The Bridle Path's Rule Book
General Guidelines
1. Respect every member. No foul language, teasing, or rudeness is to be tolerated to anything or anyone in the game.
2. All members must be fourteen years of age or older. This is for various reasons that include Internet laws in some countries as well as because the Bridle Path is considered a more mature game and we can not provide a suitable and safe enough environment for people that are still very young.
3. No sending chain letters or any kind of spam to members. If you want to send a general e-mail related to The Bridle Path, that is fine, but nothing else please. Also, advertising other games in The Bridle Path is strictly prohibited. Depending on the degree of the offense, suspension or even expulsion for this will be enforced. I personally hate spam or chain mail and will be quite annoyed if you send me or the members any. The e-mail's are listed as a resource and should never be abused.
4. Double playing in The Bridle Path is prohibited. We're not an automated game, so it's easy for us to catch double players. Please don't ruin everyone else's sim experience by cheating. Anyone caught playing as two members will be expelled as well as their alter-ego.
5. If you plan to leave the game, please let us know by posting on the forum or by emailing the BP President. Failure to do so within one month will result in the confiscation of all horses and you will not be allowed to return to the game. Please send as much of your horses information to one of the Executives as possible so that the new owners will not be missing out and you will be able to have your horses returned to you should you decide to come back.
6. All members are required to keep up to date finance records on the community forum.
7. All members are expected to check the forum at least once every three days (unless they have posted that they are away) or they will be removed from the game after one month of inactivity. If a member is unable to keep up with the forum they should contact one of the Executives and explain their situation.
Community Forum
8. All members must create an account upon acceptance in the game or they will not be able to participate in any game play.
9. All members should keep detailed records under the banking section of the forum.
10. All members are required to post their absences on the forum under member absences unless there is an emergency and contact can not be made beforehand.
11. All members are not to abuse the forum and should never use foul language or participate in fighting on the forums.
12. No advertisements of other games is allowed anywhere in the Bridle Path but especially on the forum.
Sim Horses
13. All horses must be registered in the Equine Registry to exist in The Bridle Path. Any horse registered in the registry becomes the Bridle Path property and will stay with the game (Name, Age, Breed, Colour, Gender, Bloodlines, Show History) even if the original creator or "current owner" has left the game. There will be no claim to creative property honoured, please consider this before using names or statistics that are personal to yourself.
14. Horses age in real years. 1 Bridle Path year equals 1 real life year. There is no speed aging in this game, everything is on real time.
15. Members are required to buy enough Feed throughout the year so that it is appropriate to the number of equines they own as well as the breeds and ages of those equines.
16. Members are required to visit the Farrier every 6-8 weeks. All equines must have at least a trim each visit. Shoeing is advised if the horse will be jumping over 3'6".
17. Members are required to visit the Veterinary at least once per year and have the following services provided for each Equine: Vaccinations, Check up, Coggins Test & Dental Float.
18. All members are required to purchase appropriate tack for each equine. This includes but is not limited to, a saddle, a saddle pad, a girth, stirrup leathers, stirrups, bridle, bit, reins, halter, lead rope, blankets and grooming supplies. These Supplies must be purchased for each horse.
Member Limits
19. Boarding Members are allowed 1 create per month. It does not carry over into the next month if unused. Boarding Members can create a maximum of 12 horses after that they can not create but must buy the rest. Boarding members can not own more than 20 horses at any given time. Boarding members are not allowed to breed.
20. Coaching Level 1 Stable Owners are allowed 2 creates per month. They do not carry over into the next month if unused. Level 1 Coaches can create a maximum of 24 horses and after that they can not create but must buy or breed (if certified) the rest. Coaching Level 1 Stable Owners can not own more than 40 horses at any given time.
21. Coaching Level 2 Stable Owners are allowed 3 creates per month. They do not carry over into the next month if unused. Level 2 Coaches can create a maximum of 36 horses and after that they can not create but must buy or breed (if certified) the rest. Coaching Level 2 Stable Owners can not own more than 60 horses at any given time.
22. Licensed Breeding Barns can own up to 75 horses and have unlimited creates (but may only use 4 per month).
23. Executives can own up to 75 horses and have unlimited creates (but may only use 3 per month).
24. Horse limits do not include horses retired (ie. broodmares, older horses no longer showing) or horses 2 and under.
Equine Registration
25. All horses must be registered with the Equine Registry to exist in the Bridle Path. The Equine Registry has its own distinct guidelines about registering which includes a list of allowed breeds. Please review the Equine Registration Guidelines for more information.
Breeding
26. A stallion can be bred at age 3. Mares can not be bred until age 4. Do not ask to have twins as we do not allow that in this game. Stallions can have as many foals as you can bred them to mares. Stallions and Mares are not eligible to be bred until they have reached Grand Champion status.
27. For mares who are having foals: they can have a foal for each year after they are 4. For example a mare born in 1993 can have a foal in all the following years: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, etc. Only one foal per year available. Mares that are being bred a lot should not be showing in high levels or very often. We suggest that a mare that you're using for breeding be kept only for breeding but it is not mandatory. We often suggest that you do not use all your mares breeding years as it's not realistic for a mare to have a foal every single year. Mares are not eligible to be bred until they have reached Grand Champion status. There are also special rules for mares who have been bred and are showing.
28. Mares are not allowed to have more than 1 foal per real life month for each year they have available.
29. Researching Bloodlines: this can be done if you own a stallion and mare that would make suitable parents for another already registered horse. For example if you own "Mickey" a 2004 Thoroughbred Colt and also own "Daisy" a 1995 Thoroughbred Mare and "Jasper" a 1996 Thoroughbred Stallion and Mickey was registered as Created. Instead of having no lines for Mickey, Daisy and Jasper may become his parents. However Daisy and Jasper must be Grand Champion status or higher. Daisy must all also have that year open to have a foal.
Showing
30. Horses may enter no more than 2 stressful division per day, and no more than 3 total divisions per day. (Note that this is per day - if a show covers multiple days, ask which classes are on which days). This is the absolute max. Under Saddle and Halter are not stressful classes; all others are stressful.
31. Horses must be at least 3 years old to be competing under saddle and at least 4 years old to be shown over fences.
32. Horses may not be older than 20 years of age to compete in stressful events.
33. No horse 25 years of age or older may compete in shows period.
34. Riders will have a "show age". Whatever age they are January 1st they will be in the show world for the rest of the year. This is so riders that may age out of an equitation division or a pony size mid-year don't have to change mounts.
35. Horses that show soley in Hunter Breeding will be allowed to show all circuits. If you have a young horse that also shows in Baby Greens or any other divisions, they are not eligible.
36. Horses can only compete in the circuit that they are registered to compete in with the Equine Registry.
37. Horses should compete in the same divisions throughout the year and only move/change divisions at the end of a season.
38. Broodmares who have 4 or more foals are not allowed to show in any stressful divisions. Mares with 1 to 3 foals may compete in any division except Grand Prix. It is perfered that mares are shown for at least one season before being bred.
39. Horses and ponies may not enter both a Hunter division and a Jumper division at the same show. Both hunters and jumpers may compete in Equitation however.
Sim Money
40. Sim money is not real and all members start with $250,000.00
41. Members must be able to produce accurate financial records on demand from an executive.
42. Members must keep their bank information up to date under Banking on the message board.
43. To have sim money change hands a cheque must be written. Cheques look like this:
Date: January 2nd, 2008
To: Jimmy Johnson
Amount: $122.99
Memo: Show Entries
Signature: Tina Snell
Sim Riders
44. Professional Riders are as follows: an individual over the age of 18 years old who has passed their Coaching Level 1 exam at The Bridle Path University. Once a member has passed that exam they can assign Professional Riders to their stable as well as show as a Professional themselves. If you do not have a Coaching Level 1 Certificate then you and your Sim riders can not show as Professionals.
45. Adult Amateur Riders are as follows: an individual over the age of 18 years old who does not have their Level 1 Coaching Certificate from The Bridle Path University. Anyone can play as an Adult Amateur and a Professional member can still have Adult Amateur Riders at their stable.
46. Junior Riders are as follows: an individual under the age of 18 years old as of January 1st. Only Junior Riders are eligible to compete on ponies.
47. Creating Sim Riders: Any member of The Bridle Path can have Sim riders whether they are boarders or stable owners. The purpose of Sim riders is to have enough riders for all the horses you own. When you join, you are an Adult Amateur Rider automatically because all of our riders are "over 18 years of age" for realism purposes. To become a Professional you must be certified from the BPU. You can create Junior Riders to ride any mounts that you have created whether certified or not.
48. Members with their Coaching Level 1 may not assign more than three horses per rider.
If you have your Coaching Level 2 Certification, then your riders are allowed to compete on up to five horses.
49. Members with their Coaching Level 2 Certification are able to assign no more than 2 riders to a horse, one being a Professional.