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 can be revealed as one of 4 narrative ratings: Below Average, Average, Above Average, or Legendary. This rating represents the combined average of their 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.

Finally, it is important to note that although visible PQ is condensed into 4 ratings, it ranges across a broader spectrum. In other words, horses within any given rating category may not all be created equal. The exception to this are Legendary producers, which are guaranteed to be at the very top of the spectrum for both sexes.

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.

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 their breeder. Horses without a breeder are never eligible. This Producer Quality test costs $2,000,000 or 200 PC for males and $1,000,000 or 100 PC for females.
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. This has 3 uses. Must be used before a horse has any foals on the ground.

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May (Meet A)
Year 53

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Making Magic
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05/14/23 10:21 am
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05/02/23 12:48 am
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05/01/23 11:57 pm
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04/16/23 10:12 pm
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04/16/23 7:28 pm
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04/16/23 5:30 pm
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04/15/23 10:36 pm
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04/15/23 10:20 pm
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04/15/23 12:27 am
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04/11/23 8:34 pm
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04/10/23 12:47 pm
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04/09/23 1:32 pm
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04/09/23 1:08 pm
Select, Import, and Custom stallions have had their grades reset and need to be retested.
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04/08/23 5:29 pm
2 and 3 year olds have new off season bonuses! Performing Track Ride or Trail Ride will improve Maturity, Peak, and Risk and also has a chance to improve Longevity.
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04/07/23 10:01 pm
Raffles will be held in Discord at 2:00pm tomorrow (Saturday). You do not need to be present! However, if you're around during the anniversary raffle you can choose which prize you want - otherwise you'll automatically be given the most valuable remaining prize.
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04/07/23 6:33 pm
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04/02/23 12:28 pm
Stallion grades no longer evaluate Quarter Horses, Paint Horses, or Standardbred differently than other breeds. An error in Goldblood testing has also been resolved. Stallions will all need to be retested.
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03/31/23 3:30 pm
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03/30/23 12:06 pm
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03/29/23 11:26 pm
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Issa (#1)
03/29/23 8:42 pm
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03/29/23 8:37 pm
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03/29/23 8:25 pm
Leg marking variety has been expanded from 9 to 13 unique options. Some of the old options have changed names to fit in with the new hierarchy, but all horses have retained their markings. You can view the new markings in the previewer and may need to hard refresh or clear your cache to see updates.
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03/29/23 4:07 pm
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03/29/23 1:01 pm
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03/26/23 10:07 pm
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03/25/23 6:42 pm
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03/25/23 6:16 pm
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03/23/23 4:15 pm
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03/21/23 12:05 pm
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03/19/23 7:48 pm
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03/19/23 3:19 pm
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03/18/23 3:55 pm
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02/18/23 1:11 pm
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02/18/23 12:08 pm
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02/18/23 11:38 am
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02/13/23 4:23 pm
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02/13/23 12:58 pm
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02/12/23 4:33 pm
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02/12/23 1:06 pm
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02/10/23 3:31 pm
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02/09/23 6:42 pm
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02/09/23 3:35 pm
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02/07/23 1:33 pm
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01/31/23 9:05 pm
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01/29/23 5:23 pm
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01/29/23 4:56 pm
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01/29/23 1:39 pm
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01/29/23 1:38 pm
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01/28/23 11:52 am
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01/21/23 6:28 pm
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01/20/23 11:42 am
January will be 2 weeks this year which places rollover on Sunday, January 28th. As this has been working well for everyone in recent years, this will always be the case for January going forward unless otherwise announced.
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01/18/23 11:19 am
Entry Suggestions no longer show for players who have purchased Hidden Stats, as stats and Potential are a more accurate way to choose grade and style.
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01/15/23 11:34 am
Consignments are open for the Y52 Training Sales. Bidding will begin in early February.
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01/01/23 2:48 pm
Select Sale horses now come with a minimum of Moderate Travel.
Issa (#1)
12/14/22 1:05 pm
The Y51 Yearling Sales are open for consignments! Consignments will close in early September, at which time bidding begins.
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11/27/22 11:44 pm
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11/25/22 10:45 pm
Backgrounds can now be assigned with Tack Sets in your Settings.
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11/25/22 2:58 pm
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Issa (#1)
11/15/22 10:47 pm
The grade 'cap' (PR at which horses earn Handily) for G2 has been increased to 150 and G3 to 120.
Issa (#1)
11/15/22 10:45 pm
All horses now earn 5 Golden Apples per Allowance start. Horses 4 years and older also earn 2 Golden Apples per G3 start. Golden Apple rewards do not vary by breed or race type.
Issa (#1)
11/15/22 5:42 pm
Allowance purses have increased to 100,000 and G3 purses have increased to 150,000.
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11/12/22 3:56 pm
Pasture is no longer available for yearlings or horses in training.
Issa (#1)
11/05/22 4:31 pm
Goldblood geldings are now available from the Horse Trader.
Issa (#1)
11/04/22 4:55 pm
February rollover will begin at 3:00am on Sunday, rather than 1:00am, due to the daylight savings time change.
Issa (#1)
10/29/22 2:11 pm
The racing auction will open tomorrow after the rollover to February. Please get your last consignments in today!
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10/27/22 11:43 pm
November Board Game Arena tournaments are open for registration! Info can be found in #🏆tournament-info on Discord.
Issa (#1)
10/27/22 7:53 pm
A breeding workshop will be held at 6:00pm tomorrow (Friday) in Discord. If you can't make it, you're welcome to PM or DM me a questions in advance. If sending a PM, please use the subject 'Breeding Workshop'.
Issa (#1)
10/25/22 4:25 pm
Breeding Skills now unlock after earning 3 Training Skills.
Issa (#1)
10/20/22 11:22 pm
The Y50 Celebration Raffle will be held on Saturday, probably in the early afternoon. A ping will be sent on Discord before it begins. You don't need to be present to win.
Issa (#1)
10/20/22 6:05 pm
There is a new option to mark Leases as Newbie Friendly. This designation places a 'Sprout' icon next to the price in the Sales Arena and on the horse's page, indicating that a seller is interested in leasing to an inexperienced player. (This does not prevent experienced players from offering on the lease.)
Issa (#1)
10/20/22 6:02 pm
There is a new link in the Forum to view all of your Subscribed Posts at once.
Issa (#1)
10/20/22 6:01 pm
The Stable Results page now shows the overall top PR ran among your horses each week.
Issa (#1)
10/20/22 5:59 pm
There is a new Best PR icon which will appear on a horse's page (next to Race History) and Stable Results whenever a horse runs a new personal best. You can toggle this off in your Settings.
Bucky (#2464)
10/19/22 10:15 pm
All consignments have been removed from the Y51 Training Sale due to some bugs. It is now fixed and previously consigned will need to be re-consigned.
Issa (#1)
10/19/22 1:51 pm
The Y51 Training Sale is open for consignments. As with the yearling sales, there is a regular section (FFH$) and Pro section (PC). Eligibility information can be found on the Consignment page.
Issa (#1)
10/19/22 11:50 am
Genotype Search now includes an option to filter stallions by Grade. Full and Cloaked Line studs are automatically hidden by default to help reduce clicks needed when searching.
Issa (#1)
10/18/22 6:24 pm
All of the new Stable Upgrade options are now available! This includes the replacement version of retired New Year's Resolution and Cupid's Arrow.
Issa (#1)
10/17/22 5:51 pm
Tracks can be unassigned as often as needed in January and February to prevent a horse getting 'stuck' when accidentally assigning the wrong track.
Issa (#1)
10/17/22 5:24 pm
Imports now have a minimum Potential of 30, though most should end up mid-30s or higher depending on Stat Genes.
Issa (#1)
10/16/22 11:39 am
2 and 3 year olds no longer consume extra Energy when training or performing buddy workouts.
Issa (#1)
10/15/22 7:26 pm
Horses may not transition to steeplechase or driving trials until they have at least 10 racing starts or are at least 6 years old.
Issa (#1)
10/15/22 7:26 pm
Horses may not breed or run as workout buddies until they have 100% Maturity.
Issa (#1)
10/15/22 7:24 pm
Quick Match has been removed from the game. New Year's Resolution has been retired, but replaced with the New Leaf upgrade. (If you have NYR, you can still use it.) There are some other exciting new upgrades making their way into the Pro Shop!
Issa (#1)
10/15/22 12:14 pm
The exchange rate for trading Breeding Passes for an Import Voucher has been changed to 50 Passes = 1 Voucher.
Issa (#1)
09/26/22 7:27 pm
Registration is open for October's trick or treat BGA tournament! Join to win cool (or is it ghoul?) prizes! For more info or to sign up, check out the #🏆tournament-info channel.
Issa (#1)
09/20/22 3:39 pm
Purses for Initiate's Quest races have been increased to $6,000,000.
Issa (#1)
09/19/22 1:15 pm
The Events page has a small update to include reminders for a few key dates/events.
Issa (#1)
09/19/22 11:28 am
Looking to cut back on racers? Mark your calendars now! We'll be hosting a trial run of an Training Auction in February Y51. Consignments will be open in January and all racing horses who meet the requirements (which will be more relaxed than YA) will be eligible for consignment.
Issa (#1)
09/11/22 1:24 pm
Consignments for the Y50 Yearling Sale are open! The requirements page has been updated and includes a few changes to eligibility and fees.
Issa (#1)
09/05/22 2:15 pm
SIP testing is open again.
Issa (#1)
09/03/22 1:46 pm
Crafting requirements for Blossom Tea and Frozen Nectar have been updated.
Issa (#1)
08/30/22 11:53 am
Cake It Easy tournaments begin Thursday! Make sure you've signed up if you want to participate, received all the invites you needed, and have accepted all your invites.
Issa (#1)
08/28/22 1:28 pm
Training and feeding are reopen! You can now train and feed from a single Care page. All other options (selling, gelding, pasturing, etc.) can be found on the Manage page.
Issa (#1)
08/28/22 12:29 pm
Exercise and Care pages will be inaccessible for a little bit.
Issa (#1)
08/26/22 5:52 pm
Experience gain/loss has been rebalanced, which should make it easier for young horses and others that have been struggling to gain Experience.
Issa (#1)
08/26/22 5:29 pm
PR penalties for racing away from Favorite Distance have been significantly reduced.
Issa (#1)
08/25/22 1:53 pm
Registrations are open for September's Board Game Arena tournaments! No prior experience needed - sign up and join the fun! Details are posted in #🏆tournament-info on Discord.