Barkhart
The Barkhart is a magic horse breed that was available in Star Stable Online.
Note: These horses will not be returning to the game and are no longer available for purchase.
Timeline
| Date | Development |
|---|---|
| June 20, 2019 | A teaser image and trailer of the Lusitano Jorvik Wild Horse is released on SSO's social media accounts.[1] [2] |
| June 26, 2019 | The Lusitano Jorvik Wild Horse is added to the game for four weeks. SSO announces these horses will only be available for these four weeks and will not be added back to the game again.[3] |
| October 7, 2020 | A new breed is released under the name "Jorvik Wild Horse." The Lusitano Jorvik Wild Horse's name is changed to Barkhart.[4] |
Description
Old Description 1
"Around Jorvik's less accessible spots, herds of free-roaming Jorvik Wild Horses can be found. This breed is thought to be particularly special due to the vibrant colours and patterns on the horses' body and coat. Colours such as blue, red, green, purple, and orange aren't unusual, and even the horses' eyes can be unusually coloured in violet, red or clear blue.
This horse is believed to have emerged in symbiosis with the Pandoric energy flows, which is said to explain their unique colouring. Many also believe the horses to have certain magical abilities. Jorvik Wild Horses are usually a little shorter and more thick-bodied than most - similar to the Fjord Horses - but can also have other variations in the height of their withers.
Their unique colours and patterns don't ever seem to show up when they're around civilization, but they display at their strongest when out in nature."
Old Description 2
"Jorvik is home to beautiful and majestic horse breeds from around the world, but the most amazing horses of all can only be found on this island. Horses with manes and tails in rainbow colors beyond imagination, horses that shimmer like jewels or burn with the fury of the elements -- theses are the Jorvik Wild Horses!
'Jorvik Wild' isn't a breed but rather a trait that can manifest in any horse-born feral in the remote corners of the island. In olden ties, the vibrant hues and mystical qualities of the Jorvik Wild were the stuff of myths and legends. Only the Keepers of Aideen know the truth -- that the Jorvik Wild's appearance is a response to Pandoric energy flow. This explains why the horses hide their true state around towns and cities, only revealing their true form in nature, where Pandoric energy is stronger.
The Jorvik Wild trait cannot be passed on via breeding, which makes these horses exceedingly rare. Only those handlers with the Wild Whispering gift can entice them (to) go under saddle. To ride one requires a special bond indeed."
Current Description
"Magic Horses on Jorvik are creatures of stories and folklore. As the tales are passed down over the ages, the legends of these horses have been kept alive.
Barkhart is a horse of the woods, blending in with the trees their coat resembles. Their agility helps them sneak around the forest undetected, and they consume a diet rich with forest fruits and certain greenery. Jorvegian legend claims they are the trees of Jorvik's forests that come to life.
Like other Magic Horses in Jorvik, Barkhart shows its true colors in wild places and will conceal its appearance in populated areas. Whether in its magical form or disguised to blend in with other horses, Barkhart rides just like the Lusitanos it most resembles"
Unique Features
Color Changing
The Barkhart is a magical horse with the special ability to change colors. When the player presses the "h" key or the magic horse icon on the horse's character sheet, the horse will change from its neutral colors to its natural (magic) colors and vice versa. The horse will not change colors during races or while the player is unmounted.
The Piaffe
Note: The horse must reach level 7 to perform this move.
The Barkhart can perform a special dressage move called the Piaffe. The animation can be activated by pressing the spacebar, but only when standing still, otherwise the horse will jump instead of Piaffe.
Colors, Pricing, and Location
The Barkhart was sold for 950 SC. They were sold by Gary Goldtooth and came in the two variations.
Cherry Tree to Brindle Dun
Birch Tree to Steel Grey extended blanket
Note: These horses will not be returning to the game and are no longer available for purchase.
Horse 1
- Natural Color: Cherry tree wood textured body with Cherry tree blossom mane and tail
- Neutral Color: Brindle Dun
Horse 2
- Natural Color: Birch tree wood textured body with green leaves mane and tail
- Neutral Color: Steel Grey extended blanket
Trivia
- The Barkhart uses the Lusitano model.
- The Barkhart, like most other Magic Horses, cannot have its hairstyle changed.
- The Barkharts are the only horses to be released for a limited time and then never made available again. No other limited release horses have ever been explicitly advertised as "one-time only."
- They were also the only Gen 3 horses to be permanently removed from the game.
- Because SSO never attempted to release one-time only horses after the release of the Barkharts, many unsubstantiated rumors began to circulate. SSO attempted to debunk these claims by making an official statement that the Barkharts were made to "mark a moment in time," but this vague answer has done little to dispel the rumors.[5]
- One rumor speculates that the Barkhart's designs reminded concerned parents of self-injury scars (or they triggered those who have self-harmed) causing multiple complaints to be sent in to SSO, prompting the company to never release them again. There has been no evidence of email correspondence between concerned peoples and SSO's staff to substantiate this hypothesis and the horses likely would have been completely removed if this were the case. Additionally, SSO has imitated the Barkhart's coats on later breeds; Hanami and Birkir, further discrediting this rumor.
- Another rumor suggests the artist who designed these horses, left the company (or died, or got into a legal dispute with SSO, or SSO stole the designs), and part of their agreement required them to never sell the horse in-game again. SSO has debunked this theory themselves in comments posted on their social media. [6] [7] Even if SSO had not spoken publicly on this issue, typical copyright agreements for video game companies require artists to relinquish their ownership of any material they may create for the company, to them.[8]
- Yet another rumor states that the Barkharts were a test on whether SSO could profit from making one-time exclusive horse coats to ramp up Star Coin sales and this test did not cause a significant enough spike to move forward with the idea. Again, there have been no official or credible statements from current or former employees to substantiate this claim.
- The name Barkhart is a compound name involving two parts of trees; bark and heartwood.
References
- ↑ Star Stable Online, “My, oh my, who's THAT lurking in the bushes?!” Instagram, JUNE 20, 2019, accessed October 25, 2022, https://www.instagram.com/p/By7JZa8ASVI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link.
- ↑ @starstableonline. “Gary Goldtooth couldn't stop his intense Midsummer feelings, so he just HAD to come to Moorland and join in on the festivities!” Instagram video, June 20, 2019. Accessed October 25, 2022. https://www.instagram.com/p/By7t1qDgl0n/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link.
- ↑ "The most magical horses you’ve ever seen!" Star Stable. Star Stable Entertainment, June 26, 2019. https://www.starstable.com/en/article/7053
- ↑ "The Jorvik Wild Horse!" Star Stable. Star Stable Entertainment, October 7, 2020. https://www.starstable.com/en/article/9272
- ↑ Star Stable, "Meet Birkir & Hanami!🍃🌸 | Star Stable Magic Horses ✨,” March 10, 2022, Trailer, https://youtu.be/s6VDYw_n94I.
- ↑ Krittlez, “Captureaug21-2023-at 4-56pm.PNG”, August 21, 2023, https://starstable.wiki.gg/wiki/File:Captureaug21-2023-at_4-56pm.PNG.
- ↑ Star Stable, “Hi StarFam!🌟.”, March 16, 2022, https://www.facebook.com/starstable/posts/pfbid0xg7WiBKktzeSX5rKvjdt4nvT8HQK3vDdJxT6vsDZNHuEDbqtGtFhYB65DABqVnTrl.
- ↑ Anna Patricia Pichay, “How do video game copyrights work?,” Red Points. RED POINTS SOLUTIONS, S.L., with CIF no. B-65649899, Accessed August 21, 2023, https://www.redpoints.com/blog/video-game-copyright/.
- ↑ Wikipedia, s.v. “Bark (botany),” last modified October 17, 2022, 19:11, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bark_(botany).
- ↑ Britannica, s.v. “heartwood,” last modified February 09, 2012, https://www.britannica.com/science/heartwood.
