You may ask why, my friends, and I'll tell you...
Twilit has lost her bloody marbles D=
---
Everyone at the stables were gathered tightly around, watching, anxiously, the gravel lane, waiting for the arrival of the well known black truck, the long and elegant black horse trailer behind it.
Taesha, Blake, Anna, Andi, Sigga, and even young Alice were waiting on bated breath for the new arrivals to ShatterCry.
"They'll be nice, won't they?" Andi cast a hopeful glance around the group.
"If by nice, you mean normal, then yes. Mistress T told me on confidence that these new 'uns would be perfectly natural, earth based, uncrazed, calm, collected, and 'nice', as you put it." Blake wrapped a loving arm around his daughters shoulders, smiling at her sideways.
"How come she gets a hug?" Taesha pouted.
Blake glanced over at her. "You didn't ask for one."
Alice broke up the laughter that followed, "Look! Look! She's back! Aunt T's back!" the child ran forward, waving at the truck that none of the others could see yet, for the darkness of the forest that covered the road.
But sure enough, there emerged quite suddenly from the shadows the shining coal hood of the truck followed, foot by foot, by truck bed and trailer.
There rose from the group a round of whoops and hollers and cheers. The Mistress of the land had returned...
---
Like I said, trying to kill myself. Lemme tell ya, brindle is NOT an easy pattern to create digitally. It's worse than dapples o_o;
BUT these three pretty boys I am quite proud of. Took me 2 hours a piece on them, about 7 or 8 hours total including background work, lineart, design, all that hullabaloo.
So it better be damn good XD
--
With one arm around her niece, Alice, Twilit led her welcoming party to the back of the trailer. She grinned at everyone in turn, then pulled loose the lynch pins and lock, and swung the door back.
And standing there, looking at the group with wide eyed expressions, nostrils flared, and ears twitching in excitement, were three of the most unique and handsome stallions ShatterCry had ever seen.
"Shakespeares Swing, Gypsy Romp, and Death of Destiny, ladies and gentlemen." Twilit stated proudly, stepping into the trailer and taking hold of the first stallions lead, encouraging him out into the sunlight.
"I thought you said that there would be another...a mare?" Anna was the first to voice the communal question.
Twilit's features deepened into a frown. "Yes, I was quite hoping for that myself, but as it turns out, it would be a mistake to move her at this time. It'll be another few months before I can load her and the young one up and bring them back..."
"Young one?" Blake spoke this time as he was leading the second stallion from the trailer.
"Oh yes. Turns out that last stallion in there, Destiny...he saw an opportunity to leap a fence and over took the mare. She's nearly due."
"But...I thought horses pregnancy lasted 11 months, how..." Taesha was cut short.
"They saw fit to forfit the information when they offered her to me. I myself did not notice because I had other things on my mind, and they simply said that she was overfed. I don't think they'd counted on my having to wait so long to retrieve her. They were hoping the foal would be born on my time and money, not theirs." Twilit brushed a strand of hair back behind her ear and stared at the stallions, whom were all standing politely and handsomely in a row, sniffing the air and examining their surroundings.
"Well...at least this is a start to your new program, right Aunt T? I mean, the point was to have a brindle genetic line, right?" little Alice offered into the silence, squeezing her aunts hand in what she hoped was a comforting fashion.
Twilit tilted her head and smiled gently down at the girl. "True, I suppose."
Another silence fell over the group.
At long last, the quiet was broken when one of the resident stallions shrill crys echoed down from the hills and into the valley. The three stallions perked their ears and each bellowed a response in turn.
Shakespeare spared a sideways kick at Gypsy Romp, who narrowly dodged, only to run into Destiny, who gave him a sharp bite on the withers.
Andi's face paled. "I thought you said they'd be nice?"
---
_{The stallions, from left to right...}
+++
Registered Name: ScS Shakespeare’s Swing
Barn Name: William
Gender: Stallion
Breed: Belgian Warmblood
Age: 8 yrs
Height: 16.2 hh
Discipline: Arena Jumping
Color: Light Bay (brindle black)
Markings: Black Brindling, Socks, Strip, Snip, spot on left nose.
Passible Traits: 10% brindle when bred with non-brindles, 30% brindle with brindles, 50% socks, 90% snip. Gene code; EE AA (homozygous Black and Agouti)
Sire/Dam: Starter
Bloodlines: N/A
Offspring: None
+++
Registered Name: ScS Gypsy Romp
Barn Name: Romper
Gender: Stallion
Breed: Russian Trotter
Age: 8 yrs
Height: 16 hh
Discipline: Trotting/Carraige pulling
Color: Dark Bay (brindle black)
Markings: Black brindling, one sock, one stocking, one coronet band, strip
Passible Traits: 5% brindle when bred with non-brindles, 30% brindle with brindles, 90% coronet bands, 10% socks, never stockings, strip on face. Gene code; EE Aa (homozygous Black, heterozygous Agouti)
Sire/Dam: Starter
Bloodlines: N/A
Offspring: None
Other: Romper, though a total gentleman and a fine specimen of a horse, does have a conformational defect; knock knees. Though this is a defect that was intentionally bred into the Russian Trotter because it, oddly enough, aides them in finding trotting gaits smoothly and quickly because of the paddling motion it causes. When breeding with him, keep this in mind, as it will pass on to his get 50% of the time, and 100% of the time when bred with other Russian Trotters. This defect will prevent his get from being able to perform in any arena aside from trotting, and pleasure. Breed with him only if you are looking for a Trotter, Carraige Horse, English Pleasure, or In Hand show horse. His get may also be inclined for sidesaddle, costume, combined driving, saddle seat, and possibly vaulting.
+++
Registered Name: ScS Death of Destiny
Barn Name: D-O-D
Gender: Stallion
Breed: Dutch Warmblood
Age: 11 yrs
Height: 16.3 hh
Discipline: Arena Jumping
Color: Chestnut (brindle palomino)
Markings: Palomino brindling, fore leg stockings, blaze, spot on lip
Passible Traits: 10% brindle when bred with non-brindle horses, 25% brindle with brindles, socks rather than stockings, lip markings. Gene code; Aa nZ nBr (heterozygous Agouti, Silver, and Brindle)
Sire/Dam: Starter
Bloodlines: N/A
Offspring: none yet
Winnings: _{6th place Jump Prix West Coast²⁰⁰⁷, 12th place Le'Dair Jumping Event²⁰⁰⁷, 4th place Rolexi Jumping Stakes²⁰⁰⁶, 5th place Rolexi Jumping Trials²⁰⁰⁶, 2nd place Daredevil Showjump Finals²⁰⁰⁵, 4th place Daredevil Showjump Semi-finals²⁰⁰⁵, 3rd place Daredevil Showjump²⁰⁰⁵, 1st place Red Blanket Showjump Championships²⁰⁰⁴, 1st place Red Blanket Showjump Semi-finals²⁰⁰⁴, 1st place Red Blanket Showjump²⁰⁰⁴, 2nd place Red Blanket Showjump Trials²⁰⁰⁴, 4th place Breed Jumpers Show²⁰⁰³, 1st place Breed Jumpers Showjump²⁰⁰³, 7th place Little Creek Jumping Show²⁰⁰², 7th place Forest Acre Event, Arena Jumping class²⁰⁰¹, 8th place Bland H Acres Event, Youngstock Jumping class²⁰⁰⁰}
Total Earnings: $398,500, 4 gold trophies, 1 silver trophy, 1 bronze trophy, 3 purple ribbons _{all trophies and winnings he won for his previous owner, who studded him for a short while after he was retired, then sold him at the auction where ShatterCry found him}
---
All of them are open for breeding, with natural colored mares and natural breed mares ONLY. No unicorns, no pegasus, no kelpie, no Harlequines.
May make an exception for an unnatural breed that has natural colors (wild patterns permissable, as long as the color of those patterns could possibly occur in real horses).
Keep in mind that in real life, Brindle is a characteristic that has not been proven genetic. In the HArpg I am hoping to apply a semi-realistic Brindle gene (Br, in gene code speak). Meaning that not EVERY child will be brindle! 1 foal out of 10 will be brindle, if you breed a non-brindle mare to these guys. 3 out of 10 foals will be brindle if you breed a brindle mare to either Shakespeare or Gypsy. 2 out of 10 foals will be brindle if you breed a brindle mare to Destiny.
DON'T try to cheat out of this. I will see to it that this is kept realistic, even if it means being the bad guy.
When you note me for a breeding, I will note you back and let you know of the foal will be brindle or not. Don't try to weasle out of it if I say no. Yes, 7-9 people will get "jipped" out of every ten breedings. Don't complain.
I will also appreciate it if you take a look at the online color calculator [link]
That will give you a great range of ideas of the possible colors that can come out of a breeding. It should be encouraging that even if you don't get a brindle foal, you can also get some pretty cool colors without the brindle. Remember, Destiny is a Silver gene carrier, and that opens up a whole range of awesome color possibilities, depending on the dam.
And if you think that Shakespeares Bay gene is boring? Check it out: If Shakespeare is bred to a Palomino mare, you could have a Silver Buckskin foal: [link] [link]
_{that last link will take you to an awesome site that you can use if you're researching a color for a silver-gened baby}
Not bad, no?
And get this, if I bred Gypsy Romp to my mare, Kinetic Refraction, there are sixteen possible genetic outcomes! That's without including the Brindle gene!
So don't you tell me that without the brindle, the foals will be boring. It just aint so. There's no such thing as a boring horse, especially if you took the time to create it.

And now that I'm done with my rant...thanks for viewing
--
_{Shakespeare's Swing, Gypsy Romp, and Death of Destiny are all a part of the ~HorseArt-RPG and are available for breeding. Check out the stable journal for more info: [link]
These designs, and this art, are copyright to me. Don't you even think about stealing!}