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With the introduction of Breeds, I'm so happy to combine my favorite Authors (Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon) with this game. If you like fantasy, magic and horses that aren't horses (iykyk), you'll love the World of Valdemar.


In the World of Valdemar, there is a historic nomadic people called the Shin'a'in. These are people of the Plains, and horses are considered their family, often referring to them as siblings. Over 2,000 years ago, magic was used to help improve their horses ancestors. Giving them more muscles, greater bone density, higher stamina and uncanny intelligence. Over time these horses went from being herd animals to pack animals, and have often had their trainability and intelligence compared to dogs. While they are most commonly known for their Battle Steeds, the Shin'a'in bred horses for all different types of work. The horses at Cheshire Farms represent a fusion between Riding Mount and Battle Steed. They make great mounts for sports where agility, endurance, and stamina are needed.



The Shin'a'in Horses should be of Medium type, with heights varying based on their purpose. They can come in any solid color, with Tobiano*, Roan and Grey being represented as well. Other common color modifiers seen in the herds are Dun (D and nd1), Agouti Promoter (A+), Sooty (Sty), Dense Pheomelanin (DP), Pigment Density Regulator (Bl), Tigers Eye (TE1 and TE2) and Pangare (P+).

Because information on these horses are pieced together from little bits of different stories, I've taken liberties to fill in some information. For example the reference to white patterns are not made in the books, but when I think of these horses, or the Culture, I picture the horse culture of Mongolia. Many of the horses in Mongolia, as well as some old-world breeds, have Tobiano in them.


The Shin'a'in line at Cheshire Farms started with 2 Foundation Stallions (Hakan & Toniano), and 10 Foundation Mare Lines (Baran, Bebek, Burma, Ekmel, Ferhat, Gul, Kara, Kaya, Kumal, and Yulaf). Later we added 4 more foundation mares (Apala, Dwyn, Ita, and Gilah).


This naming convention follows the mare line, and all pure bred foundation horses are designated as Shinain in front of their name. Lined horses do not have the Shinain prefix to their name. The foundation stallion's name, Shinain Hakan a Altan, tells you he is a Purebred Shinain named Hakan out of Mare Line Altan. Sometimes the suffix of the stallions name Hakan links that Stallion to his Stallion Line. In this case Shinain Hakan a Altan's Stallion Line is the Line of Kan. Occasionally stallions have unique given names, other times they might repeat their Sires name or Stallion Line name.

Regardless of gender, offspring will always inherit the Mare Lines name from their Dam. Mares are highly valued and considered of great influence, so it's culturally important to be able to trace the Dam Line all the way back to the beginning. When future mares are born, they are given a unique name before their Mare Lines name, Sari a Yulaf. In some cases if the mare is very significant, she will then be given her own line. In this case, the new line would be Sari, and records will trace back to Line Yulaf.


Since these horses do not carry any special genes, they will all be available publicly and will be able to be found using the search option here.

Cheshire Farms began in May 2020 with a focus on breeding Dun Appaloosas. With hard work an dedication to the breed, we are now over 11 generations strong. Our foundation is built upon excellent breeding stock and rigorous testing. You can expect the same dedication from any breeding program hosted by Cheshire Farms. Click here to learn more about Cheshire Farms.