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These guidelines have been
designed so as to help HB members learn to play the game well. Most
of these are the basic rules to being a good player in the game, and if
any players would like to share their secrets to success with the others,
please let Christine
know.
 If you
quit HB, please email Christine with your name, email address, and the
names of the barns/associations/businesses you own so that she can remove
the links from the HB website. In addition, inform your bank accountant
and the Equine Registry so that they can remove all your records as well
as those of your horses.
Be
realistic although this is just a game. Don't overspend, and remember
that if you buy a horse for $200,000, you might go bankrupt, so think twice
before making any decisions.
Keep
a short profile on all your horses. None of them should have the
exact same character traits. Remember that the more horses you own,
the more records you would need to keep.
To
help all new players out, they would be assigned to a "counselor", who
would be the owner of the barn they board at. These counselors are
experienced players who should be able to provide assistance to the new
players.
Pose
questions and challenges to the other players. For example, what
would they do if their most-priced horse contacts EIA? Discussion
and research is the key to improvement.
When
you volunteer to host shows, please take into account how busy you would
be during that time. Don't host a 200-class show when you're having
finals!
Give
credit to the sources where you got your information and images.
At least, say "Thanks to xxx for this information/picture!" HoofBeats
does not encourage its players to commit copyright infringement.
Think
twice when building your barn. A larger barn needs more cost to maintain.
Don't forget that the horses need food and money needs to be spent on electricity
and water bills too. Don't worry, we're not going to specify an exact
percentage of the money you need to spend, but do remember to deduct a
little of your money each month for these.
Before
you accept boarders, think about whether your barn can accommodate any
more. Don't let too many of your boarders build mini-barns on your
property and find out later that you don't have enough space for anymore
boarders.
Make
your boarders' lives interesting *evil grin*. Give them a catastrophe
to solve once a while, eg one of their horses disappeared. Nothing
happens too smoothly in real-life at a barn!
Research
real-life facts about the association/business. Improve your own
equine knowledge and that of the players by finding out little-known information.
Make
your class lists as interesting as possible. It would be wonderful
for an association to host a 200-class show every month, but take into
consideration the number of classes that might have to be cancelled if
there are too many classes.
Entry
fees and prices for vet service and equine goods should be fair.
Don't charge too much or you won't get any entries/orders, but don't give
away stuff for free either or you'll go broke.
Life as
a boarder must be the easiest *grin*. Boarders actually have the
time and opportunity to be far more active than their counselors who have
to take care of a million bills. Take this chance to keep careful
records of your finances and horse profiles.
Ummm...who
says boarders can't bombard their counselors with catastrophes? Tell
your counselors their barn burnt down, keep them busy (but not too busy!!)
with a few disasters once a while.
Boarders
who're interested in owning a barn themselves might like to learn more
about stable management beforehand. Ask your counselors about what
they do, read up about stable management in real-life, and help out the
newer boarders at your counselor's barn for a valuable learning experience.
This would contribute to the Players' Committee's decision on whether to
approve you as a barn owner when you apply.
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