Producer Quality
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Producer Quality

What Is Producer Quality?
Introduction
Producer Quality, sometimes referred to as “PQ”, is a hidden hereditary trait that every horse possesses. It is one of the most important things to consider when matching and breeding horses. Producer Quality, along with input from other contributing factors, determines a foal’s maximum stats, and accordingly, maxed potential. In other words, a higher level producer may produce a foal who maxes higher than the baseline for its stat gene – for example, a “Good” stat maxing at 10. Conversely, a lower level producer may produce a foal who maxes it’s stats lower than it should genetically – for example, an “Outstanding” stat maxing at 1.

PQ has ZERO impact on what genes a foal inherits and is not related to any other genes in any way.
Levels Of Producer Quality
Every horse has a Producer Quality trait for both males and females, which impacts their foals of each respective sex. These two do not always align with each other - meaning a horse may produce significantly better fillies than colts or vice versa.

Producer Quality for stallions can be revealed as one of 5 narrative ratings: Cursed, Below Average, Average, Above Average, or Legendary. Mare PQ includes all of the above, with the exception of Legendary.

This rating represents the combined average of a horse's male and female PQ. A horse who rates Average, for example, may be a mid-quality producer for both sexes or they may be high for one and low for the other. Cursed means a horse has the absolute lowest PQ for both sexes while Legendary means a stallion has the absolute highest PQ for both sexes.

Finally, it is important to note that although visible PQ is condensed into 5 ratings, the main 3 ratings (Below Average, Average, Above Average) contain a broader spectrum of possibilities. In other words, horses within a rating category may not all be created equal. Two horses might both rate as Average, but one is at the bottom end and will throw noticeably worse foals than the other who is at the upper end of Average.

The chart below lists typical results of breeding horses of each PQ level. Bear in mind that results may vary greatly depending upon the PQ of the dam as well as other factors that influence a foals' stats. See Foal Potential for more info.

Producer Quality Breeding Outcomes
Legendary Consistently throws high stats and/or strong PQ.
Rarely throws low stats and/or weak PQ.
Above Average Commonly throws high stats and/or strong PQ.
Uncommonly throws low stats and/or weak PQ.
Average Usually throws variable stats and/or variable PQ.
Most likely to have discrepancies between sexes.
Below Average Very rarely throws high stats and/or strong PQ.
Consistently throws low stats and/or weak PQ.
Cursed Almost never throws high stats and/or strong PQ.
Almost always throws low stats and/or weak PQ.

The easiest way to sum up Producer Quality is: the better a producer a horse is the more likely they are to produce foals with better stats and the more likely they are to be better producers. The worse their PQ is the more likely they are to throw low stats and the more likely to be bad producers. However, horses can also throw high stats to a foal that inherited bad PQ or low stats to a foal that inherited good PQ.

It is important to note that a horse with ANY level of PQ can produce a foal of their PQ level or ANY other level of PQ. A foal can be born with any level of Producer Quality - but the odds of what PQ a foal inherits is influenced by the sire and dam PQs.
Determining Producer Quality
Producer Quality Guarantees
There are several types of horses on FFH that come with a guaranteed minimum level of Producer Quality: Custom Goldbloods (horses bred by FFH Goldblood), horses sold in Select Sales (horses bred by FFH Select) and Imports (horses bred by FFH Import) are at least Average. Select Sale horses who are Average typically fall into the higher end of Average and cannot be weak producers for either sex. Additionally, certain Select Sale horses are sold with a higher Producer Quality guarantee. Any stallion advertised as Legendary in a Select Sale will automatically have visible Producer Quality.

Despite the quality guarantees that come with these horses, it is important to note that foals of horses with a Producer Quality guarantee have no guarantee of their own Producer Quality. Although the offspring of a Legendary stallion (especially when crossed with a high quality mare) is more likely to inherit strong PQ, they still have a chance to be a bad producer.
Pedigree Investigation
A horse's pedigree refers to its parentage or lineage. When pedigree is discussed, it refers to assessing this lineage for an in-depth analysis of PQ. A horse doesn't need to have a complete pedigree in order to be assessed - for example, a Select Sale horse can be said it has an exceptional pedigree as its PQ is guaranteed. Furthermore, a "solid pedigree" refers to the strength of the PQ throughout a pedigree.

When determining PQ impacts upon a foal's stats, The sire's Producer Quality is weighted more heavily than the dam's Producer Quality. For this reason it is important to research a stallion's probable PQ when making breeding decisions. The easiest way to begin an evaluation of a stallion is to compare their AFP (Average Foal Potential) to their DAQ (Dam Average Quality). For example, if a stallion has a high AFP with Above Average DAQ, he could be relying on the PQ of the mares he is breeding. Conversely, if a stallion has a high AFP with a low level DAQ, he is likely a better producer.

The same can be said of a mare - if she has produced all high potential foals but has only been bred to high quality stallions, there is no real gauge on her Producer Quality. It's very difficult to make an accurate estimate of a mare's PQ because most mares have relatively few foals - lower potential foals for no other obvious cause may indicate bad PQ, but higher potential foals could just be a reflection of their sires.

To do a more thorough investigation of a horse's possible Producer Quality, one should study other things that affect a horse's final Potential and compare them to how the horse maxed. These things include: Stat Genes, Conformation, Blood Type Match, sire and dam PM/PD, and Surface and Distance genes. This potential predictor sheet can be used to estimate how a foal should max to better help you determine when PQ may be to blame for a foal maxing lower (or higher) than expected.
Skewed Producer Quality
Although Average Foal Potential can correlate with PQ, AFP and SIP eligibility can be sometimes be "faked" or "misrepresentative". It is important to note that this can be unintentional or intentional, but it doesn’t hurt to take note of certain prefixes, barns, or lines that seem to habitually have an inflated AFP issue.

Inflated AFP, which can misrepresent PQ, means that a stallion (or mare) has been bred to only (or primarily) high quality matches to ensure a higher AFP. A poor Producer could even achieve Gold SIP if he is bred carefully, so it is important to always investigate a stallion – even if he displays SIP. An easy example would be a stallion who is bred primarily to Import or Select Sale mares - he most certainly will have an inflated AFP, especially if foals also inherit strong distance and Conformation genes. Likewise, a stallion who has a low AFP and isn't SIP may not necessarily be a bad producer as there may be other factors that could account for his foals' low stats.
Testing Producer Quality
Producer Quality can be tested from the Genetics page of pensioned horses. Horses are only eligible for this method of testing if they are: pensioned, at least 20 years old, and owned by you. This Producer Quality test costs $3,000,000 or 300 PC for males you are not listed as the breeder for and $2,000,000 or 200 PC for males you are listed as the breeder. Tests cost $2,000,000 or 200 PC for females you are not listed as the breeder for and $1,000,000 or 100 PC for females you are listed as the breeder.
Pro Items
None of the items listed below are necessary for gameplay or a successful breeding program.
Family Jewels This item will both increase and reveal a horse's Producer Quality.
Heir's Crown This item will reveal a horse's Producer Quality.
Mistweaver's Cloak This ancient cloak will both randomize your horses bloodline and conceal it for the horse and its offspring. It may improve Heritage, Peak, and Prime genes. It also improves producer quality by one level. Each cloak has 1 use. Must be used before a horse has any foals on the ground.

FFH Time
Thursday, 10:51pm
November
Year 56

Open Series
Zodiac Zenith
Trials of Olympus
Dance of the Dunes

Series Entries Close
Saturday @ 12:00pm

Meet Rollover Begins
Sunday @ 1:00am





Making Magic
Issa (#1)
04/16/24 1:14 pm
Forever Pro Traits are now publicly visible on horses whose owners have Forever Pro. This should be helpful when troubleshooting race performance.
Issa (#1)
04/07/24 8:40 pm
A racing workshop is starting now in Discord!
Issa (#1)
03/31/24 10:47 am
The Y56 Yearling Sales are now open for consignment. Yearlings may be consigned through the beginning of September when the auctions open for bidding.
Issa (#1)
03/22/24 2:21 pm
Alfalfa Cubes will no longer raise Maturity of 2yos who are already at least 60% or 3yos who are already at least 80% mature.
Issa (#1)
03/22/24 12:41 pm
Bundle of TLC can no longer be used on horses under age 3. Alfalfa Cubes can no longer be fed to yearlings.
Issa (#1)
03/22/24 11:28 am
The amount of Risk gained when feeding Hype now varies based upon a horse's current Energy. Horses with higher Energy gain less Risk.
Issa (#1)
03/02/24 9:11 pm
Spring season Board Game Arena tournaments begin March 5th! Visit #🎲board-game-arena in Discord for more information.
Issa (#1)
02/24/24 10:46 am
Reminder: It's the last day for open dispersal at the GAO!
Issa (#1)
02/15/24 5:42 pm
All horses need to be retested for Genetic Merit. There are no changes to the award, but some horses lost their GM/GD and retesting ensures they all have the awards they should.
Issa (#1)
02/11/24 2:05 pm
February will be 2 weeks, with rollover happening on Sunday, February 25h.
Issa (#1)
02/10/24 5:07 pm
Although Appendix stock horses cannot enter flat series races, they are eligible for contesting series races.
Issa (#1)
02/10/24 1:38 pm
Sparks of Joy, Grooming jobs and Sanctum of Gold all now award player experience.
Issa (#1)
02/10/24 12:54 pm
A new Yearling Quick View has been added. It shows Morale, Maturity, Risk and indicates if a horse has Genetic Ratings purchased (as required for YA). Additionally, yearlings now show Forever Pro Traits in their Trait & Stat Panel so that you can more easily manage Risk.
Issa (#1)
02/07/24 10:56 am
Stallions with tested Above Average or Legendary Producer Quality can no longer grade F. If you have one who is currently F, his grade will adjust if inspected again.
Issa (#1)
02/06/24 8:20 pm
Would like to earn a free Appaloosa stallion? Complete this form to claim your tickets for the upcoming raffle! Tickets must be claimed by Sunday, February 11th at 11:00am.
Issa (#1)
02/06/24 11:41 am
If you used a Cupid's Arrow for Y56 foals and all of your mares do not show the green 'Guaranteed' + icon in Mare Services, please contact me on FFH or Discord so that your mares can be fixed before they foal.
Issa (#1)
01/28/24 10:25 pm
Reminder: The January Pro Shop sale ends at the end of the month. Prices of several items and upgrades will be adjusted at the beginning of February, as explained in this news post.
Issa (#1)
01/28/24 10:23 pm
Horse care has been enabled again. You can resume feeding and training horses.
Issa (#1)
01/26/24 6:32 pm
Horses who have used either Family Jewels or Mythos Scepter now show a magic wand icon under Producer Quality (even if not visible) to indicate that their PQ is not what they were naturally born with.
Issa (#1)
01/26/24 6:31 pm
Mythos Scepter has been revamped and is now an item you can use to change either Colt or Filly PQ of retired horses. More information can be found in the item's description and notes.
Issa (#1)
01/26/24 1:07 pm
The Appaloosa raffle will be held at 9:00pm tonight. You do not need to be present to win. Since the raffle is happening pretty late, ticket sales will remain open through 6:00pm.
Issa (#1)
01/26/24 1:06 pm
Mare grade inspections have reopened. There is a now a fee for grade testing mares, as listed on the inspection page. Mares do not need to be tested to be eligible to breed. The only other adjustment to mare grading is the removal of surface from the grading formula.
Issa (#1)
01/23/24 11:26 am
Don't forget it's the last week to purchase yearling partnerships for Y55!
Issa (#1)
01/22/24 11:52 am
Open dispersal of racers and broodmares at the Golden Apple Orchard will close at the end of February Y56.
Issa (#1)
01/19/24 11:49 am
Ultra Wraps are now marked with a blue checkmark in Racing Quick View to easily find horses who are wearing them.
Issa (#1)
01/06/24 7:12 pm
Tournaround Medallion may be used on any breed to improve their transition genes. Additionally, it now improves a horse's Endurance/Lead Change gene by one level. Before you rush out and buy some - note that it will be part of the upcoming January Pro Shop specials!
Issa (#1)
01/04/24 5:56 pm
Stallion Grade Testing has been reopened. Surface has been removed from the grade formula since it no longer impacts foal Potential.
Issa (#1)
01/03/24 6:21 pm
Dance of the Dunes will have a new open division for all races this year, in addition to the usual colt/gelding and filly divisions.
Issa (#1)
12/30/23 3:19 pm
Kickstarter is now available in the Golden Apple Orchard.
Issa (#1)
12/27/23 4:58 pm
Initiate's Quest is no longer open to Amateur players and is now limited to only Green and Novice.
Issa (#1)
12/23/23 12:56 pm
100yd races for 4yo+ have been added to the Midsummer Revelry series.
Issa (#1)
12/18/23 4:08 pm
The bug with miscarriages having a blank complication note on mare Breeding Info pages has been fixed. Additionally, complicates are now sorted with the most recent at top, much like progeny lists, BWs, and race history.
Issa (#1)
12/17/23 9:27 am
Grade testing is closed until further notice.
Issa (#1)
12/02/23 10:25 am
Today's the last day to participate in the Pro Shop Sale! (Possibly early tomorrow morning if you're in a different time zone.) Please also make sure you've voted in the polls for Colby's Crew and Old Friends. Colby's Crew has significantly less votes than Old Friends, so looks like some of you might have missed it in the news.
Issa (#1)
12/01/23 11:49 am
The Year's End Calendar starts today! Don't forget to stop by the Vale of Runes to open the door each day in December.
Issa (#1)
11/24/23 3:31 pm
Great news! We are able to sponsor a horse at Old Friends. Please vote in this poll to pick a horse.
Issa (#1)
11/15/23 3:11 pm
If you won an Appy stallion in the raffle and do not have Stat Gene, Heritage, Peak/Prime stablewide upgrades, please PM or DM me a link to the stallion.
Issa (#1)
11/14/23 6:19 pm
Answers to the Upgrade Raffle Challenge can be found here. Again, I'd highly recommend reading this even if you didn't participate as these questions address some incredibly important keys to racing success.
Issa (#1)
11/14/23 10:40 am
Upgrade raffles will be running tonight at 5:00pm! You don't need to be present, but are welcome to hang out in Discord to celebrate with the winners.
Issa (#1)
11/11/23 4:54 pm
Deadline for the upgrade raffles has been extended to Monday at 6:00pm. There's not many entries yet so be sure to get yours in!
Issa (#1)
11/11/23 4:41 pm
Gene Reducers may now only be used on bred horses, not Horse Trader, Import, or Select Sale horses.
Issa (#1)
11/11/23 12:11 pm
Answers to the Stallion Raffle Challenge, as well as the most relevant Handbook links, can be found here. Highly recommend everyone check this out, even if you didn't participate, because this covers a lot of the most important information for successful breeding!
Issa (#1)
11/10/23 4:56 pm
An additional rule has been added for raffle stallions - they may not be Cloaked.
Issa (#1)
11/07/23 8:24 pm
Stallion raffle tickets must be claimed by Friday at 5:00pm. The raffle will be held Friday evening.
Issa (#1)
11/07/23 11:13 am
Juuuuust kidding! (About the previous post...) I just added 1 additional Liver Chestnut and 1 additional Flaxen Liver Chestnut. Enjoy!
Issa (#1)
11/06/23 9:53 pm
We've added 7 new shades of Chestnut including 2 regular Chestnut, 2 Flaxen, 1 Liver, and 2 Flaxen Liver. All new shades can be viewed in the Horse Previewer.
Issa (#1)
11/05/23 5:09 pm
If you have an Appaloosa who is heterozygous or homozygous for Mottling, you may update their image to correctly show their mottling by reloading from their Image Gallery.
Issa (#1)
11/05/23 4:39 pm
The Appaloosa Select broodmare raffle will be held tomorrow, Monday, at 9:00pm FFH time. Tickets must be purchased by 7:00pm.
Issa (#1)
11/05/23 12:31 pm
February will be 2 weeks this year with races running on November 19th. This is not a permanent change, but one we feel is best in the circumstances of Y55.
Issa (#1)
11/04/23 12:36 pm
Midsummer Revelry now includes 500yd races for 3yo ONLY and 700yd races for 4yo+.
Issa (#1)
11/04/23 12:35 pm
Trials of Olympus now includes 7F races for 3yo ONLY.
Issa (#1)
11/03/23 10:24 am
The Appaloosa Select broodmare raffle is being postponed to either Sunday or Monday. Tickets may be purchased up through 1 hour before the time the raffle begins, which will be announced on Sunday.
Issa (#1)
11/01/23 1:42 pm
Question #22 in the Stallion Raffle Challenge has been updated for clarity.
Issa (#1)
11/01/23 10:49 am
Stallion Raffle Challenge update: If you are confused about what a question is asking for, you may contact me (DM or PM) for clarification before submitting.
Issa (#1)
10/28/23 6:04 pm
2yo and 3yo stallion raffle eligibility has been updated due to an error in the script - a few more are eligible for tickets that weren't showing before. Additionally, you must have raced at least 20 2yo, 20 3yo, and 30 4yo+ to be eligible for the category.
Issa (#1)
10/28/23 3:19 pm
Appaloosa broodmares are now available in the horse trader. Each player may purchase broodmares until they have 20+ total Appaloosa broodmares.
Issa (#1)
10/28/23 2:12 pm
A new account setting has been added to show your barn names as buttons rather than text. A new option in barn naming allows you to designate a barn as the start of a new line.
Issa (#1)
10/28/23 12:25 pm
Appaloosa color shows are now published for January.
Issa (#1)
10/28/23 11:28 am
Surf and Turf has been added to the Golden Apple Orchard and is also now a possible reward when harvesting farm plots.
Issa (#1)
10/27/23 10:31 pm
The "|" dividing barn names has been removed to allow you more customization and improved aesthetics when organizing barns. Barn name character limit has been increased to 30 characters.
Issa (#1)
10/26/23 3:59 pm
The Pampered grooming buff has been renamed to Radiant.
Issa (#1)
10/26/23 3:57 pm
Grooming (the training action) has been renamed to Pamper to avoid confusion with Grooming Centers.
Issa (#1)
10/26/23 3:56 pm
Beginning in February, players will be awarded 126 Grooming Center slots per month (increased from 84).
Issa (#1)
10/26/23 2:56 pm
Broodmare dispersal at the GAO is temporarily available again.
Issa (#1)
10/26/23 12:49 pm
Surface Genes no longer impact a foal's birth stats. Distance Genes have a less significant impact on a foal's birth stats than they previously had.
Issa (#1)
10/26/23 10:29 am
Mares must now have an updated grade test to submit breeding requests to outside stallions.
Issa (#1)
10/22/23 9:35 pm
Training and feeding have reopened.
Issa (#1)
10/22/23 4:45 pm
The Y55 Training Sales are now open for consignments! Bidding will begin October 29th.
Issa (#1)
10/22/23 2:40 pm
Stock horses now maintain distance proficiency easier than other breeds.
Issa (#1)
10/22/23 2:27 pm
Goldbloods now maintain Coat Condition easier than other breeds.
Issa (#1)
10/21/23 9:00 pm
Contesting arenas can no longer have muddy weather. Contesting races held at series facilities will not be impacted by mud, even if the main track is muddy.
Issa (#1)
10/21/23 6:52 pm
Horses no longer have a chance to reveal genotype upon retirement. However, the chance to reveal transition genes is increased for horses who have a Minor, Major, or Master. (With each award offering a greater chance.)
Issa (#1)
10/21/23 6:47 pm
Prices for imports have been adjusted. Colts now cost twice as much as fillies, varying upon a player's rank.
Issa (#1)
10/21/23 6:27 pm
Preparedness is now available as a stablewide upgrade trait.
Issa (#1)
10/21/23 4:55 pm
Time Turner and Prismatic Time Turner have been restored from retirement. They now change a mare's due date to January or the current month and Prismatic also resets a mare's color show cooldown.
Issa (#1)
10/21/23 3:05 pm
Stock and STB stallions no longer earn bonus foal slots upon retirement.
Issa (#1)
10/21/23 2:04 pm
The mare grading formula has been updated. All mares may now be tested again, although most likely there will be few changes.
Issa (#1)
10/21/23 11:01 am
Horses who are Handily in races will now lose Experience.
Issa (#1)
10/15/23 6:15 pm
Horses who earn Court of Stars now receive a Producer Quality boost. Horses who have already earned Court of Stars have also received a PQ boost.
Issa (#1)
10/11/23 1:04 pm
A few minor adjustments have been made to Stallion Grades and stallions will need retested. Notably - Since SS/Import/Custom cannot be the worst level of 'Average', they may still earn B grades. Horses with tested negative mutations also cannot grade higher than C unless tested AA+ PQ. This info has been updated in the Handbook as well. Thanks for your patience!
Issa (#1)
10/10/23 11:13 pm
The Stallion Grade system has been updated and testing is open again. These updates offer more flexibility in factors that have less impact on a foal's potential while placing more weight on factors that have a stronger impact on a foal's potential. The Handbook page has also been updated, though the most notable change is that tested Average PQ cannot grade higher than C.
Issa (#1)
10/10/23 12:36 pm
The Stallion Testing Center is currently unavailable.
Issa (#1)
10/08/23 5:10 pm
Contesting horses may now enter multiple races at the same track.
Issa (#1)
10/08/23 12:44 pm
Contesting horses will have a 3 leg jackpot series through July, August, and September beginning in Y55. This will be offered for both barrels and poles with alternating regions per race.
Issa (#1)
10/07/23 3:42 pm
Performance based Suggested Grade now only looks at a horse's most recent race. This should alleviate a lot of problems where horses show a lower grade than is actually appropriate, helping avoid Handily results.
Issa (#1)
10/07/23 3:17 pm
Horses with Performance Ratings available now show their Stellar best PRs separate from non-Stellar best PRs.
Issa (#1)
10/07/23 1:46 pm
Mares who are already retired may be eligible for reduced foal slots. If so, a notice will appear at the top of their page allowing you to opt in (or opt out) of the foal slot change.
Issa (#1)
10/06/23 6:49 pm
Mare retirement is now available again. If your mare does not retire with the correct amount of foals lots, please post a bug.
Issa (#1)
09/30/23 7:26 pm
Experience now shows an exact percentage (%) for horses owned by Pro accounts.
Issa (#1)
09/30/23 2:44 pm
Distance proficiency gains have been increased for the distances above and below the distance a horse selects for training or BW.
Issa (#1)
09/17/23 3:31 pm
The Y54 Yearling Sale is open for consignments! Consignments will be accepted until bidding opens at the start of September.
Issa (#1)
09/15/23 4:50 pm
The value of Golden Apples has been updated to 200 GA = 100 PC = $1,000,000 (loosely). Prices for items in the GAO have been updated accordingly. The PC value for Sunkissed Tart, Ultra Wraps, Cream Token, Roan Token, and Dun Token have also been updated.
Issa (#1)
09/15/23 4:48 pm
Minimum pricing for public sales has increased to $100,000. Horses already listed for sale have been updated accordingly.
Issa (#1)
09/11/23 4:32 pm
A horse design contest is being held for the upcoming Select Sale. Visit #🌈pretty-pony-designs on Discord to read the rules and enter!
Issa (#1)
09/10/23 12:14 pm
Jockey fees (taken from race income) have been adjusted. The fee for 3 jockeys has been reduced, while additional cost tiers have been added for having 4 or 5+ actively contracted jockeys.
Issa (#1)
09/09/23 11:08 am
Stained Glass Cookies can now be purchased in the GAO.
Issa (#1)
09/04/23 1:09 pm
HT mares will earn 1 bonus foal slot, meaning they always retire with at least 2 slots. A bonus slot is also earned for placing top 5 in a series race, rather than top 3.
Issa (#1)
08/29/23 4:55 pm
Mares may now transition to buddies regardless of foal slots used. Mare transition fees have also been reduced.
Issa (#1)
08/27/23 2:33 pm
Registration for Birthday Bash Board Game Arena tournaments is open on Discord. Tournaments start on August 31st!
Issa (#1)
08/26/23 11:15 am
Series entry pools will not run until 6:00pm today.