Horn Genetics

Introduction

So you’re about to breed two ballators, how exciting! But wait, perhaps you want a specific amount or type of horn? Not sure how to get the types of horn you want, or would you like an explanation of horn Types and Passing? Look no further than this guide to get you started.

Table of Contents

Horn Locations

There are 7 general areas that horns may be: head, neck, shoulder, barrel(stomach/middle), back, rump, and legs. Shape that is gained from parents is solely affected by horns within those regions. This means a horn shape on the head will not affect a horn shape on the rump.

However, regardless of location, all horns are affected by inherited color and horn mutations. The exception to this being Chimera.

Horn Types

Horn Sets

  • The most common type seen in Ballators.
  • Consist of horns that have a matching pair on the opposite side of the body.
  • Horn sets will mirror each other on both sides of the horse in every occasion except in the case of Chimera.
1x Headset: Curled
1x Headset: Flat

Lone Horns

  •  Consist of only one horn of that shape or location on the horse.
  • Does not have a matching horn on the opposite side of the body.
  • Only seen on places where being mirrored isn’t possible.
1x Head Lone Horn: Spiraled

Combination

  • A Ballator can have both Lone and Sets of horns, including multiple of each in various locations.
2x Head Lone Horns: Both Flat || 1x Headset: Flat || 1 Neck set: Flat
2x Head Lone Horns: Both Flat || 2x Headset: Both Spined

Horn Shapes

Horns can come in many shapes and sizes. Even being a combination of them.

Flat Horns

  • No spines, curls or protrusions.
  • Can have textured areas, such as ridges, rings or other textures that do not cause spines, curls or protrusions.
  • Flat horns may bend, but they cannot twist around or curl over.
2x Headsets: Both Flat
2x Headsets: Both Flat

Spiralled / Curled Horns

  • Horns that curl over, twist around, or spiral so as to cause the horn to “overlap”.
  •  Can have textured areas, such as ridges, rings or other textures.
  • Spiral horns can combine with other horn shapes, such as spined or webbed.
1x Headsets: Spiralled
1x Headsets: Curled

Spined Horns

  • Horns that have any protrusion from the main horn base or shaft.
  • Can have textured areas, such as ridges, rings or other textures.
  • Spined horns can combine with other horn shapes, such as spiral, webbed, fused or segmented.
  • Spines come in a variety of shapes but always show an obvious departure from the horn base.
1x Headsets: Spined
1x Headsets: Spined

Webbed Horns

  • Horns that have spines connected with “webs” of horn that create a hole or space of air in the center.
  • Can have textured areas, such as ridges, rings or other textures.
  • Webbed horns can combine with other horn shapes, such as spiral, spined, fused or segmented.
1x Headsets: Webbed
1x Headsets: Webbed

Fused Horns

  • Any two horn sets that would otherwise be considered two individual horns, but touch to form a “bridge” and fuse the two together.

  • Any horn set that starts on one side of the head/body and ends in the same place on the other side, such as a halo or ring.

1x Headsets: Fused and Spined
1x Headsets: Fused and Spined

Segmented Horns

  • Most commonly appear on the spine and are often associated with fused bones.
  • Cover a large area of the Ballator and/or have an oddly shaped base that “connects” horns together.
  • Segmented horns are always considered fused
  •  Ballators with segmented horns will pass half the amount of their segments to a foal after breeding.
  • Any horn that has multiple spines and/or fused areas radiating off of an irregular-shaped base.
  • Any horn that appears to have multiple “links” covering a large area of the horse.
1x Backset: Segmented, Fused, and Spined
1x Backset: Segmented, Fused, and Spined || 1x Headset: Spined

Breeding & Passing

When two Ballators are bred, their foal’s horns will always be a combination of the parent’s horn shapes and colors unless a Hornchanger item is used.

The amount of horns the parents have determine how many a Ballator foal will have, as well as location.
A Ballator will always pass half of the amount of horns it has to their foal, unless both parents have a horn in that location. In that case, the foal will always inherit a horn/horns in that area.

The size of the foal’s horns are also determined by the parents’ horns.
The foal’s horns will never grow to be larger than either of the parent’s horns. Often they will be smaller than the parents’ horns but can be the same size as well.