
| Height*** | A taller horse is a bigger horse and a bigger horse will have more muscle |
| ***High impact on outcome |
So there you have it! A very simplistic breakdown of how performance abilities work in Legacy. To read more about them please check out the associated wiki page at https://wiki.legacyhorsegame.com/en/performance-abilities.
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