Shire Horse
The Shire Horse is a breed available in Star Stable Online and Star Stable Horses.
Timeline
| Date | Development |
|---|---|
| September 23, 2015 | A teaser video of the Shire Horse is posted on SSO's social media accounts. |
| October 5, 2015 | A teaser video of the Shire is posted to SSO's social media account. A release date of October 7th is given at this time. |
| October 7, 2015 | Three variations of the Shire are added to the game. They are sold for 949 SC. |
| October 21, 2015 | Three additional variations of the Shire are added to the game. |
| January 27, 2016 | An additional variation of the Shire is added to the game. |
| February 11, 2016 | A trailer for the Shire is uploaded to SSO's YouTube channel. |
| July 27, 2016 | An additional variation of the Shire is added to the game. |
| July 6, 2022 | An update note in the App Store gives a release date of August 3rd for the Gen 3 Shires. During the same update, the Gen 2 Shire has its price reduced to 475 Star Coins. |
| July 27, 2022 | A Gen 3 Shire NPC is placed near the dance floor at Fort Pinta Beach during the Fort Pinta Beach Festival a week before the updated breed's release. |
| August 3, 2022 | Six variations of the G3 Shire are added to the game. |
| August 4, 2022 | A variation of the G3 Shire (Light Bay) is added to the Star Stable Horses App. |
| December 20, 2023 | An additional variation of the G3 Shire is added to the game.[1] |
| May 22, 2024 | The app exclusive variation of the G3 Shire is added permanently to SSO.[2] |
| February 26, 2025 | Two additional variations of the G3 Shire are added to the game.[3] |
Description
Gen 2
"The Shire horse is one of the biggest horse breeds in the world. With a height that can pass five and a half feet or 1.7 metres, they’re majestic, but in spite of their size, they’re known for their calm and friendly temperament. Even more characteristically, they’re known for their heavy feathering at the fetlock.
As well as being big, the Shire is also strong, and it’s said that it can pull up to five-and-a-half tonnes without a problem. This made the Shire horse a popular warhorse in the middle ages as it could carry a soldier wearing heavy armour. As knight’s armour began to disappear, the Shire became more and more widely used as a workhorse. Now those days are gone, the Shire horse is most popularly known as a parade and draught horse."
Gen 3
"The magnificent Shire is a draft horse hailing from England. In the 1800s, Shires were used to pull barges, ploughs, and carts, and were instrumental in moving goods from the docks through the cities and countryside. With the advancement of technology, the need for workhorses diminished and the population of Shires dwindled to a vulnerable number.
Shires hold records for height and strength. Other characteristics are the considerable feathering on their legs and the impressive size of their hooves. A cold-blooded breed, Shires are inclined to work and eager to please.
Shire horses were brought to Jorvik by the Silverglade family, who prized them as grand carriage horses. Although this horse is a force of nature, its docile temperament makes it a good companion to any rider."
Unique Features
The Lay Down
Note: The horse must reach level 7 to perform this move.
The Gen 3 Shire can perform a special move called the Lay Down. The animation can be activated by pressing the spacebar, but only when standing still, otherwise the horse will jump instead of performing the move.
Tack
Gen 2
The Gen 2 Shire can wear the following tack. This is the same for all Gen 2 horse models.
| Bridles | Saddles | Blankets |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Gen 3
The Gen 3 Shire can wear the following tack.
| Bridles | Saddles | Blankets |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Hairstyles
Gen 2
Five hairstyles can be purchased for the Gen 2 Shire at the Horse Stylist.
- Default
- Button Braids
- Short
- Medium
- Long
Default
Button Braids
Short
Medium
Long
Gen 3
12 hairstyles can be purchased for the Gen 3 Shire at the Horse Stylist.
- Default
- Roached
- Button Braids
- Cropped
- Short
- Braids
- Flowers with Docked tail
- Long with Single Braid
- Default with Beard
- Cropped with Beard
- Flowers with Docked tail and Beard
- Long with Single Braid and Beard
Default
Roached
Button Braids
Cropped
Short
Braids
Flowers with Docked tail
Long with Single Braid
Default with Beard
Cropped with Beard
Flowers with Docked tail and Beard
Long with Single Braid and Beard
Feathers
The Shire sports heavy feathering on its legs. This long hair covering the horses' cannon and fetlock means that the Shire cannot wear leg wraps or open front boots in the game.
Colors, Pricing, and Location
Gen 2
The Gen 2 Shire is sold for 475 Star Coins. The eight variations can all be found at Ferdinand's Horse Market.
- Black
- Black Draft-Type Sabino
- Black Extensive Draft-type sabino
- Chestnut
- Dapple Brown
- Dapple Grey
- Faded Black
- Light Grey
Black
Black Draft-type sabino
Black Extensive Draft-Type Sabino
Chestnut
Dapple Brown
Dapple Grey
Faded Black
Light Grey
Gen 3
The Gen 3 Shire is sold for 900 Star Coins. The various coat colors can be found at the following locations:
Note: Horses sold at Moorland Stable can be purchased by level 1 players.
- Black - Moorland Stable/Steve's Farm
- Buckskin - Medieval Arena
- Chestnut Draft-Type Sabino - Medieval Arena
- Dapple grey - Steve’s Farm
- Dark Bay Draft-Type Sabino - Steve's Farm
- Light Bay - Steve’s Farm
- Light Chestnut - Steve's Farm
- Light Dapple Grey - Steve's Farm
- Seal Brown - Steve's Farm
- Steel Grey - Steve's Farm
Black
Buckskin
Chestnut Draft-Type Sabino
Dapple Grey
Dark Bay Draft-Type Sabino
Light Bay
Light Chestnut
Light Dapple Grey
Seal Brown
Steel Grey
Star Stable Horses
A Shire is available in Star Stable Horses. The fully raised foal can be bought for 900 SC.
- Light Bay
Light Bay
Trivia
- Docking originally meant "to amputate the tail bone at the Dock to keep the tail short" (presently illegal in most countries including Sweden), but nowadays the term means "the practice of cutting the hair of the tail skirt very short, just past the end of the natural dock of the tail."[4]
- While Shires do not carry the sabino (SB1) gene, the breed often produces sabino-like markings such as white reaching above the knees and hocks with jagged margins, wide blazes, and belly spots or roaning.[5] The gene(s) producing these patterns have so far been unable to be genetically identified/isolated and have thus been informally labeled terms such as draft-type sabino, blagdon, or hidden/untestable sabino.[6][7]
- Occasionally draft-type sabino shires may look close to and/or be referred to as "roan," but the breed does not actually carry the classic roan gene.[8] While these "roans" can be registered in the US registry, they may only be registered in the UK or AU if they are mares, geldings, or in the non-breeding registry.[9][10][11]
- The Shire horse breed standard in any registry counts excessive white, body spotting, or roaning as a "undesireable," especially in stallions. While this does not necessarily prevent US Shires from registration, both the UK and AU registries only allow excessive white on mares, geldings, or horses in the non-breeding registry.[10][9][11]
- While Chestnut Shires cannot be registered in the UK, they can be registered in the US.[9][10]
- In the AU registry, Chestnuts may only be registered in the non-breeding registry.[11]
- The Buckskin Shire is likely inspired by Freedom's Jolie Prize, an “A” book Shire mare fully registered with the American Shire Horse Association.[12]
- While the ASHA does not list any dilutes in their standard, non-standard colors have appeared and are registered on occasion.[10] Freedom's Jolie Prize's color is the result of the AHSA's "breed up" program which was discontinued ~20 years ago.[13] Due to the scarcity of the breed in the Americas, the ASHA allowed mares of unknown parentage that fit the breed description to apply for registration. Mares had to be bred back to registered Shire stallions and only fillies could be kept as breeders.[14]
- The Whinfell uses the G2 Shire model.
- Nemain and Vetle use the G3 Shire model.
- The Generation 3 Shire model is the tallest playable horse model in the game.
- The Gen 2 Chestnut Shire was the first horse to feature a badger face (also known as a reverse blaze) in the game.
References
- ↑ "A Duo of Winter Horses" Star Stable. Star Stable Entertainment, December 20, 2023. https://www.starstable.com/article/winter-horse-duo
- ↑ "The Bazaar is Back!" Star Stable. Star Stable Entertainment, May 22, 2024. https://www.starstable.com/article/the-bazaar-is-back.
- ↑ "Ready, Aim, Fire!" Star Stable. Star Stable Entertainment, February 26, 2025 . https://www.starstable.com/article/ready-aim-fire.
- ↑ Wikipedia, s.v. “Tail (horse): Docking,” last modified July 28, 2024, 18:59, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tail_(horse)#Docking.
- ↑ Samantha A. Brooks and Ernest Bailey, “Exon skipping in the KIT gene causes a Sabino spotting pattern in horses,” Mammalian Genome 16, (2005): 893–902, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00335-005-2472-y.
- ↑ Irene Stamatelakys, “The Science of Sabino,” Paint Horse Journal, no. 1 (August 2007), https://web.archive.org/web/20100926143706/http://painthorsejournal.com/pastissues/pdfs/TheScienceofSabinoAug07.pdf, Archived from the original on September 26, 2010, http://painthorsejournal.com/pastissues/pdfs/TheScienceofSabinoAug07.pdf. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
- ↑ Dan Phillip Sponenberg and Rebecca Bellone, Equine Color Genetics, 4th ed, (New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2017), 185-197.
- ↑ Rebecca Overton, “In the Genes,” Quarter Horse News, no. (December, 2004): 27, https://web.archive.org/web/20070927040626/http://www.hancockhorses.com/article-roanQHNews.pdf. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007, http://www.hancockhorses.com/article-roanQHNews.pdf. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 "Breed Standard and Points of the Horse" Shire-Horse. Shire Horse Society, accessed February 27, 2025. https://www.shire-horse.org.uk/breeding-shire-horses.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 "Breed Standard: ASHA Standard of Conformation Guidelines" Shire Horse. American Shire Horse Association accessed February 27, 2025. https://www.shirehorse.org/breed-info/breed-standard/.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 "Rules of Registration" Shire Horse Society. Shire Horse Society of Australia Inc., accessed February 27, 2025. https://shirehorsesociety.com.au/wp-content/uploads/SHSA-rules-of-registration-2024.pdf.
- ↑ "Our Mares: Drum Horses" Tintagel. Tintagel Enterprises, Ltd., accessed February 2, 2025. https://web.archive.org/web/20200217022234/http://www.tintagelandalusians.com/mares_jolie.htm. Archived from the original on February 17, 2020, http://www.tintagelandalusians.com/mares_jolie.htm. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
- ↑ "FREEDOMS JOLIE PRIZE" Pedigree Online. Select Web Ventures, LLC., accessed February, 26, 2025. https://beta.allbreedpedigree.com/freedoms-jolie-prize-lRvYqAxx/pedigree.
- ↑ "Buckskin Shire Horse - Freedoms Jolie Prize" Stable Express. Stable Express Equestrian, accessed February 26, 2025. https://www.stableexpress.com/?T=Buckskin%20Shire%20Horse%20-%20Freedoms%20Jolie%20Prize.