This is the Rules Page. Please ensure that you read the rules before you join. Failure to comply to the rules can result in having you account frozen or deleted. Any questions? Email Lydia at wickedgirl_4@yahoo.co.uk

General Rules

Game play Rules

Once you have sent off the join request form, you will receive the message board link with your username and password (the password can be    changed once you have logged on). Once you have logged on to the message board its a good idea to post a Hello message on the welcome section of the message board - this is to introduce yourself to others! 

New members
Everyone starts the game with £25,000. New members are on probation for the first month of being a member. During this time any horses created or purchased must be kept in a boarding barn. Information on boarding barns can be found on the members page. Your boarding fee (which is decided by the barn owner)  must be sent to the owner as the owner requests. This may be once a month, a month in advance or upon leaving. Money can be send automatically using the bank Members on probation are not allowed to breed, and may only own up to 10 horses. Top

Staying Active
New members have 14 days to post on the forum, this can be anything from an introduction to a question, if a new member doesn't post within the 14 days without a valid excuse (which must be emailed to Lydia in advance) they will have their account deleted without notice. Active members post their attendance on the Arcadia Forum, every time you post, you receive 1/5th of a Member point. For more information on this see the "Attendance" board in the forum. Member points can be exchange for play cash. Top

Finances
The game begins with £25,000. Please note that this is not real money. The bank will control your finances, you will not need to keep a record of them yourself (however this may be useful to you). The new bank is fully automatic and is shared with Arcadia. Sending cheques is easy (See the Bank page) and you can also check where your money has been sent. Member points collected throughout the game can be exchanged to play cash. Other ways to raise funds include:
  -  Selling horses
  -  Having stallions up for stud
  -  Hosting shows
  -  Opening a business
  -  Entering races or shows
  -  Playing the Lotto or Arcadia Bingo (See Arcadia Forum)
When sending money, visit the bank page and follow the instructions given. Top

Creating a Barn
After being an active member for at least a month you will be notified by email. Then you may create your own barn. This will have to be done on your own web space. Creating your own barn has a one off cost of £10,000 and only after the first month of membership will you be allowed to publish the URL of your barn on the message board. You do not have to start your own barn, you may want to remain as a boarder. Once you have crated your barn just register it at the estate office and you will receive:
  -  3 acres of pasture
  -  3 Stables
There is a maximum of two horses to each acre of land therefore in a new barn you may have a total of 9 horses. Your barn must display at least:
  -  The names of the horses you have, their ID numbers.
  -  The facilities you own
  -  And a contact email
Having pictures for your horses is not compulsory. You may draw your own, use photos with permission or not use any pictures at all. All barns, businesses and anything linked to Four Hooves must have a link to www.chocochick.co.uk/fourhooves on every page. There must also be a statement to show that it is not in any way real. Your barn website must be completely separate to your other websites (if you have any). Top

• Private Barn Owners
  When you create a barn it is instantly private. This means you may not offer boarding, feed supplies, vet or Farrier services. However if your barn contains the correct facilities you may host shows (see shows for more information.) If you wish to expand your barn, for example to buy extra land, more stables (or even an outdoor ménage) you must fill in the building form at the estates office. Top

• Boarding Barn Owners
  For a private barn to accept boarders you must first register with the estates office which will do a detailed examination into your set-up to see if it would make a suitable boarding barn. If your barn passes, you may then create a boarding page where fees and current boarders are displayed. It is your responsibility to let the bank know when you have a new resident or when a resident has terminated their stay. (Please visit the estates office for more information on becoming a boarding barn). Top

• Mini Barns
  A mini barn is a useful method of boarding for those that don't know how to use HTML or publish a website. Effectively its like renting out a certain amount of stables and land. To open a mini-barn you must first contact you boarding barn owner and ask them how much land and how many stables you may rent. This will be a cost at a set price, no matter how many horses you have. It is your responsibility to send your boarding payments to your host. If you keep your horses in a mini-barn it is also your responsibility to feed, shoe and get your horses vetted. The boarding barn MUST give you your own page on their website. Top

Sim Horses
Your first horse must be purchased from a member or the HHS. After this each member is allowed to create (this means making up a horse from scratch) 3 horses. This doesn't have to be done at once, and may be spread across years if required. All the horse documentation such as creating a horse, breeding a horse, changing the owner of a horse and changing horse information is done at the horse registry (Members page). There is a database displaying all the horses in play. If horses aren't on this data base they must not be used in the game or displayed in your barn.

If you own your own barn or mini barn you must pay for a vet visit at least every 2 months. Borders fees will have to include vet payments, feed and any other requirements excluding the Farrier. The Farrier will need to re-shoe each horse that is in work every 6 weeks depending on how many horses you want to have shod. Horses that are not in work, or are in foal can just be trimmed. All of this is your responsibility - you will need to send off payment to the business and keep track of when your previous visits were (I recommend keeping a calendar in your barn). Failure to do this will mean having your horses sent to the HHS (homeless horse society) for more information see the HHS page.  Top

HHS
The homeless horse society takes in horses that have been rejected. To reject a horse you must pay a fee, and your name will remain anonymous. Horses in the HHS can be purchased by anyone for a low price just to help find them a home. Horses that are owned by the HHS will come up on the horse registry as being owned by the HHS and anyone my apply to buy them (The HHS page is located in the members area). Top

Breeding
Breeding is simple. A stallion must be at least 3 years old before breeding, and a mare must be at least 3 years old. If you are breeding using your own two horses just fill out the breeding form at the horse registry. The gestation period is 4 weeks, after the four weeks you will be sent an email asking for the detail you want to register. You may choose the name and year of birth of your foal. The breed will be chosen after looking at the sire and dam. Other information such as the colour, height and gender are chosen at random. Speed aging may be used on foals. For example you may choose your foal to be 3 years old if the youngest parent is 4. Foal must be at least a year younger than their youngest parent.
If you are using someone else's stallion or mare the process is the same. If you have a stallion you may wish choose a stud fee for it if it can be used by others. Send in the breeding form and the stud/broodmare fee will automatically be transferred over to the stud owner. Its a good idea to email the owner of the stud just to get permission before using it. A single mare may only have a maximum of 6 foals each year, however there is no limit to the amount of foals a barn may breed from all their mares each year in total. 
Just remember the following rules when breeding:
Stallions
 - A stallion must at least 3 years old before breeding.
 - A show stallion (stallions taking part in ridden activity) may only sire a maximum of 10 foals per year.
 - A halter stallion (stallions taking part in ONLY halter classes) may sire an unlimited number of foals per year.
Mares
 - Mares must be at least 3 years old before breeding.
 - A single mare may only have a maximum of 6 foals a year.
 - During the first 3 weeks of pregnancy a mare may only compete in halter showing.
 - During week 4 the mare may not compete at all. This also applies to week 5 after having the foal.
 - After week 5 the mare may return to breeding and full showing again. Top

Levels
4H is all about learning and sharing knowledge of horses with other members, that's why we have a "Level up" scheme. All members start at level 0, and have to work their way up the ranks by taking the levelled exams, these exams are not compulsory and do not have to be taken, however you may wish to post your level on your barn to encourage people to buy from you or except your services. For certain business you may need to take a qualification exam allowing you to practise as a vet, Farrier or other horse person. For more details on gaining levels visit the Careers centre in the Members area. Top

Shows/Races
To host a show you must be an approved showing yard. You must have all the correct facilities and have a pass from the estates office (visit the shows page for more information).  Prize money has to be worked out from the entry fees. For the list of points and titles awarded for shows please visit the shows page in the members area. Top

Opening a Business
Businesses include tack, Farrier, vet, feed store etc. To become a certified business, you must create a site/page and send it to the estates office. Once it has passed you may advertise your services. Please remember for certain businesses you must first pass a qualification exam. For more business information visit the estates office. Top

Associations
An association can be for anything like a breed or a discipline (welsh pony for example or Dressage). You sign your horse/s up to these association and you get discounted entry to shows hosted by that association and anything else that association offers to members. Associations must have their own website. They must list all the horses that are members of that association, they must give a history of that breed/discipline. Top